MoD needs yards

Professor Trevor Taylor’s assertion that the Ministry of Defence would not send contracts to an independent Scotland (Scotsman conference, 15 May) might have some weight if it wasn’t for the fact that the MoD is giving $2.5 billion to a company in the US to fund part of the development cost of the JSF35 (B and C).

This contentious contract, which could still be scrapped by the US, is a good example of the worst type of MoD procurement. It has development and procurement money going to many European countries for all sorts of hardware, and has done for years. Tornado, Eurofighter and many missile projects all involve partnership countries. That Scotland would be excluded is a ludicrous assertion.

Scotland is the only place where it can get Type 45 and the future Type 26 built without establishing expensive facilities elsewhere using money it has not got.

The MoD needs Scottish yards more than Scottish yards need it. There are many other types of ship which Scottish yards can build. The Clyde and the Forth are now the biggest military ship building and assembly areas in Britain and among the most important in northern Europe.

Bruce D Skivington

Strath

Gairloch, Wester Ross