Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on supporting skills development for Scottish workers to enable them to get jobs as part of the Submarine Dismantling Project.

The Ministry of Defence regularly engages with Scottish Government officials on the Submarine Disposals Programme, allowing constructive dialogue on a wide range of issues including jobs.

Swiftsure, the first vessel to be disposed of, is being used as a demonstrator to refine the dismantling and recycling processes under the Ministry of Defence's Submarine Dismantling Project. Learning from this, alongside market engagement, is informing our approach to both current and future submarine disposal plans.

The Submarine Dismantling Project currently sustains more than 500 jobs across the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and, so far, has invested upwards of £200 million into Babcock International Group's Rosyth dockyard and the wider UK supply chain. It continues to provide a source of highly skilled jobs in Scotland and the rest of the UK.