Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will have discussions with the Scottish Government on the potential merits of banning first-cousin marriage in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
Scotland Office Ministers and officials regularly engage with counterparts in the Scottish Government on issues that matter to the people of Scotland.
We are aware that all aspects of weddings, including first cousin marriage, are important issues. The Scottish Parliament has power to legislate in relation to marriages in Scotland.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he last met with representatives of the Scottish seafood sector in Scotland.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
Scotland Office Ministers regularly engage with a range of stakeholders from the sector. I spoke at a Seafood Scotland event in the House of Commons on 26 February. That same day, Minister McNeill met the Scottish Fisherman’s Federation as a follow up from a joint visit organised between her and Home Office Minister Seema Malhotra on 3 February, where they met a number of industry representatives and discussed issues such as access to labour at length.
My department remains committed to continuing to engage with both the wild caught and aquaculture sectors to support the seafood industry in Scotland, and I continue to promote the sector around the world through my Brand Scotland work.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what meetings he has had with Cabinet colleagues on increased Government defence spending in Scotland.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Prime Minister has made it clear that we must strengthen our defence capabilities, which is why this Government has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.
Scotland’s world-class defence industry is well-positioned to meet the growing demands for national security. This increase in defence spending will support highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships across the UK, including in Scotland.
The new UK Government support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will include specific SME spending targets for defence.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting JFD, a Scottish SME and world leader in underwater capabilities. This visit underscored our commitment to ensuring that these businesses benefit from the historic increase in defence spending. I am proud of Scotland's defence sector and will continue to advocate for the industry and its workforce.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on infected blood compensation payments.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
The UK Government is working closely with devolved governments and existing support schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Minister for the Cabinet Office met the Scottish Minister for Public Health on 3 March 2025 to discuss compensation payments for victims of the infected blood scandal, and he is committed to engaging further with the Scottish Government as we progress this work.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what he last met with representatives of the Scottish farming sector in Scotland.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
Supporting Scottish farmers and crofters is a priority for this Government and my department regularly engages with the industry at Ministerial and official levels. Most recently, Minister McNeill delivered a keynote speech at the National Farmers’ Union Scotland annual conference, where she announced that the Scotland Office would host a Food and Farming roundtable soon. Preparations for it are ongoing, in collaboration with the Scottish Government.
Earlier that same week, Minister McNeill accompanied Home Office Minister Seema Malhotra on a visit to a farm in Aberdeenshire, accompanied by NFUS representatives. Prior to that she met with crofters' representatives in Stornoway.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Scottish Government’s proposals to adopt Ultra High Frequency electronic identification technology for animals on farming in the rest of the UK.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
Animal health and traceability policy is devolved. The Scottish Government has announced that it plans to adopt Ultra-High Frequency electronic identification (EID) in cattle. The UK and Welsh Governments have yet to make a decision on technology, whereas Northern Ireland would be required to use Low Frequency technology if the Northern Ireland Executive chooses to introduce EID, in accordance with the Windsor Framework.
Work between Defra officials and counterparts in the devolved governments is ongoing to understand the potential impacts of divergence, including the impacts on industry, the internal market and international trade. The issue was discussed at the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 January 2025.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the impact of levels of taxation on people in Scotland.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
The assessment that we have made is that the Honourable Gentleman's party crashed the economy and left the legacy of the highest tax burden on working people in 70 years and in Scotland that is even higher.
The SNP Government’s own figures show that a Band 5 Nurse will pay more tax in Scotland than a nurse earning the same amount in England, meanwhile billions of pounds of taxpayer money has been wasted under the SNP.
The previous Conservative government and current SNP government both share the belief that nurses, teachers and ordinary Scots should pay for their economic failures.
We will provide economic stability and put more money in people’s pockets.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions his officials have had with Scottish Borders Council on funding of the feasibility study for the extension of the Borders Railway.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
My officials have had discussions with the Scottish Borders Council and with officials from both the Department for Transport and the Scottish Government on the funding of the feasibility study for the extension of the Borders Railway.
The Department for Transport will continue to work with the Scotland Office, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Borders Council on the next stage of development for this scheme as part of the Borderlands Growth Deal.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on funding of the feasibility study for the extension of the Borders Railway.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
Officials from my department remain in discussion on this matter with counterparts in the Department for Transport. The Department for Transport will continue to work with the Scotland Office, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Borders Council on the next stage of development for this scheme as part of the Borderlands Growth Deal.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how often the Scottish Seafood Industry Action Group has met since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scottish Seafood Industry Action Group last met under the previous Government, in March 2024. This government recognises the vital role these industries play in ensuring coastal communities and the wider Scottish economy thrive. Since taking up office in July 2024, Scotland Office Ministers have met with Salmon Scotland, the Scottish Fisherman’s Federation, Loch Long Salmon, and many others across the seafood and fisheries sectors. The UK government will continue to work closely with industry representative bodies on issues that impact the sector.