THE Government has reaffirmed its view of Barrow as a 'location of critical national importance'.

The town has been praised for its 'long history' of shipbuilding - as the Government laid out its plans for the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent.

 The Defence Nuclear Enterprise Command Paper was laid down in Parliament by Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, outlining the country's nuclear strategy.

The Government recently announced it would invest £200 million into Barrow over the next ten years.

Describing Barrow's importance, the command paper said: "With its long history of shipbuilding dating back to the 1800s, Barrow-in-Furness remains a location of critical national importance to this day.

"BAE Systems’ Barrow shipyard is the only facility in the UK with the infrastructure, site licence, and resources to design and build the UK’s nuclear submarines.

"In recognition of the vital importance Barrow plays within the DNE, the UK government has established a trilateral partnership between central government, Westmorland and Furness Council and BAE Systems.

"This partnership, which will enable the significant expansion required to continue supporting the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, has already begun to deliver for Barrow-in-Furness."

Barrow is currently working on the delivery of the final Astute class hunter killer submarines, as well as the first two Dreadnought class boats, which form the nuclear deterrent.

Describing how the Barrow Delivery Board will aim to regenerate the town, Mr Shapps said: "This aims to ensure that it is the kind of attractive place to live and work that will sustain the skilled workforce required in the decades to come.

"The initial commitment will be for a Barrow transformation fund, a 10-year endowment-style funding settlement of £20 million a year over the next decade, providing the multi-year certainty and stability needed to support and regenerate the town."

Writing in the command paper about the UK's nuclear strategy, the defence secretary said: "We are now in a period of heightened risk and volatility that is likely to last beyond the 2030s. We are therefore reaffirming our commitment to a credible nuclear deterrent and investing to sustain and renew our capabilities for as long as required, as this document sets out.

"We will keep our nuclear posture under review in light of the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries."