Alan Gemmell

Government regularly engages with universities, investors and innovative firms across the UK, including Scotland, on research commercialisation and university spin-outs. Scottish universities make a significant contribution to the UK's spin-out ecosystem and wider innovation economy, producing 12% of UK university spin-outs since 2011, demonstrating the strength of Scotland’s innovation ecosystem.

Government is investing over £1.5 billion through UK Research and Innovation to support spin-outs and research translation. This will build on the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of University Spin-outs, increase in proof-of-concept funding, as well as a new Venture Doctorates programme and Enterprise Fellowships to help commercialise researchers' ideas.

Scotland is a key contributor to the UK’s AI ecosystem. According to BIST’s AI sector study in 2024, Scotland was responsible for almost 2,000 AI jobs, as well as £180 million of AI-related revenues.

Scotland is also the focus of significant AI infrastructure investments, including a new £750 million national supercomputer hosted in the University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Computing Facility and £300 million of investment in the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone.

The Government's support for AI start-ups is UK wide, and we are determined that the benefits of AI are felt in every part of the country. Through our Sovereign AI Unit, backed by up to £500 million, we invest directly in high-potential British start-ups. We give start-ups access to compute through the AI Research Resource and provide grants through Innovate UK's £130 million Growth Catalyst.

On 30 April, following successful UK Government engagement and the State Visit, President Trump announced the removal of tariffs on UK produced whisky. Whisky tariffs were lifted on 24th July.

This has been welcomed by industry and is an important win for the Scotch Whisky sector which exports around £1 billion each year to the US.

Discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal are ongoing. The UK continues to engage with the US Administration at all levels, working to benefit exporters from across the UK, including through Secretary of State holding calls last month with US counterparts, Ambassador Greer and Secretary Lutnick.

In the financial year 2025/26, the Department supported 36 businesses in Ayrshire, Scotland.

The figure includes businesses that engaged with the Department through a range of support activities, including attendance at Department-led events, participation in Business Academy live sessions, viewing on-demand content, and direct one-to-one engagement with department representatives.

Ministers and officials engage regularly with National Grid and Scottish network operators, as well as the National Energy System Operator and Ofgem, on a range of issues relating to electricity network capacity, the delivery of network infrastructure and grid connections for clean energy projects. These discussions include how to accelerate network development, implement connections reform and ensure that viable renewable energy projects can connect to the electricity system as quickly as possible. This includes helping to deliver connections for renewable energy projects across Great Britain, including in Ayrshire.

The Government has not made a specific estimate of the number of jobs expected in Ayrshire or the West of Scotland. Great British Energy (GBE) invests on a UK-wide basis, and its investment decisions and job impacts cannot be predicted by region at this early stage. GBE's Strategic Plan commits it to supporting at least 10,000 jobs by 2030 nationwide.

As we enter the new golden age of nuclear, the UK Government has allocated almost £17 billion across the Spending Review period to enable the biggest nuclear new build programme in a generation. Ministers want to see this investment create economic opportunities for communities across the UK, with domestic supply chains developing to be internationally competitive.

While the Scottish Government currently opposes new nuclear power stations, UK Ministers remain open to discussions regarding opportunities for new nuclear in Scotland.

Nuclear power will play a central role in our future clean power system, providing clean, homegrown baseload power to the grid. I am delighted that today we have announced £14.2bn of support for Sizewell C and that Rolls Royce are the winners of the SMR competition, and I look forward to laying this out in full to the House shortly.

At the Budget, the Chancellor unveiled the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, which will provide up to £520 million to secure major life sciences manufacturing investments across the UK. The scheme is now open to applications.

My Department is working across government on the upcoming Life Sciences sector plan under the Industrial Strategy, the 10-year health plan, and the Innovation and Adoption Strategy, which will detail the government's approach to this critical sector.

As education and skills policy is devolved, the Scottish Government is responsible for associated policy in Scotland.

Skills England is responsible for assessing skills needs across the economy in England and helping to align education and training provision with labour market demand. They maintain a strong relationship with the Scottish Government, sharing labour market intelligence and expertise to support a coherent UK-wide skills landscape while respecting devolved responsibilities for skills policy.

Areas of current discussion include skills intelligence and labour market evidence; workforce trends, priority sectors, and emerging occupations; productivity and growth challenges; and education and training reforms.

pEPR in the UK has some of the most generous support measures for small businesses across any packaging scheme globally, including an exemption from disposal fees and recycling obligations for producers with an annual turnover below £2 million and packaging tonnage below 50 tonnes.

pEPR in the UK has some of the most generous support measures for small businesses across any packaging scheme globally, including an exemption from disposal fees and recycling obligations for producers with an annual turnover below £2 million and packaging tonnage below 50 tonnes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell, Helen Maguire, on 20 May 2026 to PQ UIN 613.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) publishes data on car practical test cancellation reasons by month and driving test centre (DTC) on GOV.UK. This data, in report DRT122B, is updated annually and currently shows data to March 2026. The next update is due to be published in June 2027.

The Government set out a comprehensive package of measures in April 2025 to tackle long waiting times across the whole of Great Britain, aiming to deliver around 10,000 additional tests per month. A key step was reintroducing overtime incentives. DVSA conducted 1.99 million tests between April 2025 and March 2026, a record and 8.6% (159,000) higher than the previous year.

DVSA has also made changes to make the booking system fairer, as well as continuing to run national recruitment campaigns for driving examiners (DE) across the country.

DVSA has two permanent test centres in Ayrshire, which are Ayr and Irvine DTCs. Both DTCs also serve a number of outstations across Ayrshire.

A new entrant DE passed their training course last week and will start testing from Ayr this week. DVSA also has a new entrant currently in training for Irvine who, if successful, will join the test centre in October.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) publishes data on car practical test cancellation reasons by month and driving test centre (DTC) on GOV.UK. This data, in report DRT122B, is updated annually and currently shows data to March 2026. The next update is due to be published in June 2027.

The Government set out a comprehensive package of measures in April 2025 to tackle long waiting times across the whole of Great Britain, aiming to deliver around 10,000 additional tests per month. A key step was reintroducing overtime incentives. DVSA conducted 1.99 million tests between April 2025 and March 2026, a record and 8.6% (159,000) higher than the previous year.

DVSA has also made changes to make the booking system fairer, as well as continuing to run national recruitment campaigns for driving examiners (DE) across the country.

DVSA has two permanent test centres in Ayrshire, which are Ayr and Irvine DTCs. Both DTCs also serve a number of outstations across Ayrshire.

A new entrant DE passed their training course last week and will start testing from Ayr this week. DVSA also has a new entrant currently in training for Irvine who, if successful, will join the test centre in October.

With around one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion by 2029 into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.

This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including through expanded network of Youth Hubs, earlier intensive support in Jobs Centres through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, additional work experience and training opportunities, a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant and £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for employers, and a fully funded six month job for long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds.

We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.

In Ayrshire, support is available through Jobcentres, specialist Youth Work Coaches, employment programmes, and services delivered in partnership with local authorities, colleges, and employers, including through Scotland's No One Left Behind approach and Local Employability Partnerships. We are also supporting economically inactive young people through dedicated Pathways Work Coaches, who help individuals overcome barriers to work, build skills and confidence, and progress towards employment.

Through Jobcentre Plus in Ayrshire, young people can access tailored support from Work Coaches and services delivered in partnership with East, North and South Ayrshire Councils, colleges, employers, and Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind approach through Local Employability Partnerships. Those aged 16 to 24 also benefit from specialist Youth Work Coaches, employment programmes, and the Government's Youth Guarantee, which supports young people to access education, training, apprenticeships, and work.

In addition, the Department is investing in Youth Hubs, which bring together employment, skills and wider support services in one place. Ayrshire currently has a Youth Hub in East Ayrshire, with new hubs opening in Ayr and Kilwinning, helping more young people access training, work experience, and employment opportunities.

In Ayrshire, we are also engaging economically inactive customers through Pathways to Work interventions, including Flexible Support Funded courses that build confidence, establish positive routines, and reduce social isolation. Specialist Work Coaches and Home Visiting Teams are providing proactive outreach and personalised support, including assistance to address barriers to employment. Partnership activity is also helping customers explore self-employment opportunities, while outreach campaigns challenge misconceptions around working whilst receiving Universal Credit and improve understanding of available work incentives.

Strong employer engagement is creating direct opportunities through Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), work experience placements, and recruitment activity with employers such as Tesco and B&M. Extensive partnership working with Skills Development Scotland, Ayrshire 360, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, third-sector organisations, and local employers is strengthening pathways into sustainable employment through accredited training, work experience, and guaranteed interview opportunities.

In North Ayrshire, where economic inactivity remains above the Scottish average, significant focus is placed on supporting young adults who face barriers linked to health conditions, caring responsibilities, parenthood, care experience, and disengagement from education, employment or training. DWP works closely with North Ayrshire Council and the Local Employability Partnership to deliver targeted interventions for these priority groups.

A notable example is a collaboratively designed wellbeing and confidence-building programme led by DWP Disability Employment Advisers for claimants with long-term health conditions who had become disengaged from both employability services and their local Jobcentre. Delivered over five weeks with support from KA Leisure, Skills Development Scotland, SALUS, The Ayrshire Community Trust (TACT), and EQUAL, the programme combined health and wellbeing support, employability skills, volunteering pathways, and personalised progression planning. The initiative achieved a 100% completion rate, with six participants progressing immediately into volunteering opportunities, one entering part-time employment, and the remaining participants re-engaging with employability support services.

It is unacceptable that patients across the United Kingdom continue to wait lengthy periods for treatment and it is imperative that the elective waiting list and ambulance response times are top priorities for all four nations.

While health is predominantly a devolved issue, the Department works collaboratively with the devolved governments wherever possible, to drive forward our objective of supporting people to lead more independent, healthier lives for longer. There are National Health Service England Working Groups across the four nations that meet regularly to discuss both elective care and urgent and emergency care.

It is unacceptable that patients across the United Kingdom continue to wait lengthy periods for treatment and it is imperative that the elective waiting list and ambulance response times are top priorities for all four nations.

While health is predominantly a devolved issue, the Department works collaboratively with the devolved governments wherever possible, to drive forward our objective of supporting people to lead more independent, healthier lives for longer. There are National Health Service England Working Groups across the four nations that meet regularly to discuss both elective care and urgent and emergency care.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 9 June, where - in setting out the action being taken by the UK in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza - she said that barely half the level of the 4,200 trucks a week promised in the 20-point Peace Plan are currently entering Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 14 April in response to Questions 124030-34.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 26 March (HWCS1470).

The UK is working closely with Commonwealth partners to ensure this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda addresses the challenges of today's world, in particular delivering increased intra-Commonwealth trade, investment and economic security, strengthening the Commonwealth's commitment to democracy, and deepening collaboration on protecting the environment.

We will set out our priorities for other future international meetings in the usual way in due course, including next year's G20 summit.

The UK is working closely with Commonwealth partners to ensure this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda addresses the challenges of today's world, in particular delivering increased intra-Commonwealth trade, investment and economic security, strengthening the Commonwealth's commitment to democracy, and deepening collaboration on protecting the environment.

We will set out our priorities for other future international meetings in the usual way in due course, including next year's G20 summit.

Public order and policing are devolved matters in Scotland. Responsibility for tackling anti-social behaviour in Central Ayrshire therefore rests with the Scottish Government and Police Scotland. The UK Government continues to work with the devolved administrations on issues of shared interest relating to community safety, while respecting the devolution settlement.

Knife crime is a national concern. The Government is committed to halving knife crime over the next decade and published Protecting Lives, Building Hope: A Plan to Halve Knife Crime in April 2026. The Plan sets out a cross-government approach focused on prevention, early intervention, enforcement and reducing reoffending, and we will continue working with the Welsh Government, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to support a coordinated UK-wide response.

Many of the policy areas relevant to knife crime in Scotland, including health, education, social care, youth justice and policing, are devolved to the Scottish Government. However, elements of the Plan that relate to reserved matters apply across the United Kingdom, including measures to create safer online environments and the introduction of a new UK-wide Child Criminal Exploitation offence. The Plan also includes UK-wide legislation to strengthen controls on the sale of knives, including age verification and bulk sales provisions.

The Government recognises the important work already underway in Scotland to prevent violence and reduce knife crime, including the public health approach developed in Glasgow. This approach has informed the development of 20 Violence Reduction Units in England and Wales, which bring together local partners to understand and tackle the drivers of violence in their local areas. We will continue to engage with the Scottish Government to share learning and effective practice as the Plan is implemented.

On 19 May 2026, HM Treasury confirmed the adjusted SCAPE rate from CPI +1.7% to CPI +2.0%, triggering a pension scheme factor review by the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD).

The Government is committed to ensuring that businesses across the United Kingdom, including in Ayrshire, can benefit from opportunities created by defence investment. Through the Defence Industrial Strategy, we are strengthening partnerships with industry, improving visibility of future opportunities and supporting economic growth across the UK.

The Strategic Defence Reveiw prioritises investment in the UK workforce and domestic industry, and recognises Scotland's role as a key hub for defence infrastructure and economic growth.

This Government is committed empowering communities with a strong new ‘right to buy’ beloved community assets, such as empty shops, pubs and community spaces. We will make further announcements in due course.

The UK Government is committed to driving sustainable economic growth, creating high-quality jobs, and boosting trade across all parts of Scotland. While Scotland's designated Green Freeports, Inverness & Cromarty Firth and Forth Green Freeport, are geographically focused, they are expected to yield broader supply chain, trade, and investment benefits for regional economies right across Scotland, including Ayrshire.

Specifically, Scotland's two Green Freeports could potentially generate over 50,000 jobs, with advanced manufacturing hubs like Ayrshire positioned to absorb substantial supply chain, logistics, and spillover demand.

Alongside the national economic impact of Green Freeports, the UK Government is also directly investing in Ayrshire’s long-term economic prosperity through our £103 million commitment to the £251 million Ayrshire Growth Deal. This is complemented by targeted UK Government local funding streams, including £11.8 million via the Local Growth Fund and £40 million via Pride in Place initiatives, ensuring local leaders in Ayrshire have the direct backing needed to drive town centre regeneration, support local businesses, and maximise regional investment opportunities.

The UK Government is providing substantial funding across Ayrshire to drive long-term economic growth, strengthen local infrastructure, and boost trade and investment.

Key direct investments and funding initiatives provided to the region include:

● Ayrshire Growth Deal: A £103 million UK Government investment supporting major economic projects across aerospace, life sciences, and digital infrastructure in Ayrshire.

● Local Regeneration Fund: Over £61 million in direct UK Government capital grants delivered to the region, including £37.45 million for commercial and low-carbon infrastructure across North and South Ayrshire, and £23.69 million for critical B714 transport upgrades.

● Pride in Place Funds: Over £40 million in direct 10-year endowment funding reconfirmed for Ayrshire towns, including Irvine, Kilmarnock, and Ayr North, to support community-led high street regeneration, housing, and local civic infrastructure.

● UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF): £17.35 million allocated across North, South, and East Ayrshire Councils to support local community projects, business development, skills, and adult numeracy programmes.

● Local Growth Fund: Delivering £11.8 million of funding directly to Ayrshire Regional Partnership to support regional economic development and local business growth.

The UK Government actively promotes Ayrshire’s world-class aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and engineering capabilities to global markets.

Key steps include:

• Prestwick Aerospace: Supporting the development of the Aerospace and Space Innovation Centre at Prestwick through the Ayrshire Growth Deal, positioning the region as a premier hub for MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) and advanced manufacturing.

• Global Trade Missions: Highlighting Scotland's sector strengths, including Ayrshire’s engineering heritage, in trade delegations and global investment summits to attract international capital.

• Strengthening links with key markets: For example meeting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and an inward delegation to strengthen economic and cultural partnerships, with a focus on shared opportunities in space exploration, financial services, technology, and the export of goods

The Scotland Office continues to advocate for Ayrshire’s strategic industrial assets on both national and international stages.

Ministers and officials from the Scotland Office regularly engage with Scottish Government colleagues, local authorities, and economic development partners to drive inward investment and deliver regional economic growth across Scotland.

Recent discussions have focused on maximising the impact of the Ayrshire Growth Deal, including major milestones like the groundbreaking event at the Ayrshire Innovation Park last December and Ryanair’s expansion at Prestwick in March. The UK Government remains committed to working collaboratively with the Scottish Government and all Ayrshire local authorities to present a unified offer to international investors and secure high-value jobs for Ayrshire.

The Scotland Office is working closely with local partners and the Scottish Government to deliver for the people of Ayrshire through the £251 million Ayrshire Growth Deal.

As part of this, my department is supporting a programme review of the Deal in order to make strategic changes to ensure the originally envisaged benefits of the Deal are realised.

This includes proposals from the Ayrshire Councils to develop the new Prestwick space and aerospace proposition. This is a normal part of the Deal process, to ensure the programme can respond to external challenges such as inflation whilst having the greatest possible impact.