A Cumbria MP has praised the £201m awarded to a major engineering firm to help develop the next generation of nuclear submarines in the county.

BAE Systems is to be awarded the money by the Ministry of Defence to develop 'Successor' vessels for Britain's Vanguard class nuclear missile submarines.

John Woodcock, MP for Barrow and Furness, has said that "it is a welcome development" and that the decision for the funding could be a signal for BAE to move the project forward.

He said: "I am confident that a solid majority of MPs will vote for renewal when the issue comes before parliament.

“I hope this signals that the government intends to hold a vote in the near future so that the workforce at BAE can do what they do best and get on with building the submarines that will keep us all safe in the future.

The funding will allow the engineering business to cover important stages of development of the design for the new submarines. 

This will include the systems and layout of each vessel, as well as building early prototypes for the development.

The project, which is yet to receive full approval from parliament, would cost an estimated £31bn, with a £10bn contingency pot to cover any unexpected costs.

BAE will be the leading contractor for the project, which will see the new submarines developed and built in Barrow.

It is estimated that between 6,000 and 7,000 people will be working on the project at its peak, with BAE's submarine business already employing around 7,700 staff.

The managing director of BAE's submarines division, Tony Johns, said: "We are incredibly proud of the role we play in designing and building our nation's submarines.

"The Successor programme is one of the most challenging engineering projects in the world today and this additional funding will help enable us to further mature the design."

Other major companies involved in the project include Rolls-Royce, which will build the nuclear reactors on the submarine, along with Babcock.

The secretary of state for defence, Michael Fallon, said in October that a nuclear deterrent in Britain remains of great importance and that any delays to the project could pose a national security risk.

He had said: "There can be no failure to meet build times, no overrunning costs, no excuses.

"Our adversaries are not going to wait."