A SCOTTISH Cabinet Secretary has hit back at the Defence Secretary after he accused the SNP of “student union politics”.
John Healey criticised the Scottish Government’s policy of not using public funds for projects which manufacture munitions.
Healey was asked by BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show about a Rolls-Royce welding centre that had been refused £2.5 million in funding.
“We have a really long-term partnership with Rolls-Royce,” Healey responded.
“Rolls-Royce is central to much of the most important military equipment that keeps us all safe and Rolls-Royce wants to set up a new welding skills center.
“This isn't just to support their munitions businesses, It's about supporting Scotland’s shipyard pipeline as well essential skills, new opportunities for young people.
“And I hear and I believe this is the case, the Scottish Nationalist government are saying they won't step in to provide some of the funding to make sure this new welding skills center.
“If the Scottish SNP government won't step up to support skills in the future of jobs in Scotland, then we will.”
“It's the first time I've come across it, but it really strikes me as student union politics,” Healey responded.
“This is not a serious government concerned about the opportunities for young people for the future, it's concerned about the skills base of Scotland, or indeed the industry and innovation in the future.
“That means that Scotland has a big part to play, both in strengthening the British industrial base, as we will through more defense investment, but as it does at the moment, to play a bigger part also in reinforcing the security and the strength of our armed forces for the future as well.”
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon was asked about Healey’s comments on the BBC.
“Well, as far as I understand it, the project wasn't actually eligible for funding because of the long standing policy position that we have, that we do not provide or support the use of public funding for the manufacture of munitions,” she said.
“I think the key difference here between ourselves and the UK Government is that when we have principles, we stick to them.”
Pressed on the “changing global situation” and impending defence review due to be published on Monday by the UK Government, Gougeon responded: “We completely understand and recognize the current situation that we're living in at the moment, and I think, fairly unprecedented threats that we face.
“I think particularly when we see the war that's ongoing in Ukraine, and as I say, the wider threats.
“Now when it comes to increases in defense spending. I mean, when that was first announced by the Prime Minister, the First Minister welcomed that because we recognize that.
It comes after Healey said current plans for defence spending will be enough to deliver the “vision” of transforming the armed forces that was set out in the strategic defence review (SDR).
He said plans to reach 2.5% of GDP spending on defence by 2027 and 3% in the next parliament were “enough to deliver the SDR’s vision that sets out tomorrow, and that vision is a transformation of Britain’s armed forces.”
Healey reiterated that there was “no doubt” the UK Government would reach 3% in the next parliament.
Details of when six new munitions factories will be in production “will follow”, he said.
