Written question asked by Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party) on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 5 February 2026. It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Wednesday, 11 February 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Defence: Technical Excellence Colleges

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on establishing a Defence Technical Excellence College in Scotland.

Answer: As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, £20 million was allocated to skills initiatives in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Through the Scottish Defence Growth Deal framework, we are currently engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including government, industry and academia to understand the key skills gaps for Scotland’s defence sector and how this funding should best be used to address them. This includes exploring the concept of a Scottish Defence Technical Excellence College.

Secondary information