The plans will protect around 8,000 personnel who would otherwise be negatively affected by the income tax hikes. Personnel will be compensated with an annual payment to make sure that all troops, regardless of where they are deployed or where their families are based, will pay the same income tax.

Following the announcement of Scottish Government’s tax changes, in March Mr Williamson ordered work to start on how the Ministry of Defence would mitigate the impact, following concerns that the changes could result in Scotland becoming a less attractive place for military personnel to be posted to.

The measures announced today will protect nearly three quarters of all armed forces personnel liable for Scottish Income Tax and will help with recruitment and retention, particularly as many of those affected are personnel with specialist skills, such as aircraft and submarine engineers.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

It is completely wrong for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces to be punished for serving in Scotland by unfair raids on their pay packets by the Scottish Government.

That’s why we have taken this urgent action to ensure that our troops are treated equally and fairly.

I’m proud that the UK Government recognises the sacrifices our Armed Forces make across the United Kingdom and the world, and that today we can reassure our service personnel that they will not be left hundreds of pounds out of pocket because of decisions taken by the Scottish Government.

The financial mitigation measures will:

• Be payable to all regular personnel who pay Scottish Income Tax, regardless of where in the world they are serving. Mitigation payments of between £12 and £1,500 will be paid.
• Cover personnel for tax year 2018/19 and will be a single payment made retrospectively
• The case for financial mitigation will be reviewed annually

The MOD will continue to review the situation each year and make decisions each tax year as to whether the difference between Scottish tax and tax elsewhere in the UK is sufficient to warrant financial mitigation. The annual cost to the MOD for Tax Year 2018/19 is expected to be £4 million.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood said:

Scotland, and military personnel who have made Scotland their home, play a key role in our nation’s defence. Whether it’s working on our nuclear deterrent, protecting NATO airspace, or building local security expertise in the Middle East, Scotland-based troops are engaged right now in protecting the UK and its allies.

Scotland Secretary David Mundell said:

Our servicemen and women make a huge contribution to the communities and the economy of Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s decision to make Scotland the most highly taxed part of the UK means they would be unfairly penalised and it’s absolutely right that the UK Government has taken steps to address that.

Scotland plays an important role in UK Defence supporting over 10,000 industry jobs and is renowned for building the world’s finest warships including the UK’s new aircraft carriers and the Royal Navy’s state-of-art Type-26 frigates.

Scotland also benefits from £1.6 billion investment in local industry and an average of £290 expenditure per person each year. Some of the most important national defence capabilities including HM Naval Base Clyde, home to Britain’s nuclear deterrent and hunter-killer submarines and RAF Lossiemouth defending the UKs airspace with its three Typhoon combat aircraft squadrons and 51st Infantry Brigade.

Three Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters from RAF Odiham, supported by around 90 British troops, are now on the ground and ready to begin providing logistical and troop movement support to our allies.

Armed Forces minister Mark Lancaster said:

“The UK and France have a unique security and defence relationship that has lasted for more than a century and this deployment demonstrates our shared commitment to tackling terrorism, instability and reducing threats to European security”

The Chinooks will provide niche logistical support and will also help improve safety by moving troops by air, rather than ground where they are more vulnerable to attack.

The UK has been a long-standing supporter of UN and EU military operations in Mali and has worked with international partners to prevent extremists from using the ungoverned space in the Sahel to plan and launch attacks on Europe, as well as counter the illegal trade in people, drugs, weapons and wildlife.

This is in addition to existing wider support to Africa including doubling our UN peacekeeping contribution with additional deployments to South Sudan and Somalia.

Sailors, soldiers and airmen received the Operational Service Medal Iraq and Syria, also know as the Operation Shader medal, from Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. It is the first operational service medal to be created since 2003 and has its own distinct ribbon and clasp.

The Defence Secretary also confirmed today that Her Majesty the Queen has approved the extension of the eligibility criteria for the medal to new groups of personnel. It means that the medal will also recognise those who have made a significant contribution from outside the conventional area of operations in Iraq and Syria, including civilians.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

The campaign against Daesh is one that our Armed Forces can be extremely proud of. Eliminating the threat from terrorism is critical to our security at home and abroad. Our troops have made huge contributions to the fight against Daesh, helping end its tyranny in large parts of Iraq and Syria. Only by defeating this evil and barbaric group for good will we reduce the deadly threat they pose to us.

I am pleased that today those who have bravely fought against such untold evil will get the recognition they deserve. Reflecting the changing nature of warfare I am pleased to announce that the medal will now recognise those making a vital contribution to Op Shader from outside the conventional area of Operations, for example those Reaper pilots taking life and death decisions from back here in the UK.

Since 2014 the UK Armed Forces have taken a leading role in the counter-Daesh Global Coalition. The RAF has so far conducted over 1,700 strikes against Daesh terrorist targets and units from across the Armed Forces have helped train over 77,000 Iraqi Security Forces in infantry skills, counter-IED, engineering, and medical expertise. As a result, their capacity to defeat Daesh has increased considerably, contributing to the success of this campaign.

Despite recent success over the last year the operation continues and fast jets continue to fly out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and remotely-piloted Reaper aircraft continue to provide support to the Syrian Democratic Forces on the ground who are clearing the last remaining pockets of Daesh terrorists in Eastern Syria.

Currently around 1,400 personnel still play an important role in the Global Coalition’s counter-Daesh operations in the wider region.

The research institute, RAND Europe, formed the consortium, the Global Strategic Partnership, to respond to DCDC’s need for the provision of research and analysis support to the Strategic Analysis Team.

The consortium includes the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) and the University of Exeter, spearheaded by the Strategy and Security Institute.

It also has access to organisations and individuals providing specific subject matter and analytical expertise. These include: QinetiQ, Newman and Spurr Consultancy (NSC), Aleph Insights, Simplexity Analysis and Professor Sir Huw Strachan.

The visit gave DCDC personnel a chance to engage with the different members of the partnership and hear first-hand how their capabilities could inform and support future work.

Using funding from the CSSF, which delivers and supports security, peacekeeping, and stability across the globe, UK military personnel played a crucial role in several cross-government programmes. The report highlights in particular the defence contribution to the Hurricane Irma relief effort, training provided to the African Union Mission to Somalia and UK support to the Lebanese military.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

“Whether it’s contributing to the destruction of Daesh or rapidly responding to natural disasters, our world class Armed Forces are always ready to help make the world more secure.

“The variety of roles our military does, as highlighted in today’s CSSF report, embodies the role Global Britain plays in maintaining international stability.”

The report details Defence’s significant contribution to the £57 million released towards the Caribbean response to Hurricane Irma. UK military, working alongside other government bodies, helped to deliver the re-electrification of Anguilla within three months of the hurricane.

British support to the African Union Mission to Somalia is building their capacity to restore stability in Somalia and transition to Somali-led security, protecting civilians and tackling the use of child soldiers.

Elsewhere, UK support to the Lebanese military contributes to the country’s successful operations to counter terrorist and destabilising activity within its borders. The Lebanon is still the only nation – and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) the only army – to have successfully repelled an invasion from Daesh.