Scotland Office

This Government was elected on a clear commitment not to support independence or another referendum. People need and want their governments focused on the big issues our country faces - economic growth, the cost of living, public services and security. That is what this Government is doing.

The Scotland Office incurred outturn spending on social media marketing in 2024-25 and 2025-26.

In the financial year 2024-25, the outturn spending by the department on social media marketing was £2,806.

In the financial year 2025-26, the outturn spending by the department on social media marketing was £6,964.

The Scotland Office has not incurred any costs for social media influencers since July 2024.

All communicators are members of the Government Communication Service.

It has been the practice of successive governments not to comment, on grounds of both national security and staff safety, on the physical capacity or staffing numbers for individual buildings of the government estate.

It is not possible to provide an estimate for hours spent preparing Ministers to respond to Westminster Hall Debates. There will be differences in the Civil Service, Special Adviser and Ministerial time depending on the policy matter and length of the debate. Debates can also be cross-cutting and require resources from multiple departments or engage departmental bodies.

This Government is fully committed to the protection of human rights, both domestically and internationally. It is for the Scottish Government to ensure their legislation is drafted within the parameters of the devolution settlement. The UK Government will consider any forthcoming legislation in the usual way.

The UK Government is providing substantial funding across Ayrshire to drive long-term economic growth, strengthen local infrastructure, and boost trade and investment.

Key direct investments and funding initiatives provided to the region include:

● Ayrshire Growth Deal: A £103 million UK Government investment supporting major economic projects across aerospace, life sciences, and digital infrastructure in Ayrshire.

● Local Regeneration Fund: Over £61 million in direct UK Government capital grants delivered to the region, including £37.45 million for commercial and low-carbon infrastructure across North and South Ayrshire, and £23.69 million for critical B714 transport upgrades.

● Pride in Place Funds: Over £40 million in direct 10-year endowment funding reconfirmed for Ayrshire towns, including Irvine, Kilmarnock, and Ayr North, to support community-led high street regeneration, housing, and local civic infrastructure.

● UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF): £17.35 million allocated across North, South, and East Ayrshire Councils to support local community projects, business development, skills, and adult numeracy programmes.

● Local Growth Fund: Delivering £11.8 million of funding directly to Ayrshire Regional Partnership to support regional economic development and local business growth.

The UK Government is committed to driving sustainable economic growth, creating high-quality jobs, and boosting trade across all parts of Scotland. While Scotland's designated Green Freeports, Inverness & Cromarty Firth and Forth Green Freeport, are geographically focused, they are expected to yield broader supply chain, trade, and investment benefits for regional economies right across Scotland, including Ayrshire.

Specifically, Scotland's two Green Freeports could potentially generate over 50,000 jobs, with advanced manufacturing hubs like Ayrshire positioned to absorb substantial supply chain, logistics, and spillover demand.

Alongside the national economic impact of Green Freeports, the UK Government is also directly investing in Ayrshire’s long-term economic prosperity through our £103 million commitment to the £251 million Ayrshire Growth Deal. This is complemented by targeted UK Government local funding streams, including £11.8 million via the Local Growth Fund and £40 million via Pride in Place initiatives, ensuring local leaders in Ayrshire have the direct backing needed to drive town centre regeneration, support local businesses, and maximise regional investment opportunities.

The Scotland Office has not spent any money on branded goods and merchandise since April 2025.

The Scotland Office has not appointed any delivery advisers to date.

Minister McNeill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Scotland Office, held two stakeholder receptions in 2025 to mark International Women’s Day and International Coming Out Day.

The Scotland Office does not have any data and reporting requirements to the European Commission and its agencies.

The Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme is the only internship scheme that the Scotland Office has participated in over the last 12 months.

There are no live industrial disputes within the Scotland Office.

The total cost to the Scotland Office of facility time in (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26 was nil, with no headcount number of facility staff time in either of the years requested. No funding was provided for trade union activities in any of those years.

The Scotland Office follows the civil service attendance expectation of 60% for all of the department’s offices. Attendance statistics are not collated for individual offices.

The Scotland Office does not manage any internship schemes.

The Scotland Office has had no departmental Senior Civil Service away days in 2026.

Ministers and officials from the Scotland Office regularly engage with Scottish local authorities, regional partnerships, and COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) to discuss the design, delivery, and governance of UK Government-funded projects.

Recent discussions have focused on ensuring efficient delivery of programmes, including City Region and Growth Deals, the Pride in Place initiative, and the Local Growth Fund.

The Scotland Office works collaboratively with local authority leaders and the Scottish Government to ensure projects are tailored to local economic priorities, delivered transparently, and aligned with wider community needs.

The UK Government is committed to driving sustainable economic growth, creating high-skilled jobs, and delivering tangible benefits for communities right across Scotland.

Our direct investment programmes, including the £140 million Scottish Local Growth Fund, the Pride in Place programme, City Region and Growth Deals, Freeports, and Investment Zones, are targeted at unlocking economic potential, regenerating town and city centres, and improving local infrastructure. For example, the Glasgow City Region Deal, has attracted over £800 million in private and commercial investment since 2014, further strengthening Glasgow City Region’s position as a hub of Scotland’s economic growth. The Deal has supported 5,500 people into sustained employment, and has the potential to deliver 29,000 jobs over the Deal’s lifetime.

Assessments of investment programmes are conducted in partnership with local authorities, regional partnerships, and key stakeholders using robust economic frameworks. These measure long-term outcomes such as local job creation, private-sector leverage, productivity growth, and community revitalisation. My department continues to monitor these impacts closely to ensure UK Government funding delivers maximum value and lasting economic prosperity across Scotland.

The number of agency staff employed in the Scotland Office in each of the last five years is as follows:

Scotland Office Ministers meet regularly with Members of Parliament to discuss a wide range of issues relating to their departmental responsibilities.

For the purpose of this PQ, we have taken ‘surgeries’ to mean meetings or briefings with MPs where external stakeholders were not also present.

a) July 2024 to January 2025: 7

b) From January 2025 onwards: 37

Other than special advisers, the Scotland Office has made one appointment from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Gillian McGregor has been appointed to the Boundary Commission for Scotland, an advisory non-departmental public body funded by the Scotland Office. The appointment was made on a fixed term basis through open competition using the procedures laid down by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

This Government is steadfast in its commitment to the steel industry, and that includes Scotland. On 1 July, we took bold steps to limit tariff-free steel imports, with the aim that half of the steel used in the UK is made here.

We are closely engaged on Dalzell - the UK's only heavy steel plate mill. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and I routinely engage with ministerial colleagues to ensure Scotland's specific circumstances are reflected in the Government's wider approach to supporting the domestic steel sector.

As my Honourable Friend will be well aware, earlier this year we unlocked £25 million of seed capital for the Forth Green Freeport to create tens of thousands of jobs in clean energy and manufacturing.

Already we are seeing the benefits in Edinburgh. The Port of Leith has transformed itself into an offshore wind hub, currently servicing the massive InchCape development. There is the potential for further investment by the wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, which could create up to 500 new jobs at the port.

Skills policy is devolved to the Scottish Government and it is up to them to ensure that the young people of Edinburgh are equipped to take advantage of these opportunities.

In an era of geopolitical uncertainty, we need to do all that we can to strengthen our energy security here at home. I am in regular contact with my Cabinet colleagues on a whole range of issues.

The wearing of the sgian dubh is permitted where it is being worn as part of a national costume. There are no plans to change this.

However, we are clear that if any bladed or pointed article is used to threaten or harm others, this will be met with the full force of the law.

This strikes the balance between protecting public safety and protecting freedoms.

Voluntary organisations are essential partners in the UK Government mission to build national and local pride.

While community development is a devolved matter, the Scotland Office works closely with all UK Government departments to ensure UK-wide funding structures empower Scotland's third sector.

Through our targeted £280 million Pride in Place Programme, the £12 million Pride in Place Impact Fund and the new £140 million Local Growth Fund, we are putting real spending power into the hands of communities, to protect vital assets and drive local growth across Scotland.

In reality, crises do not respect borders or boundaries. It is essential that resilience is a shared responsibility between individuals, communities, businesses, local, devolved and national government across the UK to ensure we can effectively respond to risks wherever they occur.

We work in close cooperation at both official and ministerial level on resilience, organising regular ‘four nations’ meetings on resilience. These aim to complement the everyday work teams across government do to collaborate with counterparts in the devolved governments on risk and resilience, most recently convening in June.

This group discusses how each government is developing its own strategies and frameworks to strengthen resilience and identify opportunities for greater collaboration.

The UK Government is firmly committed to empowering local leaders and communities across the whole of the United Kingdom.

I regularly meet with Scottish Government Ministers to discuss how our two governments can work together to drive economic growth and improve public services.

During these discussions, I have consistently championed the vital role that local government plays. The UK Government already works closely with Scottish local authorities through our joint delivery of City Region and Growth Deals, and the new Local Growth Fund, and we will continue to encourage the Scottish Government to ensure that local councils across Scotland have the appropriate powers and resources they need to deliver for their communities.

We have taken ‘political appointees’ to mean special advisers. A list of special advisers by department is published each year in the Annual Report on Special Advisers which is laid in parliament. The Annual Report on Special Advisers 2026 will be published in due course.

The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.

Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.

In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.

AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).

Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.

The Scotland Office uses the information technology system provided and operated by the Cabinet Office, which has responsibility for all hardware and software procurement, administration, support maintenance, security, and integrity of the system. This includes artificial intelligence services and tools.

The information requested can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk.

The Scotland Office has not hired any external public relations consultants since July 2024.

The UK Government continues to work constructively with the Scottish Government to increase living standards, improve public services, and drive economic growth.

The Prime Minister has spoken to the First Minister of Scotland following the recent Scottish Parliament elections and noted his desire for continued positive engagement between the governments.

The Secretary of State for Scotland has also written to the First Minister to discuss how we can work together in the interests of people in Scotland. The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister will shortly attend the next meeting of the Interministerial Standing Committee, and ministers across the UK Government continue to work closely with the Scottish Government on matters of mutual interest.

UKG publishes an IGR engagement dashboard on gov.uk detailing the number of meetings between the governments. The last publication was in March 2026, covering the period from July 2024-September 2025. The compilation for the next IGR dashboard quarters is underway and will be published shortly.

Effective intergovernmental relations remain a priority, and we look forward to working constructively with the new ministers in both governments. Scotland benefits from being part of a strong and successful United Kingdom where we pool resources, share opportunities and tackle challenges together.

The Scotland Office does not permit civil servants employed in the UK to work from overseas on a regular basis.

The Scotland Office has conducted an extensive search of our own records, as well as the National Archive’s (TNA) search engine, Discovery, and has been unable to locate any documentation relating to Chinook ZD576.

My thoughts and sympathies remain with the families of those who lost their lives, and with all the communities affected by that devastating loss. I welcome the meeting that took place in December 2025 between representatives from the Chinook Justice Campaign and three Ministry of Defence Ministers and the Victims' Minister.

The Government is committed to harnessing the benefits of artificial intelligence to improve the productivity of the Civil Service and the quality of public services.

Departments provide officials, Ministers and special advisers with access to secure, enterprise-grade generative AI tools that have been assured to the appropriate security standards and approved for official use. Ministers, special advisers and officials may only use generative AI tools that their department has approved for official use. The use of publicly available or consumer versions of generative AI tools, including those named in the Question, for official business is not permitted unless a department has specifically assured and approved that tool.

The Scotland Office uses an approved version of Google Gemini which is configured so that departmental data is held securely and is not used to train publicly available AI models. The use of generative AI across government is governed by the AI Playbook for the UK Government, which set out the principles for the safe, responsible and effective use of these tools.

The Scotland Office has spent nil on lanyards since 4 July 2024.

The Scotland Office has spent nil on advertising on podcasts in the last three years.

Scotland Office Ministers and officials regularly engage with Fife Council on a wide range of regional economic development priorities, and will continue to do so.

Planning, and cultural heritage projects are devolved matters, and specific operational discussions regarding the Heart of Dunfermline feasibility study therefore rest with Fife Council and the Scottish Government.

However, the UK Government remains fully committed to supporting the long-term prosperity of Scotland’s newest city. We continue to work closely with local authorities across Scotland, including Fife Council, through investment frameworks like the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, Local Growth Fund, and the Defence Growth Deal to unlock growth and boost the regional economy.

Since the Soft Power Council was established in January 2025, it has met four times. Information about the Soft Power Council and its meetings is available on GOV.UK, including meeting dates, terms of reference, and abridged minutes of discussions.

The Scotland Office meets regularly with the FCDO to discuss how to harness Scotland’s immense soft power potential to boost exports and attract inward investment.

On this 30th anniversary of the terrible tragedy of the Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash, our thoughts remain with the families of those who lost their lives, and with all the communities affected by that devastating loss.

I welcome the engagement that took place in December 2025, when representatives from the Chinook Justice Campaign met with three Ministry of Defence Ministers and the Victims' Minister.

The Honourable Member will be aware that this matter is now subject to ongoing legal proceedings. The UK Government is committed to engaging fully in that process, and I hope she will understand that I am not able to comment further until that work has concluded.