Securing Scotland’s Future: Defence Skills and Jobs

Judith Cummins Excerpts

Monday 26th October 2026 Commons Chamber

Select Committee statement

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

We come to the Select Committee statement on behalf of the Scottish Affairs Committee. Patricia Ferguson will speak for up to 10 minutes, during which time no interventions may be taken. At the conclusion of the statement, Members may ask questions on the subject of the statement. These should be brief questions, not speeches.

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[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

Order. Members may wish to be aware that I will let the Select Committee statement overrun slightly to get everybody in. Please can we keep questions and answers concise?

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I very much welcome what the Chair of the Select Committee has put forward. If we removed the word “Scotland” from the report and replaced it with “Northern Ireland”, every recommendation would be the same for us. I think of some of the things we have done in Northern Ireland. For instance, Thales has organised apprenticeships where the students get their fees paid, and they also get a wage. Has the Committee had an opportunity to look at how that could be done in Scotland? Has it also looked to ensure that men and women—especially young girls and young ladies—can have opportunities in engineering projects for the future?