29 January 2011 | Lindsay Clark
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is set to tender the contract
to restore and maintain HMS Victory, the flagship of Admiral Lord Nelson.
The MoD is not revealing the potential value of the new tender
for “commercial reasons”, but the contract is expected to last 10 years.
The new contract is
intended to manage a major restoration and maintenance programme for the ship,
which is the world’s oldest commissioned warship and was instrumental
the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
“Significant
preparatory work has already been carried out which has surveyed and scoped the
restoration required and which has provided a greater understanding of the
material state of the ship than ever before,” said an MoD spokesman. "There
is an ongoing programme of repair and investment to ensure that this iconic
vessel is preserved for future generations.”
The spokesman said there were no plans to change the ship’s
unique status, nor for her to be sold.
"We
are planning how best to ensure HMS Victory is maintained for the future and
the Ministry of Defence is looking to invite bids in an open competition for
her future maintenance,” the spokesman said. “In the meantime the preventative maintenance is ongoing and urgent or
safety-related work will continue to be completed.”
HMS Victory is currently housed at the Royal Navy’s PortsmouthHistoric Dockyard.
