Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 6
3rd Report – Securing Scotland's future: Defence skills and jobs
Published 15 Sep 2026
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Securing Scotland’s Future: Defence Skills and Jobs All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Prime contractors play a pivotal role in engaging SMEs in the defence sector. Given the dominance of SMEs in Scotland, this relationship is particularly important in ensuring that Scotland shares in the potential benefits of increased defence spending. However, under the current commercial model, SMEs are operating in a fluctuating defence environment with multiple barriers to operation, and face a significant amount of financial risk that can be challenging to manage. (Conclusion, Paragraph 44)
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, 3rd Report – Securing Scotland's future: Defence skills and jobs (HC 165), 15 September 2026
Government response
Government response awaited: deadline 14 November 2026.