Independent report recommends changes in U.K. shipbuilding

LONDON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The British government needs to make a variety of changes to improve its military shipbuilding, an independent report to the U.K. Ministry of Defense says.

The report, authored by former Harland and Wolff shipbuilding group chairman Sir John Parker, contends vessels are being ordered too late, and are being kept in service too long. The paper also recommends defense procurement officials to spread contracts among more companies to cut down on build time.

By following his recommendations, Parker says the U.K. Ministry of Defense can establish "a new era of collaboration" and prosperity. He also took aim at BAE Systems' monopoly on the country's shipbuilding, saying reliance on a single entity led to gaps in development, inefficiencies and added costs.

"It will create savings over the coming years for MOD, renew the Royal Navy fleet, position the UK for new export opportunities and create regional prosperity and highly skilled jobs across the UK in the Shipyards and supply chain," he said in a press release.

To streamline production, Parker points to Scotland's Modular Construction technology as a potential solution. By producing components throughout the country before assembling them at a central hub, Parker says more industry partners will benefit. Royal Navy Admiral Sir Philip Jones welcomed the recommendations outlined in the report.

"That is a hugely ambitious and optimistic place to be and I am determined to make sure that right across the nation people recognise that their Navy is ready respond to that and grow in an appropriate way, and I think that is good news," he told BBC News.