“It’s all about the money,” Drax added. “If we ask these brave men to do these things, the least we can do is provide them with the means to do it. “
Johnny Mercer, the former Minister of Veterans Affairs, called it a “farce”. He told the Telegraph, “Either you engage in two Level 1 SF units or you don’t. The divestment in Special Boat Service in recent years is a disgrace.
Mr. Mercer asked why such “appropriate facilities” for special forces units had not been budgeted for.
A Navy source confirmed to The Telegraph that “the pool is closed and out of bounds” and has been closed “for some time.”
“The long-term plan is to build an aquatic center but they are still looking for funding,” they added. “Right now the solution is for them to go to the Port of Portland and train there.”
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defense Select Committee, warned that if the UK is to maintain the status of elite forces “which are the best in the world” then it is “essential that we invest in modernization key facilities such as the Aquatics Center which is at the heart of much of SBS training ”.
A Defense Ministry spokesperson said: “There is a swimming pool on the unit’s camp but it needs to be renovated. An aquatic center would of course provide the best possible facilities, but such investments would be prioritized with improvements in infrastructure, equipment and larger accommodation.
