Defence in the High North

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Dhesi]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his incisive comments. He will be pleased to note that Scotland had several mentions in our report, as well as in the wall-to-wall coverage that the hard-hitting report attracted. There was much mention of the need to strengthen our capabilities in Scotland. Obviously, the Scottish Government need to make sure that they are aligned with some of the investments that are being made by the UK Government. That is really important, because during our visits to Scotland we saw that many of those working in the industry, as well as those serving, are very much looking to the UK Government and the Scottish Government to work in partnership. The hon. Gentleman mentioned NATO. Let nobody be in any doubt that NATO is a cornerstone of British defence. I therefore fully concur with his views on that question.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the Chair of the Defence Committee and the Committee for all they have done. The Chair outlined the training that the Royal Marines receive to carry out their duties in the High North. If there is a war—we hope there will not be—the Royal Marines will not fight that war on their own, because the Royal Irish Regiment, along with all the other regiments in the British Army, will fight alongside them. What has been done to ensure that the Royal Irish Regiment and other regiments have the same training as the Royal Marines in the High North?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

You have 40 seconds or less to answer, Mr Dhesi