Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to help strengthen links between Scotland and Malawi.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for 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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on next steps in relation to the (a) Rosebank and (b) Jackdaw oil fields.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on support for the farming industry.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he is having with the Scottish Government on support for the hospitality and tourism industry in Scotland.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the implementation of the National Wealth Fund's strategic partnership with the Glasgow City Region.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

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

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that Scotland benefits from nuclear energy developments in the UK.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

Nuclear energy creates well-paid jobs and develops vital transferable skills. Investment in new nuclear power stations brings billions of pounds into local communities. It is good for the environment and good for national energy security.

So, what do the SNP say to all that? No thank you! But of course, they are happy to accept Scotland’s energy baseload coming from English nuclear power.

Their outdated, ideological opposition is holding Scotland back.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support grassroots football in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

Grassroots sports are the backbone of Scottish communities, and that is why we are investing a further £8.6 million this year in sports facilities across Scotland.

Through this scheme, almost 100 facilities across Scotland, including in our island and rural communities, have been built or upgraded and with this new funding, we can look forward to many more.

This scheme will increase participation, improve health and help people of all ages to enjoy the benefits of sport.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the Scottish offence of domestic assault in tackling violence against women and girls.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

There can be no place in our society for violence against women and girls - and this Government was elected on a commitment to halve such violence over the next decade.

Tackling domestic abuse is a core part of this mission.

That is why last year the Secretary of State and I signed the “White Ribbon Pledge” to help end these atrocious crimes.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential impact of recent changes to welfare provision on families in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

Scotland needs both its governments to step up and fix a broken welfare system.

We will ensure the system protects the most vulnerable who can’t work, while supporting people who can into work.

But in Scotland there are people who want to work but can’t because they are stuck on an NHS waiting list, employability services have faced cuts, college places are at a decade low and the equivalent of a large secondary school’s worth of kids leave school every year without qualifications, and there is a declared housing crisis in Scotland - does the hon Member really think that speaks well of the SNP’s record?

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on job creation in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

Figures released last week showed that the employment rate and wages in Scotland are up - no thanks to the opposition who crashed our economy, sent mortgages soaring and were ready to do it all over again.

Let us not forget, the £22 billion black hole the opposition left this government. As part of our plan for change, we have fixed the foundations and are beginning to turn things around after 14 years of Tory chaos.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by their Department since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

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

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to paragraph 2.28 of the Office of Budget Responsibility's publication entitled Economic and fiscal outlook, published in October 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the change in overall trade intensity on Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he last met with Scottish Power to discuss the future of the former generating station at Longannet.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) press, (b) media and (c) other communications posts there are in his Department; and what the salary band is for each post.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials from his Department attended New York's Tartan Week in (i) 2023, (ii) 2024 and (iii) 2025.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the total cost to his Department was for sending a delegation to New York's Tartan Week in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

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.

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Found: Ireland Office: Ministers' Hospitality - March 2025 CSV, 682 Bytes View online Scotland Office

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