Type 26 frigates will be built on the Clyde

Defence secretary Michael Fallon has confirmed the Royal Navy's new warships will be built on the Clyde.

He said there should be "no confusion" over where the work on the Type 26 frigates will be carried out.

The defence secretary's comments come after First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas appeared to suggest last month that the £4 billion contract for the ships could be awarded outside the UK.

Defence was a key issue in the Scottish independence debate and the Scottish National Party claimed the First Sea Lord's remarks constituted a betrayal of the nation's voters.

On a visit to the Rosyth Dockyard to witness the progress of the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers, Mr Fallon said: "British warships are built in British yards. This aircraft carrier has been built across six British yards in England and in Scotland.

"So far as the T-26 ships are concerned, it has always been envisaged that they will be built on the Clyde and I can confirm that today."

John Robertson, MP for Glasgow North West, which includes the Scotstoun shipyard on the Clyde, welcomed the defence secretary's assurance, saying it was "good news for the communities I represent".

Work on the QEC carriers has created or sustained around 8,000 highly skilled jobs, including some 4,000 positions and hundreds of apprentices at the Rosyth and Clyde shipyards, many of which are security cleared.

The Ministry of Defence has so far invested £2.66 billion in the programme at these shipyards, demonstrating its commitment to the Scottish defence industry.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is to be handed over to the Royal Navy in 2017 and is expected to enter service by 2020.

Mr Fallon also confirmed there would be no change to the delivery programme for the F-35B strike aircraft, which will fly from the carriers.

The first batch of the aircraft is on track to enter initial maritime operating capability alongside HMS Queen Elizabeth in December 2020 as planned.

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