THE armed forces minister Adam Ingram has dropped a heavy hint that the Ministry of Defence will commission a further two Type 45 destroyers to be built at the Clyde yards.

The BAE yards at Scotstoun and Govan currently have orders for six Type 45s, the first of which will be launched in February 2006.

But the MoD has not confirmed if it will commission a further two ships taking the total to eight. The defence secretary John Reid said in August that they would only do so if the cost was right.

But in a written parliamentary answer, Ingram said he “expects the period 2012-15 to see the withdrawal from service of the last three Type 42 destroyers, HMS Edinburgh, HMS Nottingham and HMS York, and their replacement by three further Type 45 destroyers, the first being HMS Duncan”.

A spokesman for the Defence Procurement Agency would only say that a “firm decision had yet to be made”.

“We are on contract for first six but any decision regarding purchase of additional ships has yet to be taken,” he said.

The two additional ships are seen as crucial to helping the Clyde yards bridge any gap between the Type 45s and possible new carrier work.

Work on the last ship in the current order would end in 2009, which is when the £4 billion carrier work is expected to begin although there are fears that timetable could slip.

There are about 3,000 people employed at Scotstoun and Govan and without the extra work there are fears those jobs could be under threat.

BAE would not comment on the minister’s answer.

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