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<p>National security is organised, resourced and managed on a UK-wide basis to provide a high level of protection for all parts of the UK and its citizens. The security budget is for the whole of the UK and is not apportioned on a regional basis. Scotland and the rest of the UK derive mutual benefit from an integrated approach to national security and cyber, as well as from security exports and international alliances and relationships.</p><p>The UK Government's paper “Scotland analysis: security”, set out that the costs of providing both defence and national security in an independent Scotland would have to be met from within the Scottish Government's proposed budget of £2.5 billion per year. This is only about 7% of the combined UK budgets for defence, intelligence and cyber—the UK spent over £34 billion on defence in 2012-13 and over £2 billion per year for the security and intelligence agencies and the National Cyber Security Programme. The Scottish Government's proposed budget for both defence and national security in an independent Scotland is less than countries such as Denmark and Norway spend on defence alone.</p><p>The UK Government is not planning for an independent Scotland and cannot pre-negotiate details of independence ahead of the referendum. It is for those advocating independence to explain the security implications of the establishment of an independent Scottish state. In the event of a vote to leave the UK, it would be for the Scottish Government to determine the security budget for an independent Scottish state.</p> |