Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much their Department spent on (a) current and (b) legacy IT infrastructure (i) in total and (ii) purchased in 2013 or earlier in each of the last three years.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office uses the information technology system provided and operated by the Cabinet Office, which has responsibility for all hardware and software procurement, administration, support maintenance, security, and integrity of the system.
Queries regarding the information technology system should be directed to the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Marco Longhi (Conservative - Dudley North)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the Government’s guidance entitled Our Long-Term Plan for Towns on the Scottish economy.
Answered by John Lamont - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The UK Government will invest £140m over 10 years into seven Scottish towns that have been overlooked.
This will breathe new life into these communities and empower them to take back control of their future by tackling anti-social behaviour, regenerating high streets, and improving local transport.
This will greatly enhance the long-term economic growth of these towns.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what data their Department holds on the (a) number and (b) cost of replacing (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones, (iii) memory sticks and (iv) external hard drives that have been (A) lost and (B) stolen in the last 12 months.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office uses the information technology system provided and operated by the Cabinet Office, which has responsibility for all hardware and software procurement, administration, support maintenance, security, and integrity of the system.
The Cabinet Office response to this question includes any losses reported by the Scotland Office.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of civil servants on temporary contracts in his Department are women.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office has no civil servants on temporary contracts.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of SCS2 civil servants on full-time equivalent contracts in his Department are women.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office has only one SCS2 post which is not currently held by a woman.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on his Department's provision of support for Scottish Ministers on planned overseas visits to promote the Scottish (a) economy and (b) culture.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I have had frequent recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on his Department's provision of support for Scottish Ministers on planned overseas visits. I fully agree with the FCDO's current guidance which states that, when ministers from the devolved administrations are holding meetings with ministers from overseas governments (or positions of equivalent seniority e.g. EU Commissioner), a senior UK Government official is expected to attend.
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 steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the whisky industry.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I am in regular contact with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues of importance to Scotland’s whisky industry.
Scotland’s whisky industry continues to go from strength to strength at home and abroad, and Scotch whisky is the UK’s premier food and drink export. I want Scottish producers to take full advantage of the new trade deals the UK Government is striking around the world.
In this vein, earlier this month I visited Vietnam, a key growth market for Scotch whisky, where along with representatives from the Scotch Whisky Association, I hosted a whisky reception for key business leaders in Hanoi.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the Scottish Government or (b) representatives instructed to act on behalf of the Scottish Government on the role of the Lord Advocate and potential changes to the Scotland Act.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I have had no discussions with either the Scottish Government or representatives acting on behalf of the Scottish Government in regards to the role of Lord Advocate and potential changes to the Scotland Act.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much their Department spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-2023 financial year.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office did not spend anything on equality and diversity training in the 2022-2023 financial year.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much the Boundary Commission for Scotland spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Boundary Commission of Scotland has responsibility for its staff, who are employed by the Scottish Government and assigned to the Commission, within the terms of Scottish Government policies and processes. Training for staff is accessed through the Scottish Government, including on diversity and equality. Boundary Commission for Scotland therefore incurred no expenditure on such training in the 2022-23 financial year.