Senior figures at Rosyth dockyard have backtracked from a suggestion by its chief executive that it had a plan to move operations to England in the event of independence.
John Howie, head of corporate affairs at Babcock, said that a recent investment by the company showed its commitment to the Fife site.
Speculation had grown about the firm’s future after David Lockwood, its chief executive, said it would move within three years if “we were told we weren’t welcome here”.
Howie tried to defuse the row as a “hypothetical situation” in an appearance at the House of Commons Scottish affairs committee.
He told MPs that Babcock was growing in Scotland and that the company is investing in workforce skills and equipment investment in Rosyth.
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