Ministry of Defence spending in Scotland hits record £2.5bn in one year
Ministry of Defence stats showed that Scotland had a 13 per cent increase in real terms spending.
Defence spending in Scotland hit a record £2.53 billion for the last financial year, official figures show.
Ministry of Defence stats showed that Scotland had a 13 per cent increase in real terms spending.
Only four other UK regions - the South East, South West and North West of England - had more spending.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: “We cannot strengthen our deterrence without a strong, sovereign defence industry here at home, and Scotland is at the heart of that.
“That’s why we are unashamedly backing British, using the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War to back jobs and skills in Scotland to build the capability and technology we need to keep us safe in a more dangerous world.”
The figures mark an increase on the previous year, representing the highest level of Scottish industry investment since records began.
This spending equates to £460 for every person in Scotland, up from £390 the year before.
Read more: Faslane to receive multi-billion pound upgrade from UK Government's Defence Investment Plan
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said: "The UK Government is delivering a defence dividend for Scotland. Scotland’s defence sector is a powerhouse of innovation and expertise and a key driver for economic growth. With Ministry of Defence annual investment in Scottish industry increasing to £2.53 billion we are backing businesses to grow, supporting the creation of good jobs, driving reindustrialisation and building a stronger economy that creates opportunity.
"From naval shipbuilding on the Clyde and at Rosyth, to our nuclear deterrent and submarine support at Faslane, to our world-leading strengths in cyber, space, advanced radar and electronic warfare, Ministry of Defence investment is directly supporting 12,200 jobs in Scotland and opening exciting career pathways for young Scots."
The Ministry of Defence maintains supports 12,200 jobs in Scotland.
Scotland is home to a significant defence industrial base, with major employers including BAE Systems, Babcock International and Rolls-Royce, alongside key military hubs HMNB Clyde and RAF Lossiemouth.
The UK Government’s Defence Investment Plan commits £298 billion to UK defence over the next four years.
This included a multi-billion pound upgrade to the Faslane naval base.
The infrastructure at HMNB Clyde will be “transformed” over multiple decades as part of the £15 billion increase in the Defence Investment Plan (Dip) announced when Sir Keir Starmer was Prime Minister.
The upgrade at Faslane, the home of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, is part of the £26bn Project Royal Oak, which will improve the UK’s naval bases.
The investment is the biggest programme of naval base upgrades in more than 45 years.
Upgrades at HMNB Clyde will directly support the UK’s nuclear deterrent programme, including spending on Dreadnought and SSN-AUKUS submarines, a new sovereign warhead and other critical infrastructure, with working conditions also to be improved.
There will also be “strategic investment” at RNAD Coulport on Loch Long, the storage and loading facility for the UK’s nuclear warheads.
A major element of the new Dip includes £5bn to fund a "drone transformation" for the armed forces and more than £8bn for the global combat air programme (Gcap), a scheme to build the next generation of RAF stealth jets, in partnership with Japan and Italy.
Plans are also in place for the Royal Navy to become a "hybrid navy", using self-controlled vessels and AI alongside warships, with six new warships planned.
Pressure is growing on the UK government to ensure the new vessels are built in Scotland, potentially at the Clyde or Rosyth yards.
Trade union GMB Scotland urged the UK Government to ensure that the increase in defence spending secures Scottish shipbuilding jobs.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.