Government must 'step up' and award defence contracts to secure Harland and Wolff's future - TUV

​Prime Minister Keir Starmer avoided making any commitment on ensuring Northern Ireland had its fair share of military contracts when asked about the issue by the News Letter last month – and reiterated the government view that the market is best placed to deal with the issue.

Evidence submitted to a parliamentary inquiry on Northern Ireland defence spending in March said that the total defence procurement spend in Northern Ireland is still significantly lower than any other region of the United Kingdom.

Spirit AeroSystems said that in 2022/23, it was £190 million – equating to 0.76% of the total defence spend in the UK – compared to £6,350 million for the South East of England, which currently has the highest procurement spend.

The company blamed a number of factors, including the geography and distance of the region from policymakers in London; a lack of understanding of Northern Ireland’s distinct capabilities by policymakers and modest political attention to the region by decision-makers in Westminster.

TUV East Belfast representative John Ross said during a recent visit to Harland and Wolff “It was clear that motivation, dedication and belief were in abundance at every level of management I engaged with, and amongst the workforce I spoke to, particularly the young apprentices, who were honing their skills fabricating essential items, to ensure cost effectiveness in their training, with zero waste, it was truly impressive, and a credit to those managing the extensive apprentice programmes”.

Mr Ross added: “We desperately need manufacturing growth in Northern Ireland, we have the opportunity to achieve that through meaningful investment in Harland and Wolff, and the tremendous apprentice training programmes that are already in place and developing.

“Today we contribute c6% of our Country’s Armed Forces personnel, now is the chance for our Government to recognise that, through awarding defence contracts to ensure the future of H&W”.