When a private naval yard becomes a taxpayer-funded monopoly

The ownership question changes when a maintenance facility exists solely to support the Royal Navy. Such a yard cannot gain broad market experience if it has only one frigate line and no capacity left for allied work. Private investment must recover higher borrowing costs, management overhead, and a legitimate profit from the taxpayer who ultimately funds the contract. The criticism concerns this sole-customer structure rather than the workforce or profit itself: private financing costs remain, but competition does not emerge. The ownership debate therefore turns on demand, alternative customers, and spare capacity.