Portsmouth Labour Party Standing up for you and our city
Today, the Portsmouth MP pressed the Secretary of State for Defence in the House of Commons to set out the decision-making process for dry-dock facilities for the new carriers.
The introduction of a new dry-dock facility for the nation’s carriers in the city’s Naval Base would be highly beneficial for Portsmouth’s economy says Stephen Morgan MP, creating and protecting hundreds of jobs and could bring in £1bn to the city over a 10-year period.
The city MP used Defence questions in the Commons to press the Government into revealing more information about Ministerial plans. Stephen said:
“A new dry-dock facility for HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales would secure Portsmouth on the map as home to both the Royal Navy and one of the most advanced dry-docking facilities in the world. It is the obvious place to build such a facility both strategically and historically.”
Mr Morgan specifically asked the Secretary of State for Defence for a timeframe within which the decision would be made. Regretably the Secretary of State declined to confirm this in the House today, instead offering a meeting between the city MP and Defence Procurement Minister already scheduled.
In the coming weeks, Mr Morgan has already arranged to meet Stuart Andrew MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Defence.
The Portsmouth MP went on to say:
“I have already arranged to meet with the Minister in the coming weeks to push for Government investment in Portsmouth. Our city needs it’s fair share of work for our nation.
Whilst I’m grateful for the Secretary of State’s warm words about Portsmouth today, dockyard workers and industry need answers and certainty.
I will continue lobbying Ministers to protect Portsmouth jobs and our local economy and pushing for a decision on a dry dock in our city. With the nation’s carriers baseported here, it makes perfect business sense for the dry-dock to be here too”.