SNP SUBMISSION TO STRATEGIC DEFENCE AND SECURITY REVIEW

For Immediate Release - Friday 24th September 2010


Attn: NEWS DESKS
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS


The Scottish National Party (SNP) has made a formal submission to the UK
Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) calling for the retention of
all current military facilities in Scotland for conventional use. The
25-page submission highlights for the first time that the recent £5.6
billion defence under-spend by the UK government in Scotland amounts to a
36% shortfall. It also details the 10,000 defence job losses, and military
cuts since the last Strategic Defence Review in 1997.


The SNP submission incorporates large parts of the joint party submission
to the SDSR and draws attention to the ground-breaking recognition by the
three UK parties that “there has been a disproportionate decline in the
defence footprint in Scotland when compared to the rest of the UK”.


Writing in the introduction of the SNP Submission, Westminster SNP Leader
and Defence Spokesman Angus Robertson says:


“All evidence surrounding the SDSR suggests that the Ministry of Defence
is set to continue the trend of concentrating defence manpower, basing and
spending in the South of England.


“At present there are only 12,190 UK service-personnel in Scotland. Since
the last defence review in 1997 there have been more than 10,000 defence
job losses in Scotland and there has been a defence under-spend of at
least £5.6 billion. This under-spend constitutes a 36% budget shortfall.
Scotland has already seen a severe defence shortfall and contraction.


“If as has been reported, the SDSR is considering the future of 2nd Division
(Cragiehall), Fort George, RAF Kinloss, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Leuchars and
RM Condor, which constitutes the overwhelming majority of significant
conventional defence facilities in Scotland. Any closures will have
devastating social and economic consequences. Similarly, any threat to
Aircraft Carrier orders will have a severe impact on the workforces
constructing them in Glasgow and Fife as well as the engineering sector in
general.


“The SDSR must consider whether the UK is committed to a future for
conventional defence across the UK. Will there be a continuing defence
footprint in the different nations and regions of the UK including
manpower, basing and spending? Unless the SDSR and Ministers consider this
as a priority now, the conventional UK armed forces will become
concentrated in ‘Super Garrisons’ and bases, commanded and trained almost
exclusively in the South of England."


ENDS