Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK trade agreements on Scottish agriculture.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Our trade programme is opening new opportunities for Scottish agrifood. Our FTA with India is expected to grow Scotland’s GVA by around £190 million, underpinned by significant new market access for Scotch whisky, which will in turn support primary agricultural producers in Scotland. Our FTA with the Gulf Cooperation Council will give Scottish agrifood exports a competitive advantage in a net agricultural importing region. This will see the removal of tariffs on Scottish strengths including salmon, baked goods, and confectionary. We continue to seek further opportunities, such as in negotiations with Turkey where, for example, salmon currently faces tariffs of up to 64%.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing defence contracts in Ayrshire.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

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.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of United States tariffs on Scottish whisky exports.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

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.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Extended Producer Responsibility on businesses in Central Ayrshire.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

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.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has the Government made of the impact of EPR on businesses in Central Ayrshire.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

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.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent discussions he has held with EU counterparts on reducing trade barriers affecting Scottish exporters.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses trading with the European Union. We are working to reduce barriers to trade with our closest partner and biggest export market to help deliver growth in every postcode, including those in Scotland.

Ministers have had constructive conversations with counterparts in the European Commission and EU Member States since taking office in summer. There has also been technical engagement at official level, and good progress on agrifood trade and other negotiations since the 2025 UK-EU Summit.

Ministers and officials will continue to engage with EU counterparts, particularly ahead of the next UK-EU Summit.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many inward investment projects his department has supported in Ayrshire in each of the last five years.

Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Freeports and Green Freeports on the economy in Ayrshire.

Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

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.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many Scottish Ayrshire businesses have received export support from his Department during the last financial year.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

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.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of export growth among Scottish food and drink producers.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In 2025, Scotland exported £7.0 billion worth of food and drink; this was over a quarter (27%) of total UK food and drink exports.

The value of food and drink exports from Scotland has risen 48% in current prices over the last decade (2015-2025), but fallen slightly (1.6%) compared to 2024.

The volume of food and drink exports from Scotland has remained broadly unchanged over the last decade; at 1.7 million tonnes in 2025, up 3% from 2015 and down 3% from 2024.

UK trade data is collected by HMRC at the UK level and allocated to UK nations and regions by linking to the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) and then apportioning by employment count data.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he has taken to increase the exports of Scotch Whisky, including to the US and India.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Scotch whisky is one of the UK’s largest drink export sectors, and the Government is working to remove market access barriers and support exporters. Through the UK-India Free Trade Agreement, tariffs on Scotch whisky were reduced from 150% to 75% when the agreement entered into force on 15 July and fall to 40% over the next 10 years. On 24 July, the US removed tariffs on UK-produced whisky following successful negotiations by the UK Government. This supports a sector that exports around £1billion of whisky to the US each year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce economic inactivity among people aged 18 to 30 in Ayrshire.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Home Office and GAD began work on the implications of the SCAPE change.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

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).

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on attracting international investment to Ayrshire.

Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce knife crime in Irvine.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce anti-social behaviour over the summer in Central Ayrshire.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

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.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department is taking to increase foreign direct investment into Ayrshire's aerospace, advanced manufacturing and engineering sectors.

Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

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.