Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what are the (a) legal and (b) constitutional remedies available if a Scottish Government international hub was found to be undertaking functions reserved to the UK Government under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has sought assurances from the Scottish Government that no public funds, civil service staff time or other official resources are being used to support the SNP’s Choose Scotland campaign for Scottish independence.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on interpreters and related translation services in 2025.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The Scotland Office spent nil on interpreters or related translation services in 2025.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the potential impact of a new nuclear power station at Torness on employment opportunities in the civil nuclear sector in the area.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the Nuclear Industry Association’s 2026 Jobs Map, what assessment he has made of the impact of no new nuclear development in Scotland on civil nuclear employment.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on supporting people employed in Scotland’s civil nuclear sector.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government regarding the standard response time for Police Scotland to provide a response to an MP’s correspondence and when the hon Member for Harrow West might expect a reply to his correspondence to Police Scotland dated the 10th July, 12th August and 27th August.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation for (a) staff and (b) Ministers broken down by (i) UK stays and (ii) overseas stays in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The expenditure on hotel accommodation for the Scotland Office in the 2024-25 financial year is shown below:
2024-25 Hotel Accommodation | |||
Category | UK Stays (£) | Overseas Stays (£) | Total (£) |
Ministers | 4,030 | 2,490 | 6,520 |
Officials | 136,431 | 14,071 | 150,502 |
Total | 140,461 | 16,561 | 157,022 |
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.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department were on permanent home working contracts in 2025.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.
Asked by: Zubir Ahmed (Labour - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government and HMRC on tackling the sale of illegal tobacco in Scotland.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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.