Concerns about Trident raised by Royal Navy submariner William McNeilly were either incorrect, the result of misunderstanding or based on historic events, and safety has not been compromised, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said.
Mr Fallon said a Ministry of Defence (MoD) investigation into claims made by Able Seaman McNeilly has found that neither the operational effectiveness of Trident nor the safety of the public or submariners have been compromised.
The 25-year-old sailor went absent without leave earlier this month after producing an 18-page report containing a series of allegations about the Trident submarines based at Faslane on the Clyde.
Mr Fallon said McNeilly is being confined to a “specified location” in Portsmouth where he is being interviewed and is being “afforded the duty of care that we give all our personnel”.
In a written ministerial statement, Mr Fallon said: “Having now completed our investigation, and having consulted with the appropriate regulatory and operating authorities, I can assure the House that neither the operational effectiveness of our Continuous at Sea Deterrent nor the safety of our submariners or members of the public have been compromised.”
The Defence Secretary said that only one of Able Seaman’s McNeilly’s claims, that e-cigarettes are being used inside submarines, needs to be investigated further but there is “clear evidence” that their use does not put the safety of the boats at risk.
In his report, which was published online and also sent to newspapers and journalists, McNeilly said he was an engineering technician submariner who has been on patrol with the Trident submarine HMS Victorious.
He claimed there are fire risks and leaks on board and security checks are rarely carried out on personnel and contractors working on the submarines when they are docked at Faslane.
He also alleged that alarms were muted because they went off so often, missile safety procedures were ignored and top-secret information was left unguarded.
McNeilly, originally from Newtownabbey, County Antrim, said he raised concerns with senior officers but decided to publish his claims because they were ignored.
He wrote: “Our nuclear weapons are a target that’s wide open to attack.
“It is just a matter of time before we’re infiltrated by a psychopath or terrorist.”