Scotland Office

As a former small business owner myself, I have first hand experience and determination for ensuring Scotland’s small businesses thrive. Tourism is crucial not only for the economy, but for supporting local communities and promoting Scotland’s unique culture and natural beauty.

Through our Brand Scotland campaign, the Scotland Office is promoting Scotland as a premier destination for both business and leisure.

I am always eager to discuss matters important to Scotland, and have committed to meeting with VisitScotland as early as my diary permits.

Properly funding public services and restoring economic stability required difficult decisions, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more.

Stabilising the public finances is the only way to create long-term stability businesses need to thrive.

We are protecting the smallest businesses by more than doubling the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of small businesses will either gain or be unaffected.

The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. However, contractual homeworking is a type of flexible working arrangement where an employee and the department agree to change the employee’s designated place of work to their home address. The Civil Service position on contractual home working agreements is that these are not routinely approved other than for a very small number of relevant roles, or where a workplace adjustment is agreed in respect of a disability under the Equality Act or occasionally as a redundancy mitigation. Civil servants are expected to spend at least 60 percent of their time in the office or on official business, which can include conducting site visits or meeting stakeholders.

The Scotland Office is required by The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 to ensure that workstation users, including those who work from home, perform a suitable and sufficient analysis of their workstation. Before purchasing equipment, users must complete mandatory health and safety training, a homeworking checklist, a Display Screen Equipment self-assessment, and obtain line manager approval.

The Scotland Office spent:

● £110.45 in Financial Year 2022/23;

● £742.85 in Financial Year 2023/24;

● £0 in Financial Year 2024/25.

The UK Government issues flag flying guidance for UK Government buildings across the UK. Local Government is a devolved matter in Scotland. The Scottish Government issues its own guidance for Scottish Government buildings in which it states that local authority buildings and schools in Scotland are not affected by these guidelines. The matter of flag flying remains one for individual local authorities in Scotland to determine.

The UK Government issues flag flying guidance for UK Government buildings across the UK. Local Government is a devolved matter in Scotland. The Scottish Government issues its own guidance for Scottish Government buildings in which it states that local authority buildings and schools in Scotland are not affected by these guidelines. The matter of flag flying remains one for individual local authorities in Scotland to determine.

The UK Government issues flag flying guidance for UK Government buildings across the UK. Local Government is a devolved matter in Scotland. The Scottish Government issues its own guidance for Scottish Government buildings in which it states that local authority buildings and schools in Scotland are not affected by these guidelines. The matter of flag flying remains one for individual local authorities in Scotland to determine.

The UK Government issues flag flying guidance for UK Government buildings across the UK. Local Government is a devolved matter in Scotland. The Scottish Government issues its own guidance for Scottish Government buildings in which it states that local authority buildings and schools in Scotland are not affected by these guidelines. The matter of flag flying remains one for individual local authorities in Scotland to determine.

The UK Government issues flag flying guidance for UK Government buildings across the UK. Local Government is a devolved matter in Scotland. The Scottish Government issues its own guidance for Scottish Government buildings in which it states that local authority buildings and schools in Scotland are not affected by these guidelines. The matter of flag flying remains one for individual local authorities in Scotland to determine.

Universal Credit is a reserved matter, while in Scotland Adult Disability Payment, a devolved benefit, replaced Personal Independence Payments.

This Government will deliver the first permanent, above-inflation rise in the Universal Credit standard allowance since the 1970s, meaning nearly 4 million households will receive an income boost worth £725 by 2029/30 for a single household 25 or over. Individual block grant adjustments linked to individual policy decisions will be published in due course.

The Spending Review set a three year envelope and guarantees that the block grant will be at least £52 billion by 2029, with an additional £9.1 billion in Barnett consequentials over that time period.

Phase 2 of the Spending Review confirmed that devolved expenditure by the UK Government on Justice and Home Affairs will generate £451 million of additional Barnett funding for the Scottish Government over 2026/27-2029/30.

The Spending Review set a three year envelope and guarantees that the block grant will be at least £52 billion by 2029, with an additional £9.1 billion in Barnett consequentials over that time period.

The Scottish Government confirmed in a statement to the Scottish Parliament on 22 April 2025 that it has no plans to bring back the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.

In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy.

The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible.

The Scotland Office will continue to work with the sector to understand the impacts, including the Scotch Whisky Industry.

The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.

The Scotland Office will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.

The Scotland Office, in coordination with the FCDO, regularly engages with the Scottish Government to discuss and coordinate overseas ministerial visits. This ongoing engagement ensures alignment with UK foreign policy objectives. Discussions of this nature took place in relation to the planned visits mentioned by the Hon. Member.

This Government recognises that oil and gas will continue to play a central role in the UK’s energy mix for decades to come. We recently published guidance on Scope 3 emissions in response to the Finch judgment, and soon we will publish our consultation response on the future of North Sea oil and gas licensing. Nonetheless, clean energy is our future, and many oil and gas workers have transferable skills for offshore renewable jobs. The Government’s commitment to investing in clean energy industries will ensure opportunities are created for oil and gas workers to thrive. Recently, we committed development funding to the Acorn carbon capture and storage project in Aberdeenshire, which, subject to business case, will prepare the project for delivery.

Scotland Office Ministers remain in regular contact with DESNZ Ministers regarding this issue. We also continue to engage with a variety of stakeholders from across the energy sector, including oil and gas producers.

The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is a horrific crime, and vulnerable young people have been let down time and time again. This government is fully dedicated to delivering justice for all victims through a national inquiry, as was set out by the Home Secretary.

None of the action we are taking will work unless everyone works together to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice - that includes authorities across the country cooperating and sharing best practices, including on devolved issues.

Universal Credit is a reserved matter in Scotland, so the changes to Universal Credit will apply in Scotland. Personal Independent Payment (PIP) is an extra costs disability benefit and is a devolved matter in Scotland. By the time the Personal Independence Payment changes come into effect, PIP will have been fully replaced by the Scottish Government’s Adult Disability Payment. The changes to PIP eligibility therefore will not apply in Scotland.

The interactions between the reserved and devolved systems in Scotland will need to be considered before these reforms are implemented and officials are already engaging on this.  DWP has engaged with the Scottish Government on the reforms set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, at both an official and Ministerial level. They will continue to work closely as they develop detailed proposals for the White Paper.

UK Government Ministers regularly meet with their Scottish government counterparts to discuss social security and claimants. Scotland Office Ministers also attend the Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare, alongside Ministers from the Department of Work and Pensions and Scottish Government Ministers. The most recent meeting was held on 18 June 2025.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper states that interactions between the reserved and devolved systems in Scotland will need to be considered before reforms are implemented. Officials are already engaging on this.

In Scotland, Carers Allowance is a devolved benefit.

Individual block grant adjustments linked to individual policy decisions will be published in due course.

The Spending Review set a three year envelope and guarantees that the block grant will be at least £52 billion by 2029, with an additional £9.1 billion in Barnet consequentials over that time period.

In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment, a devolved benefit, replaced Personal Independence Payment.

Individual block grant adjustments linked to individual policy decisions will be published in due course.

The Spending Review set a three year envelope and guarantees that the block grant will be at least £52 billion by 2029, with an additional £9.1 billion in Barnet consequentials over that time period.

Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. As a result, events are organised by staff themselves, not the department. We are aware of the following events that these networks organised in May 2025:

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

No permanent civil servants working in the Scotland Office had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 financial years.

Farming policy is a devolved matter, and the Government has not formally assessed the impact of the Scottish Government's decision. Defra officials are working closely with devolved administrations to ensure compliance with the UK Internal Markets Act (2020).

In the recent UK-EU joint statement, the Government committed to building on the Windsor Framework and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to reduce trade barriers.

I am aware of the Scottish Government’s decision to adopt ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology for animals, and the Government is committed to understanding its potential implications for trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

We will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that any developments are closely monitored and that robust livestock traceability is maintained across the UK.

The Scotland Office has no permanent civil servants without assigned posts and no staff are placed in the referenced categories.

I was shocked and saddened to hear that the Scottish Institute of Theatre, Dance, Film and Television had gone into administration. My sympathy goes out to the staff that worked there and to the students who are facing considerable uncertainty over the future of their studies.

As education is a devolved matter, I would urge the Scottish Government to work with the administrators and the wider sector to ensure that affected students are able to continue their degrees.

Our trade deal with India is great news for Scotland, increasing exports, growing our economy and securing jobs.

Scottish products will benefit from significant tariff reductions. That includes whisky, where the current 150% tariff will be halved from day one, and reaching just 40% after 10 years. The Scotch Whisky Association has described this as ‘a once in a generation deal and a landmark moment for Scotch Whisky’.

Other Scottish exports including chocolate, biscuits and salmon will reduce from a 33% tariff to 0%.

And did the SNP back this transformation deal for Scotland? Of course not. They didn't back the US or EU deals either.

Our recently announced trade deals will benefit key industries in rural, coastal and island communities, such as whisky and salmon.

Our forthcoming Industrial Strategy and drive to clean energy will ensure good quality jobs across Scotland.

Project Gigabit is improving broadband connectivity for homes and businesses, and only last week we announced thirteen upgraded phone masts to transform rural connectivity across the Scottish countryside.

Our Plan for Change recognises the importance of ensuring people across Scotland have access to the fastest broadband networks on the market to level the playing field and realise our mission to boost economic growth and improve living standards.

Earlier in May, we announced the largest single UK Government Project Gigabit contract to date with Openreach: £157 million to bring gigabit-capable internet to 65,000 homes and businesses across the Highlands, Outer Hebrides and other hard-to-reach areas across Scotland.

In February, the Hon Member for Rhondda and Ogmore announced the first Project Gigabit contract signed in Scotland. 11,000 homes and businesses in the Scottish Borders and East Lothian will benefit from the Scotland-wide roll out with further contracts planned for other parts of Scotland this year.

As at 31 March 2025, the Scotland Office had 47 civil servants based at Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh and 38 civil servants based at Dover House, Whitehall, London. The Office does not have civil servants based at any other locations.

The Scotland Office and I meet regularly with Scottish universities on a wide range of issues and this Government utterly condemns antisemitism in the strongest possible terms. We are committed to ensuring a safe learning environment for all students while upholding freedom of speech and academic freedom on campus.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across the civil service to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes initiatives like supporting the Government’s commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.

Additionally, there is a new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, the ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’ (CLA), which will see new apprentices kickstart their careers, across various departments, starting from January 2026.

There are 37 Government MPs representing Scottish Constituencies. On Sunday 30 November, many will be in their homes and constituencies in Scotland engaged in a variety of activities to mark the day.

Tartan Week in New York is the most significant annual event celebrating Scottish-US links across business and culture. This year, the Scotland Office engaged in a significantly expanded programme of business and investor engagement in New York, focusing on economic growth in Scotland.

Given the success of the Scotland Office’s participation in 2023 and 2024, which I saw first hand in my previous capacity as the Shadow Secretary of State, our goal was to expand our footprint in 2025 and take full advantage of the opportunities available in New York to grow Scotland’s economy. This was subsequently enabled by HMT’s decision to approve the Scotland Office’s Brand Scotland Business Case. This programme, a manifesto commitment announced at Autumn Budget 2024, provides the Scotland Office with a specific budget to expand its international trade and business engagement and take steps across the world to secure economic growth.

In New York, Scotland Office officials and I attended a total of 16 events over three days-most of which were planned and delivered by the Scotland Office under the Brand Scotland programme and fully paid for from the Brand Scotland budget. The US is Scotland’s second largest trading partner, playing a vital role in driving our economic growth. Strengthening this relationship will boost exports in key sectors such as food and drink, renewable energy, technology, and financial services - bringing high quality jobs, and delivering long-term benefits for communities across Scotland.

In 2023, one Minister, one Special Adviser and four Officials from the Scotland Office attended New York Tartan Week. In 2024, one Minister, no Special Advisers and five Officials attended. In 2025, one Minister, two special advisers and five officials attended.

The total costs of flights and accommodation for the Scotland Office’s ministerial delegation to New York Tartan Week in 2023 was £13,803.60, in 2024 it was £5,704.54 and in 2025 it was £17,710.11.

Local subsistence costs for each individual member of each respective delegation are not included. The time it would take to retrieve this information for 2023 and 2024 exceeds the time available to answer the Honourable Member’s questions.

Tartan Week in New York is the most significant annual event celebrating Scottish-US links across business and culture. This year, the Scotland Office engaged in a significantly expanded programme of business and investor engagement in New York, focusing on economic growth in Scotland.

Given the success of the Scotland Office’s participation in 2023 and 2024, which I saw first hand in my previous capacity as the Shadow Secretary of State, our goal was to expand our footprint in 2025 and take full advantage of the opportunities available in New York to grow Scotland’s economy. This was subsequently enabled by HMT’s decision to approve the Scotland Office’s Brand Scotland Business Case. This programme, a manifesto commitment announced at Autumn Budget 2024, provides the Scotland Office with a specific budget to expand its international trade and business engagement and take steps across the world to secure economic growth.

In New York, Scotland Office officials and I attended a total of 16 events over three days-most of which were planned and delivered by the Scotland Office under the Brand Scotland programme and fully paid for from the Brand Scotland budget. The US is Scotland’s second largest trading partner, playing a vital role in driving our economic growth. Strengthening this relationship will boost exports in key sectors such as food and drink, renewable energy, technology, and financial services - bringing high quality jobs, and delivering long-term benefits for communities across Scotland.

In 2023, one Minister, one Special Adviser and four Officials from the Scotland Office attended New York Tartan Week. In 2024, one Minister, no Special Advisers and five Officials attended. In 2025, one Minister, two special advisers and five officials attended.

The total costs of flights and accommodation for the Scotland Office’s ministerial delegation to New York Tartan Week in 2023 was £13,803.60, in 2024 it was £5,704.54 and in 2025 it was £17,710.11.

Local subsistence costs for each individual member of each respective delegation are not included. The time it would take to retrieve this information for 2023 and 2024 exceeds the time available to answer the Honourable Member’s questions.

In the Scotland Office communications team, there are a total of 16 Full Time Equivalent Government Communication Service professionals.

Of this total, 5 work in the media discipline which covers press and media responsibilities.

I am in contact with Scottish Power on a range of issues relating to the UK’s transition to Net Zero. I last met with them in March, at a stakeholder forum hosted by my department, where the topic of clean energy jobs was discussed. The representative from Scottish Power did not raise the future of the former generating station at Longannet but my door is always open to the energy sector in Scotland.

I recently hosted a Scotland-Malawi Partnership delegation as part of the wider events marking six decades of Malawian independence. The roundtable looked at ways of strengthening the already deep relationship between Scotland and Malawi.

As you will know, the UK Government remains committed to creating a world free from poverty on a liveable planet, working in partnership with international partners such as Malawi to support their development. As the UK transitions to an Official Development Assistance budget of 0.3 per cent of gross national income globally, we will continue to prioritise aid effectiveness and targeting assistance where it can have the greatest impact.

One of my priorities is promoting Scotland on the global stage. This includes supporting more Scottish businesses to export and attract inward investment.

The Scotland Office is looking at a potential trade mission to Southern Africa within the next two years where we can highlight the positive role Scottish industry can play in driving both economic growth at home and development overseas.

In its latest economic outlook, the OBR expects the level of overall exports to recover in 2025 and return to growth over the period 2026 to 2029. The European Union is an important trade partner for the UK, with total trade in goods and services of £813 billion in 2024.

A closer, more co-operative relationship with the EU is in the UK’s national interests and the Prime Minister and President of the European Commission have agreed to strengthen the relationship between the UK and EU.

The UK-EU Summit on 19 May will provide an opportunity to make further progress on areas which will deliver tangible benefits working with the EU to identify areas where we can strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit, such as trade and the economy.

No phones, laptops, or other electronic devices have been reported lost in the Scotland Office since 5 July 2024.

This Government recognises that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in the UK’s energy security for decades to come. The Government has consulted on revised environmental guidance to take into account emissions from burning extracted oil and gas, and is working towards publication of finalised guidance as soon as possible.

Scotland Office Ministers remain in regular contact with DESNZ Ministers regarding the issue. We also continue to engage with the industry and listen to companies’ specific concerns.

Hospitality and tourism play a huge role in the cultural and economic well-being of Scotland. Indeed, the Secretary of State was a publican himself. The Scotland Office has regular engagement with key stakeholders in the sector, such as the Scottish Tourism Alliance and Scottish Hospitality Group.

I continue to engage with counterparts in the Scottish Government on a range of issues, including support for these vital industries, and we remain committed to working collaboratively to ensure the sector can thrive now and in the future.

We have been working hard to positively reset relations. Earlier this month, I joined the Scottish Government’s Employment and Investment Minister, at the opening of a dairy innovation centre. This was the first project to be delivered through the joint Borderlands Growth Deal, providing new collaboration opportunities to progress the dairy sector towards a more sustainable and profitable future.

The Secretary of State meets with the Deputy First Minister on a regular basis, and the Inter-Ministerial Group on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs convenes regularly to discuss important issues, including agriculture.

I look forward to meeting with Scottish farming stakeholders alongside Scottish Government and Defra Ministers at the Scotland Office’s upcoming Food and Farming roundtable.

From 2014 to 2022, the Greater Manchester economy grew by almost 50%.