The Ministry of Defence has been criticised by the National Audit Office after it was revealed that £500m has been spend on storing spent nuclear submarines in Plymouth and Rosyth on the Clyde.
The UK currently has twice as many nuclear submarines in storage as it has in service, with none being decommissioned since the 1980s. The cost comes as the government continues to forge ahead with Trident replacement, which is set to cost more than £200bn.
The report is the latest slap on the wrists for the government from the NAO, which reported in January that the Ministry of Defence has a £21bn deficit in their current spending plans for the next decade.
The first stage in decommissioning a nuclear submarines is defuelling, which hasn’t taken place since 2004 when regulators said facilities did not meet required standards. The process is not due to start again until 2023.
Christian CND is deeply concerned by these findings and we call on all members and supporters to join us in prayer for our government, those involved with these decisions and for a world where there are no more nuclear weapons for the submarines to carry.
