Why scrapping alone cannot sustain shipbuilding capacity

How could the Royal Navy dispose of old ships while keeping shipbuilding industry sustainable?

Replace a consistent share of retired ships, because scrapping alone sustains breakers rather than builders.

Industrial continuity comes from replacing at least a proportion of the ships retired. Scrapping keeps breakers employed, but it does not preserve design offices, construction yards, or specialist engineering knowledge. Suppliers also need recurring new-build orders to remain available. A sustainable disposal policy therefore has to pair retirement with steady replacement construction.