Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its public bodies has spent on lanyards since 4 July 2024; what designs of lanyards have been purchased; and what the cost and number of each lanyard design purchased was.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office has spent nil on lanyards since 4 July 2024.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department has spent on advertising on podcasts in each of the last three years.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office has spent nil on advertising on podcasts in the last three years.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions a) Ministers and b) officials in his Department have had with the Soft Power Council.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
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.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on the potential merits of a public inquiry into the Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash in June 1994.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
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.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the cost of living in Scotland.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
This Government is taking real action to help Scottish families with the cost of living.
We have delivered the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a decade, extended the fuel duty freeze, increased the State Pension and Universal Credit, and are delivering cut price summer activities for families. Some 220,000 of the lowest paid Scottish workers got a direct pay rise thanks to an increase in the National Living Wage. And the energy cap is saving households in Scotland an average of £117 a year, with an additional £150 for the most vulnerable household.
And by continuing to grow the economy we will help more Scots access better-paid, good-quality jobs.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Fife Council on the Heart of Dunfermline feasibility study for the city.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the Heart of Dunfermline feasibility study.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
Scotland Office Ministers and officials regularly engage with our colleagues in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on a range of issues pertinent to Scotland.
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. The UK Government works closely to deliver for 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.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with Fife Council on the Heart of Dunfermline feasibility study.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.
Asked by: Chris Kane (Labour - Stirling and Strathallan)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government and local authorities on the use of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to promote and develop rural resilience in areas classified as remote rural and very remote rural.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
I am responding as the matter of Scotland's Rural Economy falls within my portfolio. I take the matter of sustainable rural development very seriously and I regularly discuss this matter with colleagues in the Scottish Government and Local Authorities, including in a visit to the Isle of Lewis shortly after my appointment as Minister.
The UK Government recognises the importance of tackling rural depopulation, and we are committed to supporting these communities by boosting investment and opportunities.
The UK Government is ensuring that up to 60,000 young people across Scotland have real pathways into work, whether that's in our growing renewables sector, in construction trades that are crying out for skilled workers, or in hospitality. The Government has also recently committed £10 million towards the creation of Defence Technical Excellence Colleges (DTECs) as part of the £50 million Scotland Defence Growth Deal. Defence is a key sector for providing skilled jobs across all parts of Scotland, from Faslane to Lossiemouth.
This UK Government’s Industrial Strategy sets out how we will grow our economy by doubling down on our national strengths, despite global uncertainty. This includes investing in Scotland’s huge contribution to the UK economy: in energy, defence, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and other sectors. We are also backing the world-class food and drink that so often originates in rural Scotland through our trade agreement with India and, shortly, the European Union.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) has now come to an end across the UK following a year of transition funding in 2025/26, and we are now providing new targeted investments to areas that need it most.
The UK Government is committed to supporting long-term economic growth and is investing £350m for projects that benefit remote rural and very remote rural areas. This includes: £60m for Community Regeneration Partnerships for Argyll & Bute, Scottish Borders, and the Western Isles; £47m to complete Local Regeneration Fund projects in rural areas, including the Fair Isle Ferry, and projects across Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway and rural South Lanarkshire; £25m seed capital funding for the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport; £60m in Pride in Place Programme funding across Sutherland, Orkney, and Lewis; and £158m to complete delivery of the Inverness & Highland, Moray, Argyll & Bute, Borderlands, and Islands Growth Deals. This Government is backing rural Scotland.
It must be noted, however, that responsibility for many of the issues faced in rural Scotland - such as provision of housing, transport, infrastructure, digital connectivity, training and skills development - are devolved matters that come under the control of the Scottish Government. We will continue to work with them to ensure that the actions that both governments take will benefit all of the people of Scotland, including those in rural communities.
Asked by: Chris Kane (Labour - Stirling and Strathallan)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps the Government is taking with the Scottish Government to help promote and develop rural resilience in areas of Scotland classified as remote rural and very remote rural.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
I am responding as the matter of Scotland's Rural Economy falls within my portfolio. I take the matter of sustainable rural development very seriously and I regularly discuss this matter with colleagues in the Scottish Government and Local Authorities, including in a visit to the Isle of Lewis shortly after my appointment as Minister.
The UK Government recognises the importance of tackling rural depopulation, and we are committed to supporting these communities by boosting investment and opportunities.
The UK Government is ensuring that up to 60,000 young people across Scotland have real pathways into work, whether that's in our growing renewables sector, in construction trades that are crying out for skilled workers, or in hospitality. The Government has also recently committed £10 million towards the creation of Defence Technical Excellence Colleges (DTECs) as part of the £50 million Scotland Defence Growth Deal. Defence is a key sector for providing skilled jobs across all parts of Scotland, from Faslane to Lossiemouth.
This UK Government’s Industrial Strategy sets out how we will grow our economy by doubling down on our national strengths, despite global uncertainty. This includes investing in Scotland’s huge contribution to the UK economy: in energy, defence, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and other sectors. We are also backing the world-class food and drink that so often originates in rural Scotland through our trade agreement with India and, shortly, the European Union.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) has now come to an end across the UK following a year of transition funding in 2025/26, and we are now providing new targeted investments to areas that need it most.
The UK Government is committed to supporting long-term economic growth and is investing £350m for projects that benefit remote rural and very remote rural areas. This includes: £60m for Community Regeneration Partnerships for Argyll & Bute, Scottish Borders, and the Western Isles; £47m to complete Local Regeneration Fund projects in rural areas, including the Fair Isle Ferry, and projects across Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway and rural South Lanarkshire; £25m seed capital funding for the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport; £60m in Pride in Place Programme funding across Sutherland, Orkney, and Lewis; and £158m to complete delivery of the Inverness & Highland, Moray, Argyll & Bute, Borderlands, and Islands Growth Deals. This Government is backing rural Scotland.
It must be noted, however, that responsibility for many of the issues faced in rural Scotland - such as provision of housing, transport, infrastructure, digital connectivity, training and skills development - are devolved matters that come under the control of the Scottish Government. We will continue to work with them to ensure that the actions that both governments take will benefit all of the people of Scotland, including those in rural communities.