MOVING the UK's submarine fleet to Devonport in the event of Scottish independence has not been ruled out by the British Government, writes Nick Lester.

But in a carefully worded parliamentary written answer Defence Minister Peter Luff insisted his department is "not making plans" to do so.

He went on to add the Westminster Government was not even preparing for the possibility of independence as it was so confident people in Scotland would vote against breaking away.

He was responding to a series of questions from MPs, including Oliver Colvile for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport and Alison Seabeck for Plymouth Moor View, relating to the base-porting of the vessels, and associated costs.

Faslane in Scotland is currently home to the four Vanguard submarines which carry the Trident nuclear missiles.

First Minister Alex Salmond has already said Scots wanted the deterrent removed from the naval base, where it is also planned to site a new fleet of seven Astute class submarines.

Three Trafalgar-class nuclear submarines, currently based at Devonport, are also due to move to Faslane.

The Plymouth Naval base had been suggested as a potential alternative as it is the UK's only base with the specialist facilities and skilled workforce needed to maintain the current and future submarine fleet.

But relocating the deterrent is set to cost billions of pounds due to the need to build a new storage facility for the nuclear warheads, which are currently stored at a facility at Coulport, near Faslane.

Responding to written parliamentary questions over the relocation of nuclear submarines if Scotland gained independence and estimated costs, Mr Luff said: "The Ministry of Defence is not making plans to change the base ports of those classes of submarines currently base-ported at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde."

It came as former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West, an ex-commander of a Devonport-based ship, warned Scottish independence could lead the UK to give up its nuclear deterrent altogether, because the cost of replicating the facilities would be too great.