Why imperial shipyard capacity was slow to expand

Why was it difficult to develop large naval shipbuilding and dock facilities across the British Empire?

They needed skilled labour, heavy capital, sustained orders, and local political and commercial support that the Royal Navy could not provide by itself.

Major shipyard and dock development required skilled labour, capital, political will, and consistent long-term funding. The Royal Navy could establish maintenance facilities at bases within its own administrative purview. Full shipbuilding capacity depended on local politics and on local commercial and financial groups continuing to invest. Without a steady workload, neither the facilities nor the skilled workforce could be sustained. An overseas base might repair ships long before it could build complex warships.