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Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee

Conclusion 22

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)
It is unacceptable that SMEs working to deliver the UK’s national security objectives are being denied access to financial services through so-called ‘debanking’. The UK Government should assess the impact of this practice on Scotland’s defence industry and engage with the financial services sector to end this practice, which is damaging to the UK’s national security objectives, SME growth, and the provision of highly-skilled jobs in Scotland’s defence sector. The Scotland Office should report back to the Committee within six months on the findings of this work and the actions taken in response. (Recommendation, Paragraph 106) 43

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.