On Wednesday I asked the Defence Secretary to confirm that he would work with other Ministerial colleagues on a ‘Devonport deal’. In response, he offered to meet with me, along with other local MPs.
I am grateful for the Minister's cooperation. It is vital that the new Government develops a concrete plan that delivers skills, investment and housing infrastructure for Plymouth and the surrounding area to enable the Dockyard to deliver the valuable submarine maintenance role it has secured for the coming decades. To deliver on the Dockyard's potential, it is essential that departments across government are joined-up in their discussions at the highest level.
I will continue to press the Secretary of State for progress on this vital deal for our region and am pleased to be meeting with him to discuss this further next week.
