A report from the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee warns that Scotland could miss out on rising UK defence investment unless persistent skills shortages are tackled, and suggests SNP Government policies have fostered negative perceptions of the sector that are hampering recruitment. Committee chairman Patricia Ferguson said Scotland's defence sector is "world-leading" and well-placed to benefit from higher UK spending, but that this opportunity could be lost without urgent action, while opposition politicians said the findings should serve as a "wake-up call" for First Minister John Swinney.

The report, published on Tuesday, found apprenticeships and technical training are failing to keep pace with future workforce needs, and flagged that the UK Government will build only one defence technical excellence college (DTEC) in Scotland unless Holyrood matches its funding for a second. It cited Babcock's need to hire 300 welders from the Philippines for its Rosyth plant last October due to a shortage of skilled UK applicants, and raised concerns that only £20 million of a £182 million UK skills investment fund had been allocated across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton accused the SNP of "grievance politics" undermining an industry vital to jobs and the economy.