The monopoly case for Crown-owned naval dockyards

How could major British shipyards return to a Royal Dockyard model without simply damaging their current operators?

Transfer ownership gradually, retain private firms as builders and designers, and use Crown ownership where a single supplier and single state customer make conventional competition impossible.

Paul's proposal separates ownership of scarce yard infrastructure from private firms' design and shipbuilding work. A gradual transfer would limit the immediate loss of yard-running income to BAE Systems and Babcock and give time to address commercial contracts. Crown-owned facilities could then accept work by other builders, while existing firms continued selling their expertise. The strongest case offered is Barrow, where a single submarine supplier serves one state customer. When domestic demand cannot sustain competing yards, a profit margin does not by itself create competitive pressure. The proposed saving depends on the ownership model addressing that structure, while insufficient orders remain a separate threat to keeping the yards occupied.