£5.2bn carriers project 'should survive review'

Published on Wednesday 22 September 2010 18:07

A MINISTER has strongly hinted that the £5.2 billion aircraft carrier project, which underpins the future of shipbuilding in Scotland, will survive the Strategic Defence Review (SDR).

There have been fears one or both of the two carriers may get cancelled, but yesterday Lib Dem defence minister Nick Herbert said there was no need to panic.

Mr Herbert's intervention came on the day when Lib Dem Scottish Secretary Michael Moore warned in The Scotsman that severe defence cuts could undermine Scotland's ties to the UK.

Mr Harvey said: "Well the first carrier of course is pretty much 25 per cent built.

"I cannot imagine any circumstances in which we wouldn't finish the build.

"As for the second carrier, I would simply point the Scottish political community to the fact that there is an existing contract between the Ministry of Defence and the shipyards that guarantees them a certain level of work so whether that will be on the second carrier or anything else, the work is guaranteed for several years to come."