Murray offers guarantee on UK funding for Rolls-Royce welding skills centre

The UK Government will step in to provide funding for a Rolls-Royce welding skills centre following Scottish ministers’ refusal to back the proposal, the Scottish Secretary has confirmed.

Ian Murray offered his guarantee that the UK Government would step in via the Ministry of Defence to ensure the investment is made.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has signalled the Scottish Government will not be changing its “principled” position on providing public money for the defence industry.

The Scottish Government has said the project cannot be supported with £2.5 million from Scottish Enterprise, because of the devolved government’s policy of not funding work on “munitions”.

The welding skills centre is linked to Rolls-Royce work on naval submarines.

While defence is an issue reserved to Westminster, companies can receive skills-based funding from the Scottish Government.

Discussing the issue at the Royal Highland Show, Mr Murray said his colleague, Defence Secretary John Healey, had been clear his department would step in.

Mr Murray told the PA news agency: “There was a debate at the Scottish Parliament yesterday where the Deputy First Minister reaffirmed their commitment not to bring that highly skilled training academy to Glasgow.

“It’s a completely ridiculous decision because Glasgow needs those highly skilled workers.”

Asked if he would guarantee the UK funding, he said it is “absolutely going to happen”.

Speaking at Holyrood on Wednesday, Ms Forbes said her government viewed the defence sector as a strategically important part of the economy, supporting more than 14,000 jobs.

She said: “Our clear and longstanding policy is that scarce devolved funds should not be used to directly support the manufacture of munitions.”

The government’s amendment in the Holyrood debate stated that defence is a reserved matter and “public money should focus on diversification”.