Select Committee · Scottish Affairs Committee

Defence in Scotland

Status: Closed Opened: 30 Jul 2021 Closed: 17 Jan 2024 36 recommendations 108 conclusions 3 reports

Inquiry series The Committee has launched an inquiry series into Defence in Scotland. This began with an inquiry into the military personnel and military estate landscape in Scotland, and continues with ongoing inquiries into military shipbuilding in Scotland and Defence in the North Atlantic and the High North. The North Atlantic and the High North …

Reports

3 reports

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Seventh Report - Defence in Scotland: the North Atlantic an…	HC 1576	21 Jul 2023	28	Responded
Fourth Report - Defence in Scotland: military shipbuilding	HC 1096	27 Jan 2023	98	Responded
First Report - Defence in Scotland: military landscape	HC 82	24 Jun 2022	18	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items

18 Recommendation First Report - Defence in Scotland: mil… Deferred

We welcome the MOD’s annual payment to 7,000 Armed Forces personnel in Scotland.

We welcome the MOD’s annual payment to 7,000 Armed Forces personnel in Scotland. However, the Scottish Government should consider an exemption from the extra income tax in Scotland, and for the spouses of Armed Forces personnel. (Paragraph 94) 38 Defence in Scotland: military landscape

Government response. The government says armed forces personnel should be treated equally across the UK, notes that some service personnel in Scotland are compensated for higher income taxes, and has asked officials to share the recommendation with Scottish Government counterparts.

Scotland Office

8 Conclusion Seventh Report - Defence in Scotland: t… Deferred

Offshore and subsea critical infrastructure vulnerable to interference, lacking clear repair plan

Events like the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline have shown that Critical National Infrastructure that is based offshore or beneath the sea can be vulnerable to interference. This is a concern in the North Atlantic, where transatlantic cables are critical lines of communication, as well as in the UK’s …

Government response. The Ministry of Defence states it cannot comment on the repair of transatlantic cables and indicates that wider government efforts, coordinated by the Cabinet Office, involve several departments to assure UK interests, but provides no further detail on repair plans.

Scotland Office

Oral evidence sessions

13 sessions

Date	Witnesses
5 Jun 2023	Brigadier Chris Ordway · Ministry of Defence, Clare Cameron · Ministry of Defence, Rt Hon James Heappey · Ministry of Defence	View ↗
24 Apr 2023	Dr Adam Bower · University of St Andrews, Professor Iain Woodhouse · University of Edinburgh, Professor Jacques Hartmann · University of Dundee	View ↗
27 Mar 2023	His Excellency Sturla Sigurjónsson · Icelandic Embassy, His Excellency Wegger Christian Strømmen · Norwegian Embassy	View ↗
6 Mar 2023	Dr Duncan Depledge · Loughborough University, Dr Marc DeVore · University of St Andrews, Dr Rowan Allport · Human Security Centre	View ↗
6 Dec 2022	Rear Admiral Rex Cox · Ministry of Defence, Rt Hon Ben Wallace · Ministry of Defence, Vice Admiral Paul Marshall CBE · Ministry of Defence	View ↗
14 Nov 2022	Hans Pung · RAND Europe, Professor Keith Hartley · University of York	View ↗
5 Sep 2022	Ben Carpenter Merritt · Babcock, Gordon McGuinness · Skills Development Scotland, Ivan McKee MSP · Scottish Government, Professor John Howie MBE · Babcock International, Rory McGregor · Scottish Government, Scott McClelland · Scottish Government, Sir Simon Lister · BAE Systems Naval Ships	View ↗
12 Jul 2022	Ben Carpenter Merritt · Babcock, Ivan McKee MSP · Scottish Government, Oliver Waghorn · BAE Systems, Professor John Howie MBE · Babcock International, Sir Simon Lister · BAE Systems Naval Ships	View ↗
13 Jun 2022	Ian Waddell · The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU), Kevin Craven · ADS Group - Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space, Richard Powell OBE · Society of Maritime Industries (SMI)	View ↗
21 Mar 2022	Damian Parmenter CBE · Ministry of Defence, David Brewer · Defence Infrastructure Organisation, Sherin Aminossehe · Ministry of Defence, The Baroness Goldie DL · Ministry of Defence	View ↗
7 Mar 2022	Councillor Rod Cavanagh · Fife Council, Fergus Murray · Argyll and Bute Council, Keith Brown MSP · Scottish Government, Kevin McGowan · Scottish Government, Provost Peter Smaill · Midlothian Council, Rhona Gunn · Moray Council, Rory McGregor · Scottish Government	View ↗
21 Feb 2022	Dr Hina Khan · Spire Global Limited, Dr Suzanne Costello · MCS Limited, Jamie Mincher · Glenalmond Group, John Howie MBE · Babcock, Kevin Craven · ADS Group - Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space, Oliver Waghorn · BAE Systems, Stephen McCann · Thales	View ↗
31 Jan 2022	Collette Musgrave · Army Families Federation, Lieutenant General (retd) Sir Andrew Gregory KBE CB DL · SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, Maria Lyle · RAF Families Federation, Professor Phillips O'Brien · University of St Andrews, Professor Trevor Taylor · Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Sarah Clewes · Naval Families Federation	View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters

Date	Direction	Title
6 Apr 2023	From cttee	Letter to Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, Secretary of State for Defence at Ministry of …
7 Feb 2023	To cttee	Letter from Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, Secretary of State for Defence at Ministry …