Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on incentivising migrants to work in key industries in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

We are taking a joined up-approach across government, linking migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies – so immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems here at home. We value the important contribution made by workers from overseas, but we need to consider issues in the round, and work with industries to ensure they can attract the workforces they need for the future. To achieve this we are strengthening the Migration Advisory Committee, and establishing a framework for joint working with skills bodies across the UK, the Industrial Strategy Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on incentivising migrants to work in key industries in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

I have had frequent discussions with the Deputy First Minister of Scotland and have been clear that immigration should not be used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems here at home. We value the important contribution made by workers from overseas, but we need to consider issues in the round, and work with industries to ensure they can attract the workforces they need for the future. To achieve this we are strengthening the Migration Advisory Committee, and establishing a framework for joint working with skills bodies across the UK, the Industrial Strategy Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision not to issue North Sea oil and gas licences on employment in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

We are transitioning towards a clean energy future, but oil and gas production in the North Sea will be a key part of the UK energy landscape for many years to come.

Scotland has the heritage, expertise and world-class workforce to help win this global race for high-quality green energy jobs. This Government is working closely with industry, including to introduce a new skills passport for oil and gas workers, to ensure we take the opportunities that this transition provides.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential economic impact of extending the Borders Railway line from Tweedbank to Carlisle.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

The UK Government is committed to working with local partners in the Borders to boost economic growth, in line with our growth mission.

The project referred to sits within the Borderlands Growth Deal. Local partners are submitting proposals for a reset to the Deal for review by late autumn, which will set out revised plans to ensure the programme has the greatest possible economic impact.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting the green energy transition in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

The UK Government is committed to making Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

As we make the carefully phased transition to clean energy, we will build alternative opportunities for oil and gas workers - to which we’ve already committed £22bn of investment.

What’s more, we have created the National Wealth Fund to invest in our clean energy industries. I have seen first hand what great work is taking place - including just last week at Dundee Port.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department is taking to help support a just energy transition in the North Sea.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

The UK Government is committed to making Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

As we make the carefully phased transition to clean energy, we will build alternative opportunities for oil and gas workers - to which we’ve already committed £22bn of investment.

What’s more, we have created the National Wealth Fund to invest in our clean energy industries. I have seen first hand what great work is taking place - including just last week at Dundee Port.

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 Work and Pensions on support for women on maternity leave in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

This Government is committed to ensuring families have the best start in life.

Through the Employment Rights Bill, we will strengthen the protections for pregnant women, and new mothers returning to work.

These legislative measures aim to tackle maternity and pregnancy discrimination and avoid women leaving the workforce.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on mitigating the potential impact of closing Scottish visitor centres.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

The UK Government recognises the substantial contribution the Scottish tourism industry makes to the UK visitor economy. We are committed to working with industry to strengthen the future of this key sector.

While tourism is devolved, we work closely with the Scottish Government and its agencies to ensure that the sector thrives. This Government will also continue to encourage tourism across the whole of Scotland through our Brand Scotland work to promote Scotland around the world.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for the voluntary sector in Scotland to help reduce child poverty.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

Tackling child poverty is a shared priority across all parts of the UK. I am a member of the Child Poverty Taskforce, which is confronting the wide-ranging and deep-rooted causes of child poverty. The Child Poverty Taskforce will collaborate with the Scottish Government on our common goal to reduce and alleviate child poverty. The Taskforce will work with the Scottish Government in developing the UK-wide strategy, to be published in spring next year, to improve children’s lives and life chances now and address the root causes of child poverty in the long-term.

I have had a number of discussions with Scottish Government Ministers since my appointment, as have many of my Ministerial colleagues, including the Prime Minister. T o establish collaboration on the development of a UK-wide Child Poverty Strategy, the co-chairs of the Child Poverty Taskforce met with the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice earlier this month. We look forward to continuing our partnership to build consensus for action and deliver sustainable change for all children across the UK. The Taskforce is also engaging directly with voluntary sector organisations from across the UK.

The Chancellor will set out overall fiscal and spending plans in her Budget on 30 October and the Spending Review in the spring.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps the Government is taking to (a) support rural businesses and (b) promote rural economic development in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

Growing the economy across both rural and urban areas is a key mission for the Government, and helping rural businesses succeed is a significant part of this work. Nature recovery plays a critical role in supporting the rural economy, and in turn businesses can help provide food security, enhance biodiversity and accelerate progress towards net zero targets.

In Scotland, we work closely with the Scottish Government and its agencies to ensure that businesses have access to the support they need to grow and thrive, including through export, and that we showcase the opportunities offered in all parts of Scotland to potential global investors.

For example, the Investment Fund for Scotland offers a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans and debt finance from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million. The fund covers the whole of Scotland, including rural and coastal areas..

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps the Government is taking to tackle depopulation in rural areas in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

The Government recognises the importance of tackling rural depopulation, and the wider challenges faced by rural and island communities in Scotland. We are committed to supporting these communities by boosting investment and opportunities.

For example, we are in the process of rolling out the Shared Rural Network (SRN) program (alongside EE, three, VMO2 and Vodafone), to improve mobile coverage and connectivity across the UK. Rural areas in Scotland will be among the biggest beneficiaries of this programme.

Furthermore, the UK Government is investing £50m covering the three island groups – Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles – through the Islands Growth Deal. The Deal supports the Islands’ ambitions for net zero, aquaculture and development of tourism and heritage projects. These investments exemplify the Government’s ongoing work towards growing the rural economy and improving infrastructure, which are critical to addressing rural depopulation.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) his officials have held with external stakeholders since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

Details of Ministers’ and senior officials’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on supporting community ownership of (a) land and (b) buildings in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

This government is committed to the communities sector and community ownership through empowering communities to own and run those local assets which mean the most to them. To date, the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund has helped more than 40 Scottish community organisations with around £17m in grants. As part of this programme, the UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government to look for opportunities to jointly support projects, including through the Empowering Communities Programme and the Scottish Land Fund.

The projects awarded funding to date can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/community-ownership-fund-first-round-successful-bidders.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in his Department since the dissolution of the last Parliament; and on what items this was spent.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

The Scotland Office has not spent any money on new furniture and fittings and other refurbishments of Ministerial offices since the dissolution of the last Parliament.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many and what proportion of desks were occupied in each of his Department’s offices in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff attended each office in person in the same period.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

For the 4-week period from 2 September 2024 to 27 September 2024, the Scotland Office’s London Office had an average of 17 staff attend per day and an average of 56% of desks occupied. Please note that part of this reporting period included recess when we are more likely to have leave, visits and stakeholder engagement. We are not required to collect this data for our Edinburgh Office.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many civil servants are assigned to work in each of his Department's offices; and how many desks are available in each office.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

The Scotland Office currently has 39 civil servants assigned to its London Office and 46 assigned to its Edinburgh Office. There are 30 desks available in the London Office and 26 desks in the Edinburgh Office.

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Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will visit the UK Space Agency’s office in Scotland.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology will consider visiting the UK Space Agency’s Scotland office as and when his diary allows, and is committed to supporting the growth of the Scottish space sector. My Ministerial colleague, Lord Patrick Vallance, visited the UKSA’s office in Scotland this week (Wednesday 23 October).

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