UK-Norway Defence Agreement: Impact in Scotland

Lord Mountevans Excerpts

Wednesday 5th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

I entirely agree with the noble Lord’s point. This deal is really important, not just economically but for enhancing our strategic and security priorities in the northern flank of NATO—and noble Lords do not need the most junior member of the Front Bench in the House of Lords to tell them how important that is.

Skills are an important area. Investment is important in defence procurement too, but we have to get the skills right, and the running down of skills in this area has been a real problem. This Government have a £182 million skills package, which was announced in the defence industrial strategy, to develop the necessary skills for the defence sector, including the defence universities alliance, an apprenticeship and graduate clearing programme—I have already made the point about apprenticeships—and Destination Defence, and establishing five defence technical excellence colleges. I hope that shows this Government’s commitment. I should add that we are investing directly alongside the Scottish Government.

[Lord Mountevans (CB)]

My Lords, this contract was won in the face of stiff international competition, including from France, Germany and the United States. It is emblematic of Britain’s tremendous strength in defence tech, the strength of the Clyde skill set and, importantly, the tremendous friendship between the United Kingdom and Norway. I think the House would agree that it would be hard to find a nation that is more pro-UK than the Norwegians.

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

I entirely agree. This is a vote of confidence in the British defence sector, particularly in the world-leading technologies that we have in anti-submarine procurement, as represented in this contract. As for the alliance with Norway, Norway is one of our strongest allies and has been since the Second World War. As I said a moment ago, the relationship in the North Atlantic is obviously crucial, given what my noble friend Lord Robertson said in the strategic defence review.