Scottish Government Debate: Defence Basing Reforms and the Impact on Scotland

Keith Brown S5M-05185 That the Parliament expresses concern about the impact on Scotland of the military base closures announced by the Ministry of Defence as part of its Estate Optimisation Strategy; supports local community opposition to closures, and calls on the UK Government to engage fully with the Scottish Government, local authorities and local communities as a matter of urgency. Jackson Carlaw S5M-05185.3 As an amendment to motion S5M-05185 in the name of Keith Brown (Defence Basing Reforms and the Impact on Scotland), leave out from "expresses" to end and insert "understands that the Ministry of Defence’s Estate Optimisation Strategy has the sensible aims of updating the defence estate to be more capability focused and better suited to the needs of modern armed forces; believes that the UK Government should continue to engage fully with the Scottish Government, local authorities and local communities on the review; notes that the defence estate in Scotland will still remain considerable; acknowledges that the UK Government has made wider investment in defence in Scotland supporting thousands of jobs, and believes that an independent Scotland would have a very limited military, which would weaken the defence of the nation and damage its proud military traditions." David Stewart S5M-05185.1 As an amendment to motion S5M-05185 in the name of Keith Brown (Defence Basing Reforms and the Impact on Scotland), insert at end "; further notes the crucial economic and social contribution of military bases in Scotland, and calls on the UK Government to halt all and any base closures until it has prepared and consulted on full economic assessment and employment diversification plans."