Martin Docherty-Hughes

Research by VisitBritian found that 82% of international respondents said that ‘a good variety of food and drink to try’ is a key driver when selecting a destination for an international break. This is why the UK’s unique food and drink experiences are a key pillar of their international marketing campaigns and PR activity.

The whisky industry is recognised as the UK’s largest single food and drink sector, accounting for 25% of the UK’s food and drink exports and 80% of Scottish food and drink exports, impacting 200 markets worldwide. The whisky sector generates £3.3 billion directly to the UK economy, and totals £5 billion when Gross Value Added (GVA) is added to the overall to UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Research by VisitScotland found that 20% of respondents stated they visited awhisky distillery on their holiday in Scotland, making it one of the top activities for overnight tourists on their trip to Scotland.

Visits to whisky distilleries in Scotland have increased by two thirds since 2010, and over 1000 people are now directly employed in tourism roles which equates to 10% of the industry’s direct employment in Scotland.

The UK government is committed to promoting equality for LGBT people at home and abroad and we continue to be recognised as one of the top 10 most progressive countries in Europe for LGBT rights.

Earlier this year, the Minister for Women and Equalities set out her top priorities, which we are making good progress towards delivering. We have launched a public consultation on our plans to ban conversion therapy; we are digitising the Gender Recognition Certificate application process, having already reduced the fee, and are improving healthcare for trans people; and the Department for Education recently announced over £1 million in funding to support schools and colleges to tackle all forms of bullying, including anti-LGBT bullying.

We have also appointed Iain Anderson as LGBT Business Champion, and the Prime Minister has appointed Lord Herbert as Special Envoy on LGBT rights, with both an international and domestic focus.

We look forward to hosting Safe To Be Me: A Global Equality Conference next year, which will bring together government representatives, businesses, civil society and international parliamentarians to address the safety of LGBT people at home and abroad.

Ministers routinely have internal meetings to discuss a range of issues. As Special Envoy on LGBT rights, the Rt Hon Lord Herbert CBE is leading efforts across Government to champion LGBT equality at home and abroad.

Ministers routinely have internal meetings to discuss a range of issues. As Special Envoy on LGBT rights, the Rt Hon Lord Herbert CBE is leading efforts across Government to champion LGBT equality at home and abroad.

This Government understands that, whilst the majority of women veterans go on to lead successful post-service lives, and the challenges they face are often the same as for men, the experiences and needs of women are sometimes different.

That is why we are developing the Government’s first Women Veterans’ Strategy, which will celebrate the successes of women veterans, but will also look at specific challenges they may face, in order to better address their needs.

As well as looking at the experiences of women who have served in the UK Armed Forces, the Strategy will recognise their contribution to society and identify what further tailored support could be provided, which includes considering the accessibility of support services.

The Prime Minister’s announcement of longer term reductions in Civil Service numbers is a reiteration of the policy announced by the Chancellor in October 2023. The longer term reductions will build on the shorter term headcount cap put in place through to March 2025, and the detail of how individual organisations will be affected by the return to pre-pandemic numbers will form a key part of the next comprehensive spending review.

The Cabinet Office, acting as the Civil Service Pension Scheme Manager, has met on a number of occasions with representatives of Unite the Union (Unite), Capita Land Services and MyCSP to discuss issues surrounding Pensionable Pay for members of the Defence Fire and Rescue Services that were transferred to Capita Fire and Rescue. Work is currently ongoing towards resolving these issues.

The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) is supported by a robust governance model that includes audits carried out annually by the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA). The scheme is also responsible for providing scheme accounts which are fully audited on an annual basis. Alongside this, the scheme is required to implement the legislation for pensions effectively and pay the correct benefits. I am comfortable that the administration of the pension scheme is adequate and robust and that there are effective policies and procedures in place to resolve issues impacting members.

To support all employers in performing their duties required for the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme there are several different functions that employers can utilise:

• Dedicated on-boarding team

• Guidance and Notifications

• Employer Training

When an employer joins the CSPS, they must complete a legal document called an Admission Agreement (AA) and ensure that the parties comply with their obligations set out in it. The AA is signed in triplicate by the provider, the contracting authority and Cabinet Office. To ensure employers are meeting their requirements we:

Internally have:

• Interface Compliance Model - which reviews the monthly interface quality which is supplied from employers. Capita Fire and Rescue are working with the Scheme Administer to bring their interface up to date. Once this has been completed, a review of all pensions in payment will be completed to ensure that the members are receiving the correct benefits.

• Annual Assurance Statement (AAS) - The purpose of the AAS is to assist the Cabinet Office’s Accounting Officer, to carry out their responsibilities to the Civil Service Pensions Scheme. It reminds employers of their fundamental roles and responsibilities in relation to the scheme and gives the opportunity to highlight any issues.

• Employer Engagement Matrix - The Employer Engagement Matrix tracks employer performance and measures against set criteria which are either essential and desirable. This is to provide an overview of several different metrics to identify if employers falling down in their duties.

Externally we have:

• Annual audits carried out by both the Government Internal Audit Agency and the National Audit Office.

• An independent external company (ITM) has recently carried out a data audit which identified no material concerns.

The Cabinet Office, acting as the Civil Service Pension Scheme Manager, has met on a number of occasions with representatives of Unite the Union (Unite), Capita Land Services and MyCSP to discuss issues surrounding Pensionable Pay for members of the Defence Fire and Rescue Services that were transferred to Capita Fire and Rescue. Work is currently ongoing towards resolving these issues.

The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) is supported by a robust governance model that includes audits carried out annually by the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA). The scheme is also responsible for providing scheme accounts which are fully audited on an annual basis. Alongside this, the scheme is required to implement the legislation for pensions effectively and pay the correct benefits. I am comfortable that the administration of the pension scheme is adequate and robust and that there are effective policies and procedures in place to resolve issues impacting members.

To support all employers in performing their duties required for the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme there are several different functions that employers can utilise:

• Dedicated on-boarding team

• Guidance and Notifications

• Employer Training

When an employer joins the CSPS, they must complete a legal document called an Admission Agreement (AA) and ensure that the parties comply with their obligations set out in it. The AA is signed in triplicate by the provider, the contracting authority and Cabinet Office. To ensure employers are meeting their requirements we:

Internally have:

• Interface Compliance Model - which reviews the monthly interface quality which is supplied from employers. Capita Fire and Rescue are working with the Scheme Administer to bring their interface up to date. Once this has been completed, a review of all pensions in payment will be completed to ensure that the members are receiving the correct benefits.

• Annual Assurance Statement (AAS) - The purpose of the AAS is to assist the Cabinet Office’s Accounting Officer, to carry out their responsibilities to the Civil Service Pensions Scheme. It reminds employers of their fundamental roles and responsibilities in relation to the scheme and gives the opportunity to highlight any issues.

• Employer Engagement Matrix - The Employer Engagement Matrix tracks employer performance and measures against set criteria which are either essential and desirable. This is to provide an overview of several different metrics to identify if employers falling down in their duties.

Externally we have:

• Annual audits carried out by both the Government Internal Audit Agency and the National Audit Office.

• An independent external company (ITM) has recently carried out a data audit which identified no material concerns.

The Cabinet Office, acting as the Civil Service Pension Scheme Manager, has met on a number of occasions with representatives of Unite the Union (Unite), Capita Land Services and MyCSP to discuss issues surrounding Pensionable Pay for members of the Defence Fire and Rescue Services that were transferred to Capita Fire and Rescue. Work is currently ongoing towards resolving these issues.

The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) is supported by a robust governance model that includes audits carried out annually by the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA). The scheme is also responsible for providing scheme accounts which are fully audited on an annual basis. Alongside this, the scheme is required to implement the legislation for pensions effectively and pay the correct benefits. I am comfortable that the administration of the pension scheme is adequate and robust and that there are effective policies and procedures in place to resolve issues impacting members.

To support all employers in performing their duties required for the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme there are several different functions that employers can utilise:

• Dedicated on-boarding team

• Guidance and Notifications

• Employer Training

When an employer joins the CSPS, they must complete a legal document called an Admission Agreement (AA) and ensure that the parties comply with their obligations set out in it. The AA is signed in triplicate by the provider, the contracting authority and Cabinet Office. To ensure employers are meeting their requirements we:

Internally have:

• Interface Compliance Model - which reviews the monthly interface quality which is supplied from employers. Capita Fire and Rescue are working with the Scheme Administer to bring their interface up to date. Once this has been completed, a review of all pensions in payment will be completed to ensure that the members are receiving the correct benefits.

• Annual Assurance Statement (AAS) - The purpose of the AAS is to assist the Cabinet Office’s Accounting Officer, to carry out their responsibilities to the Civil Service Pensions Scheme. It reminds employers of their fundamental roles and responsibilities in relation to the scheme and gives the opportunity to highlight any issues.

• Employer Engagement Matrix - The Employer Engagement Matrix tracks employer performance and measures against set criteria which are either essential and desirable. This is to provide an overview of several different metrics to identify if employers falling down in their duties.

Externally we have:

• Annual audits carried out by both the Government Internal Audit Agency and the National Audit Office.

• An independent external company (ITM) has recently carried out a data audit which identified no material concerns.

The Secretary of State has not met Gautam Adani. The then Minister for Investment, Lord Grimstone of Boscobel Kt met Gautam Adani at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 25 May 2022.

Officials have met the representatives of Adani Group on a number of occasions over the past five years, including most recently at a meeting in December 2022 between a representative of Adani Defence and the Director of UK Defence and Security Exports.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible charities, including hospices and care homes, are protected from high energy costs over the winter period. Following an HMT-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, will run from April 2023 until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including the health and care sector. Both energy schemes apply across all of the United Kingdom, including Scotland. The Government will continue to engage with devolved administrations in its design and implementation plans for the new scheme.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible businesses in Stockport, who receive their energy from licensed suppliers, are protected from excessively high energy costs over the winter period. The EBRS discount is applied directly to the energy bills of eligible businesses by their energy providers and therefore we do not have a breakdown of support received by location or sector. The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will run from April 2023 until March 2024 and continue to provide a discount to eligible businesses.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards will publish its first Strategic Assessment covering trends in relation to the safety of goods in due course and this will inform future decisions about how best to support capacity on the front line, including in Scotland.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is developing the first national Strategic Assessment to identify trends and risks associated with the supply and use of consumer goods. This will provide a comprehensive analysis of how well the product safety system functions and will support local authorities and other agencies to prioritise their operational decisions and interventions based on evidence and risk. In addition, the OPSS is working to support local authorities in Scotland to further improve product safety.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards is working to support local authorities in Scotland including at ports and borders, to further improve product safety. For example, OPSS has provided free technical training on product safety to local authority officers, provided all front-line officers with free access to British Standards on line and training on risk assessment will take place in March. We are exploring what additional support and resource would assist with safety at ports and borders.

The Department has had discussions with the Scottish Government on a number of issues related to the safety of consumers, including on the Office for Product Safety and Standards’ (OPSS) new strategy for product safety. OPSS also works closely with local authority Trading Standards services across Scotland on specific issues, including the safety of electrical goods.

All electrical goods must meet essential safety requirements before they can be placed on the UK market, including electrical goods sold to consumers by online retailers. The Government has no plans to introduce further regulation in this area.

The Government does not hold data for estimating the cost to the Scottish economy of counterfeit or substandard electrical products.

The Government is committed to boosting the UK’s agri-food export capability and growth around the world. Recognising the potential of the Brazilian market for UK agri-food exports, DEFRA is currently recruiting a new Agriculture, Food and Drink Attaché for Brazil. This new role will strengthen our agri-food engagement with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, working directly with officials in Brazil to broaden market access and boost UK agri-food exports. This includes supporting the continued growth of whisky and gin exports to Brazil, which is now a top 20 market for UK exports of these commodities.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a range of temporary financial support to the wholesale sector, a key supplier of food to critical public service organisations, to ensure its ongoing viability through this difficult period. Wholesalers are eligible for a number of schemes, including: the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment and the Discretionary Grant Fund for small and micro businesses that are not eligible for other grant schemes.

In addition to this, Defra has been working with the charity sector through the Food Charity Grant Scheme which gives charities up to £100,000 in grant funding to purchase food to support the most economically vulnerable. Through this scheme, Defra has encouraged charities that do not have established suppliers to purchase stock from wholesalers and local producers, both to support the sector and to reduce waste.

A range of Government departments hold responsibility for public sector food provision for specific sectors including schools, care homes, hospitals and prisons. My department is working closely with officials from the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence to support them in making arrangements with their suppliers to ensure food supply continues to these public sector institutions.

The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union spoke with the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations in the Scottish Government within the first few days of his reappointment.

The Secretary of State looks forward to seeing him next at the Joint Ministerial Committee on European Union Negotiations later this month.

I have written to my counterparts in the Scottish and Welsh governments and look forward to meeting with them soon.

The Secretary of State and I visited Dublin on 8 September 2016. While in Dublin, we had constructive talks with Charles Flanagan TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as with business leaders. Various issues were discussed, including the future of the border.

As set out in the letter the Secretary of State sent to the Honourable Gentleman on 29 November 2016 on this issue, it is the Government's intention to protect the existing rights enjoyed by UK and Irish nationals when in the other State, and to maintain existing border arrangements provided for by the Common Travel Area once the UK has left the EU. Leaders in the UK and Ireland have been unequivocal in their commitment to this shared intent.

National Strategy Implementation Groups implement National Security Council direction for specific priority areas, which can change over time. It would not be appropriate to provide a running public commentary on their work, as some National Strategy Implementation Group work could be sensitive at the time.

The Sub-Saharan Africa National Strategy Implementation Group and Whitehall Africa Group takes a collective, cross government approach; convening authoritative representatives from the Departments and Agencies central to deliver its responsibilities.

Children in Iraq have been disproportionately impacted by four years of Daesh control. DFID is working with UNICEF to provide specialist child protection services, tailored to the individual needs of 12,000 of the most vulnerable children, including in IDP camps. This specialised programme provides psychosocial support, counselling, legal representation, as well as wider protection services to the children who need them most.

Furthermore, DFID is one of the largest donors to the UN’s Iraq Humanitarian Fund (IHF), having committed over £74m since 2014. The IHF is the primary mechanism through which the international community has responded to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq since 2014. It provides multi-sector support for girls and boys through the provision of education, protection, education, and healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of children each year.

DFID humanitarian experts maintain a close dialogue with all humanitarian stakeholders in Iraq and we remain committed to advocating for the needs of children displaced by the conflict, including those who are unaccompanied.

DFID is one of the largest donors to the UN’s Iraq Humanitarian Fund (IHF), having committed over £74m since 2014. The IHF was one of the largest and most comprehensive funding mechanisms available for humanitarian partners responding to the needs of Moslawis throughout 2017 and 2018. The IHF rapidly scaled up its operations in advance of Mosul’s liberation, including with significant financial support from DFID. In March 2017, for example, over £1.5m was allocated by the IHF to expand and upgrade water and sanitation facilities in Haj Ali IDP camp in Ninewa Governorate, to ensure preparedness for the increasing caseload of displaced people from Mosul. The IHF continues to support dozens of humanitarian camps in the region, and DFID maintains a close dialogue with the UN in this respect.

In addition to helping those displaced from Mosul, DFID is supporting efforts to improve conditions in the city so that people can return home following the conflict. This includes over £30m in funding for the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and UNDP’s Funding Facility for Stabilisation (FFS) since 2015. UNMAS focusses on the removal of explosive hazards and the FFS works to restore basic services; the latter has already rehabilitated dozens of hospitals and schools, and is currently carrying out work to repair the decimated electricity grid in West Mosul.

This project provided technical assistance to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence to support modernisation of the accommodation system for Ukrainian military personnel. It supported delivery of the UK’s objective to help Ukraine reform its Defence/armed forces to eliminate corruption and increase civilian oversight and rule of law, strengthening the resilience and stability of the State. The total cost over some 15 months was £414,930. The project successfully delivered its four main outputs: a proposal for a trusted and transparent centralised process for queue management; a policy for new accommodation maintenance, procurement and contracting standards for the Ukraine defence forces; new construction tender requirements and contracting guidelines; and a concept paper for a new defence housing system and detailed reform implementation plan for at least 2 years.