Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the Secretary of State for Scotland has had, if any, with (1) the Scotch Whisky Association, and (2) Scotch Whisky producers, regarding the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' decision to grant English Whisky Geographical Indication status; and what the outcome of any such discussions was.

The UK Government strongly supports Scotch Whisky as a jewel in the crown of Scotland’s food and drink industry and the UK’s largest food and drink export. The Secretary of State for Scotland regularly engages with the Scotch Whisky Association and Scotch whisky producers as part of the UK Government’s support for the industry, and has been working closely with them on promoting exports to markets such as India, the US and China. As part of this, the Secretary of State met with the Scotch Whisky Association on his trip to India from 12-14 October 2026.

The decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to register English Whisky for Geographic Indication (GI) was based on the evidence provided and the statutory criteria established in legislation.

The new English Whisky GI does not create a new product or a production method; rather it regulates and protects a product that already exists. Scotch Whisky's protected status, reputation and production requirements remain unchanged, and the government expects the Scotch Whisky industry to continue to thrive.