Scotland Act 1998 Explanatory Notes

General

Defence includes matters relating to the armed forces (including for example, their equipment, resources and deployment), defence policy, strategy, planning and intelligence and plans for the maintenance of essential supplies and services in case of war.

The reservation will not however prevent the Scottish Parliament from legislating about civil defence or conferring powers on the armed forces, notably the Navy or the Air Force, in relation to sea fishing, in particular to enforce offences created under Scottish sea fisheries legislation.

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