Military presence down by 7.5%

THE number of service personnel based in Scotland has fallen 7.5 per cent in the past year, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Last year, 12,090 military personnel were based in Scotland, dropping to 11,190 this year, MoD statistics show.

It was the biggest fall of any of the four UK nations: England reduced by 2.5 per cent, Wales by 1.5 per cent and Northern Ireland by 6.8 per cent.

Civilian personnel numbers have also fallen in Scotland, down from 5,540 last year to 4,690.

A downward trend of MoD personnel numbers based in Scotland has continued, falling from 24,680 in 2000 to 15,880, a drop of 35 per cent.

The Scottish Government said the country has been disproportionately affected by cuts, with the UK as a whole seeing a 20 per cent drop since 2000.