Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the strength of the Union.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I discuss the strengths and benefits of the Union with colleagues on a regular basis.
This Government is committed to protecting the Union and promoting the strengths that have made it the most successful political and economic union the world has ever seen.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on trends in the cost of living in Scotland.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
Supporting households and the most vulnerable by tackling cost of living pressures remains a core priority for this government. That is why the UK Government has introduced a £108 billion package of support over 2022-25, worth an average £3,800 per household, to mitigate against these pressures. We are also making good progress against the Prime Minister’s three economic priorities of halving inflation, getting the economy growing and reducing the national debt. Inflation is now at 3.2 percent - less than half its recent peak, and is expected to fall further to its 2 percent target one year earlier than expected.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the protection of free speech in Scotland.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
This Government is committed to protecting free speech.
It is the responsibility of the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament, working with Police Scotland, to ensure that the hate crime legislation is implemented and enforced in a way that protects freedom of speech and has the confidence of people in Scotland.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will provide a list of ministerial visits to the Midlothian constituency in each of the last five years.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
Scotland Office Ministers have conducted one visit to the constituency of Midlothian in the past five years. This was by Iain Stewart MP, while Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Scotland Office, to Midlothian Council Projects on 4 February 2022.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Lord Advocate on the Scottish Government's proposed amendments to the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
Discussions with Scottish Ministers on the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill have principally been led by the Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade, Minister Hollinrake. I have not had discussions with the Lord Advocate regarding the Scottish Government’s proposed amendments to the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill.
Noting Scotland’s historically separate legal jurisdiction and the unique role of the Lord Advocate and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in respect of prosecutions in Scotland, it is the UK Government’s view that it is appropriate for the Scottish Government to bring forward proposals to address prosecutions on this matter in Scotland, and for those to be scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament. The UK Government remains committed to supporting the Scottish Government in bringing forward its own proposals.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he has taken to reduce the cost of fraud in his Department in the last three financial years.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office reported no cases of fraud or amounts lost due to fraud or error in any of the last three financial years. This is disclosed as part of the Annual Report and Accounts available on GOV.UK.
The Government is determined to uncover fraud in the public sector and is proud of its record. As part of this, the Government established the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA).
In 22/23, the PSFA set a target of delivering £180m of savings to the taxpayer. In fact, the PSFA far surpassed this within the first 12 months by preventing and recovering £311 million. As it enters its second year, the PSFA has a target of achieving £185 million of savings for the taxpayer.
The Government has also announced an additional £34 million to deploy cutting-edge tools and Artificial Intelligence tools to help combat fraud across the public sector, saving £100 million for the public purse. This is in addition to existing partnerships between PSFA and the tech sector.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the administration costs of his Department were in each year since his appointment.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office and Office for the Advocate General publish an Annual Report and Accounts which contains the information requested. The latest version can be found at Scotland Office Annual Report 2022-23. Prior year Annual Reports and Accounts for the Scotland Office and Office for the Advocate General are available online or can be obtained from the Library of the House.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the cost to the public purse was of (a) staff and (b) running costs for his Department in financial year 2023-24; and how much he has allocated for 2024-25.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office and Office for the Advocate General are currently in the process of finalising the department’s figures for financial year 2023-24. These figures are subject to external audit and the department’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2023-24 are expected to be available later this year. The budget for the department for financial year 2024-25 as agreed in Spending Review 2021 is £13.354m.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had recent discussions with the Scottish Government on the (a) reasons for which they have appointed and (b) cost of appointing an international development Minister.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I have had no discussions with the Scottish Government in regards to the appointment of an international development Minister. Under the devolution settlement, Ministerial appointments, including pay, are a matter for the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the destinations were of domestic overnight visits undertaken by Ministers within their Department in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to UIN 17535 on 13 March 2024.