Camdean Primary School visit Westminster

Pupils from Camdean Primary School in Rosyth visited Westminster on Tuesday as part of a week long visit to the city.

They enjoyed an official tour of the Palace followed by a talk from the education department and finally from me.

Afterward they went for a whistle stop tour of the central London.

Rosyth to become 'nuclear graveyard' - UK, News - The Independent

Rosyth to become 'nuclear graveyard' - UK, News - The Independent: "Mr Brown said: 'We will not allow the Rosyth area to be frozen by nuclear dumping or becoming a nuclear graveyard. The Government proposals cannot be allowed to go ahead.'"

This is not a report from today, but fifteen years ago - twelve of which Labour have been in charge! It's about time the Prime Minister used his power to remove these seven nuclear submarines from Rosyth Dockyard.

Rosyth nuke subs - we need answers

For twenty five years we've had redundant nuclear submarines in Rosyth Dockyard. Yet despite endless promises about future disposal they are still with us and look set to remain there for many years to come if the latest news is of significance.

Two top advisers have been sacked in what seems to be a deep dispute in the team taking forward the planned disposal programme.

I've taken up the matter with the MOD and want answers. Above all else what's vital is that we put an end to this endless deliberation of the options. One sub has already developed three holes in the ballast tank. The community has been patient and tolerant of these subs but that patience is being tested now. The MOD should not take Rosyth for granted.

Super Carriers – refits in France?

The Ministry of Defence is seriously considering turning its back on Rosyth dockyard and awarding the contract for the refit of our new super carriers to yards in France, Spain or Holland.

A letter I received from the Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell confirms other confidential reports I have received. It reads as follows:

“As part of the development work, a range of options to establish the best value for money solution are being examined; these naturally include undertaking the work in UK dockyards such as Rosyth.”

Only “include”!

To even consider foreign yards when we have top notch facilities and a highly skilled workforce that is perfectly capable of doing the work on our doorstep only confirms that the MOD has lost its marbles.

We’ve already invested £50million in Rosyth Dockyard so that it can take the carriers, which will be the biggest ships in the Royal Navy.

The MOD number crunchers seem to think that by no longer supporting a yard they will cut their costs but whilst this may look good on a balance sheet it will not be good value for money.

This is the MOD that thought it was good value for money to spend an extra £1billion on the carriers without creating one extra job or any additional capability just to stay within the treasury’s annual spending limits.

Rosyth is the logical place, in fact the only place in the UK, to refit the carriers in future and the Labour government must tell those MOD officials to rule out foreign yards now.

(Pics: Top is Nazaire in France; 2nd is Rosyth; 3rd is Navantia Ferrol in Spain and 4th is Cherbourg in France. The letter is below.)