defence

The Scottish Affairs Committee has produced a report on ‘Employment and Skills for the Defence Industry in Scotland'. The report concluded that the delay in signing a contract for two new aircraft carriers could endanger jobs at Scottish shipyards.

Maintaining and developing the Trident nuclear warheads stationed on the Clyde is going to cost the British taxpayer a massive £18.5 billion over 13 years, according to the first official breakdown of defence nuclear spending.

The UK is to abandon its entire stockpile of cluster bombs as a key step in the long-running international campaign against the weapons.

SNP MEP Mr Alyn Smith and MSP Joe FitzPatrick have today reiterated their call for the UK to join the international consensus on banning cluster bombs at the international conference underway in Dublin after newspapers reported a possible u-turn by the UK Government.

Angus Robertson MP has written to Defence Secretary Des Browne demanding answers on the safety of the RAF's NIMROD aircraft after a Coroner called for the fleet to be grounded.

The MoD yesterday gave the green light for the construction of two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, securing thousands of Scottish shipyard jobs.