ELIZABETH II

Shipbuilding Act 2021

2021 CHAPTER 8

A bill to authorise the acquisition of several types of ships by the Royal Navy.
Bill ID LB021
Author(s) Sir Dustin Crowe OOBC CBE , 1st Baron Strathclyde
Amended by N/A
First reading 2021 March 10
Royal assent TBC
Commencement TBC
Affected legislation

Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Major Surface Combatants

  1. The Ministry of Defence shall be directed to increase the current order with BAE Systems to build eight type 26 frigates to build ten ships instead
  2. The Ministry of Defense shall be directed to revise the current plan to build five type 31 frigates to build ten ships instead

2 Offshore Patrol Vessels

  1. The Ministry of Defence is hereby directed to acquire two additional offshore patrol vessels, to be named HMS Shetland and HMS Orkney
  2. Should the referendum outlined in Section 1 fail to pass, the suspension of appointments to the House of Lords shall be immediately lifted
  3. HMS Shetland and HMS Orkney are to be comparable in design and capabilities to the current River class of offshore patrol vessels

3 Unarmed Vessels

  1. The Ministry of Defence is hereby directed to authorise the construction of a hospital ship to be named Her Majesty’s Hospital Ship Nightingale
  2. HMHS Nightingale is to be designed and outfitted in compliance with Chapter III of the Second Geneva Convention
  3. HMHS Nightingale shall be crewed and maintained by the Royal Navy.
  4. In time of war the mission of HMHS Nightingale shall be to provide medical support to the British Armed Forces during times of war under the direction of the Ministry of Defence
  5. In times of peace the mission of HMHS Nightingale shall be to fulfil humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions under the direction of the Department for International Development
  6. HMHS Nightingale is to be constructed to have two hundred hospital beds, twenty of which shall be intensive care unit beds, six operating theatres, and two landing pads capable of fitting two helicopters each

4 Support for British Shipyards

  1. All vessels authorised by Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3 shall be constructed in British shipyards

5 Short title, commencement and extent

  1. This Act may be cited as the Shipbuilding Act 2021
  2. This Act comes into force on the passing of this Act.
  3. This Act extends to the entirety of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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