Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 17
Seventh Report - Defence in Scotland: the North Atlantic and the High North
Published 21 Jul 2023
Paragraph 86
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Defence in Scotland All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Scotland’s geography means it will continue to play an important role in meeting UK and NATO defence and security objectives in the North Atlantic and the High North. This means that, should the situation in the region change, Scotland could become home to a larger defence presence. We heard that the naval base at Faslane plays a critical role in UK and NATO defence strategy, because of its location close to the strategically critical Greenland-Iceland UK (GIUK) gap and the role it plays in hosting and protecting the Continuous At-Sea Deterrent. We also heard that the RAF base at Lossiemouth provides vital surveillance and threat response capabilities, including Quick Reaction Alert (QRA).
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, Seventh Report - Defence in Scotland: the North Atlantic and the High North (HC 1576), paragraph 86, 21 July 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 October 2023 (deadline 21 September 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the report and says it remains "committed to the direction" of its existing High North strategy, while declining to adopt a fixed five-year update cycle or appoint a political Arctic ambassador.
- On updating its Arctic strategies every five years, it says this "does not mean HMG will necessarily publish another in five years' time", and will act sooner if circumstances warrant.
- It does not believe appointing a political Arctic Ambassador is "the right approach", but says it is recruiting a Senior Arctic lead at ambassadorial rank.
- On aircraft numbers, it says it "remains confident it maintains the right force mix" for the North Atlantic and High North, while keeping capabilities under review.
- On cold weather capability, it says UK Defence "will examine options" to bolster it, and that its refreshed doctrine will be tested in the first quarter of 2024 and ratified in the second.