Oral Answers to Questions

Tim Loughton Excerpts

Wednesday 10th March 2021 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)]

What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential opportunities for Scotland arising from new free trade agreements.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alister Jack)]

I regularly discuss with my Cabinet colleagues opportunities for Scotland arising from the signing of trade deals. This Government have already struck deals with more than 65 countries around the world worth £217 billion a year, including with Canada, Japan and Singapore, with many more to come. This will create new markets for Scotland’s exporters, including for our world-leading food and drink sector.

[Tim Loughton]

I congratulate the Government on the recent agreement with the US Administration on suspending tariffs on a number of key quality UK goods, in particular Scotch. May I ask the Secretary of State how much that will be worth to the Scottish economy, and will he confirm that this benefit for Scotland would not have happened if the UK were still in the EU or a customs union, as the SNP has advocated, rather than having become an independent trading nation?

[Mr Jack]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This is brilliant news for the Scotch whisky industry, in the same week that the Chancellor announced a freeze on alcohol duty. The UK Government have fought incredibly hard on this issue, petitioning the highest levels of the US Administration to remove these tariffs, which were harming our Scottish exports.