Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor for the Exchequer on support for the wholesale food and drink sector in Scotland.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I am in regular contact with the Chancellor for the Exchequer and all members of the Cabinet to discuss how best the UK Government can support sectors of the Scottish economy, including the wholesale food and drink sector.
At the last budget delivered in March I was pleased to see the Scotch whisky industry getting a welcome boost, with a freeze on spirits and a commitment to a review of alcohol duty, and £10 million help to develop green technology. I was also extremely happy to see £1 million investment in promoting Scottish produce to overseas markets.
The wholesale food and drink sector in Scotland has also been considered as part of the UK Government’s broader Covid-19 support. This included the support offered through the Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme which have protected the incomes of almost 800,000 people in Scotland – more than a quarter of the workforce. This is in addition to the various loans and guarantees to help UK businesses survive the economic fallout from coronavirus. However, our response to Covid-19 must be UK-wide and that’s why we have announced over £7 billion of additional funding to the devolved administrations to support people, business and public services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This means £3.8 billion for the Scottish Government, £2.2 billion for the Welsh Government and £1.2 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
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 trends in the level of unemployment in Scotland in the last three years.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on a range of matters, including trends in the level of unemployment in Scotland.
The UK Government recognises that this is a challenging time for Scotland. This is why the Chancellor has committed an unprecedented package of support. This includes a range of loan schemes and grants and, in particular, the Job Retention and Self-Employment Support Schemes which have protected the incomes of almost 800,000 people in Scotland – more than a quarter of the workforce. I am delighted that the Job Retention Scheme has now been extended to October.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what consultation the Government undertook with relevant stakeholders prior to the decision that student number controls will be applied to Scottish universities’ recruitment of English students for 2020.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
Funding decisions affecting students domiciled in England are for the Department of Education to determine, however the Minister of State for Universities Michelle Donelan discussed the matter with Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochead on several occasions prior to the announcement.
This measure, which applies across the whole of the UK, will avoid harmful over-recruitment among providers which could go against the interests of both students and universities.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the effect of limits to the number of English students who can study at Scottish universities from 2020 on the higher education sector.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The number controls that we have introduced will allow for similar levels of recruitment to last year with room for up to 6.5% growth. Accordingly, this will not reduce the number of students normally domiciled in England who come to study in Scotland.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what support the Government has offered to Rolls Royce in Scotland.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The UK Government is committed to supporting companies through the COVID-19 crisis and has worked with many businesses across the economy to understand how best to do so, including Rolls-Royce.
The UK Government has been in close discussions with Rolls-Royce on the various business support schemes available to the business and its suppliers. Through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, the company has also fed into the UK Government’s dialogue with the wider aerospace sector about business support.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on support for Rolls Royce in Scotland.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I have regular discussions with the Scottish Government on a number of policy issues. The UK Government regularly speaks with Rolls-Royce and has worked closely with the company in response to COVID-19.
We have discussed with Rolls-Royce the various UK Government business support schemes available to the company and its suppliers. Rolls-Royce has also been part of the Department’s regular engagements with the wider aerospace sector about business support during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department is taking to support people that live in areas of higher deprivation in Scotland during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I am committed to ensuring that those people living in Scotland who are affected by Covid-19 receive the support that they need. I have regular conversations with my Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions where I champion the interests of Scotland.
The UK Government is ensuring that people continue to receive their benefits and we continue to work collaboratively with the Scottish Government to support those who need us the most.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what support his Department is providing to the Scottish tourism industry during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
Ministers and officials in the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland are in regular contact with Scottish businesses and their representative organisations, including those in the tourism sector.
The UK Government recognises that this is a challenging time for the sector. This is why the Chancellor has committed an unprecedented package of business support. This includes a range of loan schemes, grants, self-employment support and the Job Retention Scheme. Business representative organisations I have talked with have welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement of the Job Retention Scheme’s extension to October.
In addition, we will continue to work collaboratively with the Scottish Government to support the tourism industry in Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much funding for covid-19 testing has been allocated from the public purse to Scotland.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
Funding for Covid-19 testing is UK-wide. This means Devolved Administrations do not receive a Barnett Consequential on this expenditure, but receive a share of the testing equipment that DHSC procure for the UK. At present, DHSC are providing five testing sites and thirteen mobile testing units in Scotland, which complement the testing activities of NHS Scotland.