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Written question asked by Lord Spellar (Labour) on Friday, 21 November 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 5 December 2025. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Monday, 8 December 2025 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Navy: Procurement

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they had with the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions about the Defence Marine Services Next Generation Contracts.

Answer

The Defence Marine Services Next Generation (DMS-NG) programme did not seek tenders directly for the Vessel Replacement Programme (VRP), as the endorsed procurement strategy was to include this as part of the broader In-Port Services contract. Tenderers for the main contract were expected to select their own supply chain to deliver the VRP and Serco made the decision to sub-contract to Damen Shipyards Group.

While there was no policy requirement to engage for this procurement, and there are no records of discussions with the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions specifically on the DMS-NG contracts, the Department remains committed to open dialogue with stakeholders and to supporting UK shipbuilding through the National Shipbuilding Strategy and associated initiatives. The Ministry of Defence now engages regularly with industry bodies and trade unions in accordance with the 2025 Defence publication “The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy”.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL12215
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Procurement Navy Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk