Correspondence Feb. 26 2026
Committee: Scottish Affairs Committee (Department: Scotland Office)Correspondence Feb. 26 2026
Committee: Scottish Affairs Committee (Department: Scotland Office)Oral Evidence Feb. 25 2026
Inquiry: Connectivity in Scotland: Digital connectivityAsked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department is taking to promote the National Year of Reading in Scotland.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults. For example, only this week our delivery partner for this campaign, the National Literacy Trust, revealed that fewer than 1 in 10 teenage boys read daily for pleasure.
The National Year of Reading aims to engage new audiences, reshape public attitudes and embed lasting, meaningful change on attitudes to reading. The campaign includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout 2026.
We are working in collaboration with the Scottish Government and lead delivery partners - DC Thomson, The Scottish Book Trust and The Scottish Book and Information Council - to deliver this important initiative in Scotland.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans his Department has to promote the National Year of Reading in Scotland.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults. For example, only this week our delivery partner for this campaign, the National Literacy Trust, revealed that fewer than 1 in 10 teenage boys read daily for pleasure.
The National Year of Reading aims to engage new audiences, reshape public attitudes and embed lasting, meaningful change on attitudes to reading. The campaign includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout 2026.
We are working in collaboration with the Scottish Government and lead delivery partners - DC Thomson, The Scottish Book Trust and The Scottish Book and Information Council - to deliver this important initiative in Scotland.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of North Sea oil and gas on the Scottish economy.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Government is committed to managing existing oil and gas fields responsibly for the entirety of their full lifespan. Oil and gas will remain an important part of the UK’s energy mix for decades to come.
We are also investing in our country's green energy future, and the likes of Scottish Power are creating up to 1400 jobs in Scotland through a £12 billion investment.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU on Scotland's fishing sector.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The agreement to establish a common SPS Zone will bring a number of benefits for the Scottish seafood sector, with 65% of all UK seafood by value exported to the EU.
The removal of the need for Export Health Certificates and border checks, for example, saves both time and money. This could save UK businesses up to £200 per consignment and is vital for fresh and live fish that needs to reach markets quickly.
We are determined that this will be a good deal for the Scottish fishing industry.