The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) ambitious Clyde Infrastructure Programme was the focus of intense parliamentary scrutiny during a Defence Committee session, with MPs raising concerns over escalating costs, delays, and transparency.
The Clyde Infrastructure Programme (CIP), an ambitious project to modernise infrastructure at HMNB Clyde to support the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine operations, was a focal point during a Defence Committee session on the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report and Accounts.
The session highlighted the programme’s challenges and the government’s ongoing commitment to its delivery.
Broader context for the programme
The Clyde Infrastructure Programme is a cornerstone of MoD efforts to ensure the operational readiness of the UK’s Continuous At Sea Deterrence (CASD) and future submarine capabilities. It aims to provide updated facilities for the Dreadnought-class submarines, support nuclear operations until at least 2067, and establish the Clyde as a Submarine Centre of Specialisation.
The programme includes enhancements across berthing, waste management, training facilities, and personnel accommodation.
According to the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) Annual Report for 2022-23, the programme remains on track despite cost increases, with a new Whole Life Cost of £1.869 billion, up from an initial £1.585 billion. The report attributes this rise to “operational constraints, resource availability, extraordinary inflation, and material availability.”
Acknowledging the challenges
During the session, Sir Robert Magowan, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, candidly addressed the difficulties confronting the Clyde Infrastructure Programme. “There are a number of issues with the Clyde infrastructure programme. That is why it is at red,” he stated, referring to the programme’s classification in the Defence Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s traffic light system.
He elaborated on the factors contributing to the challenges, including skill shortages and infrastructure fragility: “It is not easy to attract those types of skills in that part of the country all of the time.”
Adding to this, he noted: “We are encountering infrastructure problems on the Clyde, in both Faslane and Coulport, which are probably worse than the project envisaged when the Clyde Infrastructure Programme (CIP) was set up.”
The committee pressed further on the potential for project failures to be obscured by the “grey” classification, which limits scrutiny under national security exemptions. Sir Robert denied such claims, asserting, “I can reassure you that there is no drive from the Department’s side to turn programmes grey so that they cannot be scrutinised. They can be scrutinised, but just in the appropriate way.”
Looking ahead
Andy Start, Chief Executive of Defence Equipment and Support, underscored the collaborative effort required to ensure the programme’s success: “It is a collective effort for both Government and industry to work together, to make sure that we continue to deliver those really difficult, complicated programmes.”
While the session highlighted challenges, there was consensus, at least, on the importance of the Clyde Infrastructure Programme