Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions the Ministry has had with the Scottish Government regarding match funding for the two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in Scotland; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for defence-sector skills development if no such funding is agreed.

Together with the Secretary of State for Scotland, I wrote to the Scottish First Minister on 12 March 2026 and 23 June 2026 informing him of our intention to establish two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in Scotland and to invite his Government to match the £10 million being committed by the UK Government. I continue to work towards opening a constructive dialogue with the Scottish Government on match funding and look forward to further conversations with Scottish Government ministers in the future.

Further education has a vital role to play in ensuring Scotland's, and the wider UK's, defence sector has access to the highly skilled workforce it needs, both now and in the future. That is why, alongside the Defence Industrial Strategy, we have announced a £182 million skills package, which includes a range of initiatives to support people at every stage of their education and careers, including those pursuing further education.