South Dorset MP Richard Drax said he hopes the region would be spared the worst of the cuts.

He said: “I am afraid I have no idea, however, what the effect may be on local defence-related businesses.”

He said he felt the Prime Minister ‘did the best he possibly could’ under the circumstances of the review.

Mr Drax added: “The cuts to the Royal Navy were probably my own personal concern.

“We have a greater requirement than ever to trade with other nations for the prosperity of our nation and the Navy is the primary defence to protect that trade requirement.

“We live in an increasingly unstable world and I’m dubious that 19 ships are sufficient to do the job.

“However, bearing in mind the huge fiscal problems we’ve got, I think the Prime Minister did the best he possibly could.

“I know that the RFA base at Portland has renewed its contract before this review and that’s a huge relief to me. I hope now that Bovington, the centre for training people to mount armoured vehicles, will continue to fulfil that role.”

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s corporate affairs spokesman Geoff Petherick said: “This is a very sad situation to be in but it’s the economic situation we’re facing and it applies to the whole of UK plc.

“I think the government is now trying to recover from the serious financial situation we find ourselves in.”