Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of Scotland’s Defence Growth Deal funding derives from the Defence Industrial Strategy skills package.

The Defence Industrial Strategy committed £250 million to fund all five Defence Growth Deals across the UK, and announced an £182 million Defence Industry Skills Package.

On 12 March, we launched the £50 million Scotland Defence Growth Deal, and from the £20 million of funding allocated to the Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, we committed a £10 million investment towards the creation of two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges (DTECs). This will include one in the East and one in the West of Scotland, working in consultation with Colleges Scotland to develop the colleges.

I wrote with the Secretary of State for Scotland to the Scottish Government on 12 March asking them to match fund our DTEC commitment so we can deliver two not one DTEC in Scotland. I regret to report we have received no response from the Scottish Government so far.