Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether his Department has hired external public relations consultants since July 2024.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Scotland Office has not hired any external public relations consultants since July 2024.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Scottish Government since 7 May.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government continues to work constructively with the Scottish Government to increase living standards, improve public services, and drive economic growth.
The Prime Minister has spoken to the First Minister of Scotland following the recent Scottish Parliament elections and noted his desire for continued positive engagement between the governments.
The Secretary of State for Scotland has also written to the First Minister to discuss how we can work together in the interests of people in Scotland. The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister will shortly attend the next meeting of the Interministerial Standing Committee, and ministers across the UK Government continue to work closely with the Scottish Government on matters of mutual interest.
UKG publishes an IGR engagement dashboard on gov.uk detailing the number of meetings between the governments. The last publication was in March 2026, covering the period from July 2024-September 2025. The compilation for the next IGR dashboard quarters is underway and will be published shortly.
Effective intergovernmental relations remain a priority, and we look forward to working constructively with the new ministers in both governments. Scotland benefits from being part of a strong and successful United Kingdom where we pool resources, share opportunities and tackle challenges together.
Gaelic remains an important part of Scotland’s cultural identity and, despite a long-term decline in its use, the latest census indicates an increase in the number of people with Gaelic language skills.
However, MG Alba, the Gaelic Media Service that delivers BBC ALBA, has warned that Gaelic broadcasting “faces …
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