Under the Scotland Act 1998, international relations remain a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government is entitled to promote its trade and economic interests abroad and the UK Government believes this is most effectively achieved by working through the UK’s extensive diplomatic footprint to ensure we are speaking with one voice on the international stage.

The Scottish Government international hubs are hosted by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at Embassies, Consulates and High Commissions across the world, and benefit from UK Government accreditation and FCDO Services. All UK officials on platform must act in accordance with the Scotland Act and are accountable to the Head of Mission.

The Scotland Office and FCDO closely monitor this issue and remain committed to upholding the areas of reserved competence, while working with the Scottish Government to deliver on the priorities of the people of Scotland.

The people of Scotland deserve governments that are focused on delivering for them. This Government does not support independence or another referendum. We are focused on protecting and respecting devolution and delivering better outcomes, including through the offer of joint work on further decentralisation within Scotland that the Prime Minister made to the First Minister on 16 October.

The UK Government strongly believes in the need to uphold the reputation and impartiality of the civil service in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s Permanent Secretary, who is a UK home Civil Servant, is the Accountable Officer for the Scottish Government, and responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Civil Service Code are met, including on the use of Civil Service time.

More widely, the Civil Service code also states that civil servants have an obligation to make sure public money and other resources are used properly and efficiently, and so any spending by the Scottish Government would need to be approached in that context.

The Scotland Office spent nil on interpreters or related translation services in 2025.

Nuclear energy plays a vital role in providing clean, reliable power and supporting many skilled jobs in Scotland. However, the Scottish Government’s opposition to new nuclear power stations restricts further civil nuclear development within Scotland.

Despite these constraints, Scotland’s experienced nuclear workforce and supply chains remain well-placed to benefit from the UK Government’s ambitious civil nuclear expansion across the wider UK, including ongoing decommissioning work and Small Modular Reactor projects.

UK Government Ministers engage regularly with Scottish Government counterparts on a wide range of issues and we remain committed to supporting the nuclear sector. The UK Government urges the Scottish Government to rethink its opposition so that workers and communities across Scotland can benefit from high-quality, long-term employment opportunities.

The expenditure on hotel accommodation for the Scotland Office in the 2024-25 financial year is shown below:

All accommodation costs incurred by the Scotland Office are undertaken in accordance with the principles set out in Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code, ensuring value for money for the public purse.

The UK Government remains fully committed to supporting the civil nuclear sector as a core component of our clean power mission, driving energy security, reindustrialisation, and regional economic growth.

Great British Energy - Nuclear’s recent technical study showed that Scotland possesses land areas with high potential for new nuclear development, including around Torness. Such projects have the capacity to deliver billions of pounds in investment and create thousands of high-quality, long-term skilled jobs.

However, the Scottish Government's opposition to new civil nuclear projects currently prevents these opportunities from being realised in Scotland. I highlighted the potential economic and employment benefits of a future for nuclear power generation at Torness in a recent Westminster Hall Debate about nuclear power in Scotland, and urged the Scottish Government to work with the UK Government on this important issue. UK Ministers engage regularly with their Scottish Government counterparts and remain open to discussions with them on deploying new nuclear technologies, to ensure Scottish workers and supply chains do not miss out on the skilled and secure jobs the nuclear industry provides.

The civil nuclear sector is vital to our energy security and economy, providing skilled, well-paid jobs around the country. According to the Nuclear Industry Association’s 2026 Jobs Map, the UK’s civil nuclear workforce has reached over 100,000, with England creating 47,000 new nuclear jobs since 2014 - a 95% increase. In contrast, Scotland added just 660 jobs over the same period, representing an increase of only 13%.

The Scottish Government’s continued opposition and policy ban on new nuclear development prevents Scotland from accessing the same growth, resulting in an estimated 5,000 potential jobs never realised. Furthermore, with Torness Nuclear Power Station scheduled to end generation in 2030, Scotland risks losing hundreds more skilled civil nuclear roles.

The UK Government remains committed to supporting the nuclear sector, and urges the Scottish Government to rethink its opposition so that workers and communities across Scotland can benefit from high-quality, long-term employment opportunities.

Policing and police operational matters are devolved to the Scottish Government, and Police Scotland operates independently under the governance of the Scottish Police Authority. As such, the UK Government does not hold information regarding specific correspondence sent to Police Scotland. The Hon. Member may wish to direct his query to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish Government.

The Secretary of State has not held discussions with the Scottish Government regarding the standard response time for Police Scotland to provide a response to an MP’s correspondence.

The Scotland Office did not have any civil servants on permanent home working contracts in 2025.

The Scotland Office remains committed to flexible working and the business benefits that it offers, including supporting the Civil Service priority of ensuring continued, effective and productive delivery of the work carried out by civil servants across the full range of services.

The department operates a ‘hybrid’ approach, led by business needs, and as a result many employees will work both from home and in the workplace on an informal basis.

I am concerned about the prevalence of illegal tobacco sold in Scotland, and fully support efforts to limit its spread.

The enforcement of trading standards is a devolved matter. I understand that the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland is currently engaging with the Scottish Government and Police Scotland to explore what more can be done to better empower Scottish Trading Standards Officers in dealing with criminality, specifically in ensuring that they have comparable powers to their counterparts in England and Wales in measures such as Closure Orders.

The Scotland Office occupies premises owned, leased, and managed by the Government Property Agency (GPA) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) who are responsible for building assets, including the installation and use of rooftop solar panels.

Enquiries related to these buildings should be directed to the Government Property Agency (GPA) and HMRC.

Funding support for public bodies to install solar panels has been available through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) with a total of over £3 billion made available up to 2028. Great British Energy (GBE) also supports public sector decarbonisation and the GBE Solar programme is investing £255 million to fund around 250 schools, around 260 NHS sites, and around 15 military sites to install solar panels across the country.

In 2014, there was agreement in the UK parliament and the Scottish parliament, across all political parties, and across civic society, that there should be a referendum. There is no such consensus now. In that referendum, the people of Scotland made clear their continued commitment to Scotland remaining part of the UK.

As set out in the manifesto which saw this government win a majority of UK parliamentary seats in Scotland, this Government does not support independence or another referendum.

Our focus now must be on delivery, not division. This UK Government is focused entirely on delivering in the national interest.

The Scotland Office does not monitor the amount of food waste generated by its offices each month. The Department's offices are located in buildings managed by the Government Property Agency and HM Revenue and Customs. Both the Government Property Agency and HMRC provide facilities management services, and are responsible for monitoring and recording food waste generated within those buildings.

There has not been correspondence between Scotland Office Ministers, or the Scotland Office Director, with Flint Global since July 2024.

The UK Government actively promotes Ayrshire’s world-class aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and engineering capabilities to global markets.

Key steps include:

• Prestwick Aerospace: Supporting the development of the Aerospace and Space Innovation Centre at Prestwick through the Ayrshire Growth Deal, positioning the region as a premier hub for MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) and advanced manufacturing.

• Global Trade Missions: Highlighting Scotland's sector strengths, including Ayrshire’s engineering heritage, in trade delegations and global investment summits to attract international capital.

• Strengthening links with key markets: For example meeting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and an inward delegation to strengthen economic and cultural partnerships, with a focus on shared opportunities in space exploration, financial services, technology, and the export of goods

The Scotland Office continues to advocate for Ayrshire’s strategic industrial assets on both national and international stages.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as the world’s largest performing arts festival and trade show, is a vital pillar of the United Kingdom’s creative ecosystem. Its success generates significant economic and cultural benefits across the entire UK, with artists from every nation showcasing work that often goes on to achieve broader national and international acclaim, as seen with productions like Fleabag, Six the Musical, and Baby Reindeer.

The UK government has delivered £7 million support for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. This investment has delivered a new home for the Society - which officially opened this year - and has boosted the ‘Keep it Fringe’ fund to help widen participation and ensure that creative talent from across the UK can reach audiences at the Fringe.

The Scotland Office has spent nil on activities relating to Pride Month 2026.

The UK Government is committed to ensuring our policies reflect the views and barriers facing young people across Scotland. The Scotland Office maintains regular dialogue with youth organisations and charities, and officials have met with both Includem and Inspiring Scotland this year.

Young people’s experiences of mental health and employment support are directly informing our approach to delivering in Scotland, including extending the Youth Hubs initiative to another 18 areas, bringing the total in Scotland to 28.

This will help ensure even more young people have access to essential mental health support, housing advice, and career guidance, including CV advice so they can fulfil their potential.