News that Rosyth dockyard has been granted new contracts for major ship refits by the Ministry of Defence is a clear indication that there is huge confidence in the efficiency and quality of the 1300 strong workforce there, according to Willie Rennie, Liberal Democrat MP for Dunfermline and West Fife and Defence Spokesman.
Babcock's, the engineering firm who run the yard have said that the refit of up to seven 'Gloucester 12' type ships will be split between their dockyards at Faslane and Rosyth. The first ships to undergo the deep maintenance work will be the Type 42 Destroyer HMS Gloucester and the Type 23 Frigate HMS St Albans. The work will include a full structural survey for each ship, as well as weatherdeck and superstructure painting.
After learning of the news, Mr Rennie said:
"This is a clear indication of how much confidence the Ministry of Defence has in the skills and professionalism of the workforce at Rosyth. The 1300 workers have a longstanding reputation for delivering high quality work both on time and within budget.
"However, as good as this news is, everyone at the yard is still eagerly waiting to hear news on the Future Aircraft Carrier project, which would secure jobs long into the future. I would urge the government to take this decision sooner rather than later, and build the carriers at Rosyth."
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