Stakeholders also emphasised that a steady ‘drumbeat’ could underpin future investment that would make the industry more productive in the future. Mr Waddell told us: It is a very simple equation. If businesses are faced with uncertainty, they do not invest. If they are faced with certainty and can guarantee a reasonable level of return on their investment, they will put the investment in.67 Richard Powell of the Society of Maritime Industries described how this could lead to a more efficient...

Stakeholders also emphasised that a steady ‘drumbeat’ could underpin future investment that would make the industry more productive in the future. Mr Waddell told us: It is a very simple equation. If businesses are faced with uncertainty, they do not invest. If they are faced with certainty and can guarantee a reasonable level of return on their investment, they will put the investment in.67 Richard Powell of the Society of Maritime Industries described how this could lead to a more efficient shipbuilding sector: Achieving true efficiency is not about competition in the procurement process. It is about having the long-term surety that the ind Type: conclusion | Number: 42 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: The MOD fully recognises the importance of maintaining a regular drumbeat of orders across the Shipbuilding industry. The NSbS is clear that we do not want a return to the “boom and bust” cycles of historic Naval demand, but to provide a more sustainable demand s