Lord Dunlop

Government’s decisions on 5G policy are informed by a wide range of evidence and information, including that gathered by the 2021 consultation. This includes for example, debates during passage of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, our ongoing engagement with stakeholders, and our discussions with other government departments and Ofcom.

The government is monitoring the work of all mobile network operators to ensure that each of them meets our standalone 5G ambition. We are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment and competition in the market.

Following the 2017 reforms, government representatives engaged regularly with stakeholders about their impact. The changes made by sections 61–64 were consulted on and received Parliamentary scrutiny during passage of the 2022 Act. Government has no plans to conduct a formal review of the 2017 reforms before commencing sections 61–64.

The 2022 Act was subject to a published De Minimis Impact Assessment. The regulations referred to are draft regulations intended to bring sections 61–64 into effect with transitional provisions and are subject to a technical consultation which closes on 2 July 2025.

Following the 2017 reforms, government representatives engaged regularly with stakeholders about their impact. The changes made by sections 61–64 were consulted on and received Parliamentary scrutiny during passage of the 2022 Act. Government has no plans to conduct a formal review of the 2017 reforms before commencing sections 61–64.

The 2022 Act was subject to a published De Minimis Impact Assessment. The regulations referred to are draft regulations intended to bring sections 61–64 into effect with transitional provisions and are subject to a technical consultation which closes on 2 July 2025.

As our manifesto commitment states, we support the development of wind projects in the remote islands of Scotland, where they will directly benefit local communities. We will announce our plans regarding this commitment in due course.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) (and previously UKTI staff) are co-located with Scottish Development International (SDI) staff in a number of locations; specific details below. DIT are always prepared, where logistically possible to work with SDI colleagues on co-location overseas.

Brazil Rio de Janeiro

Canada Calgary and Toronto

USA November 2017

Australia & New Zealand Melbourne since 2016 (previously Sydney)

China Beijing

Hong Kong

India Mymbai, New Delhi and Hydrabad

Denmark Copenhagen

Ghana Accra

Saudi Arabia Al Khobar – established February 2014

UAE Dubai

Taiwan Taipei

The Department for International Trade has 18 officials based in its offices in Glasgow.

The functions of those are shown in the table below.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) supports UK businesses through a range of programmes aimed at increasing exports.

Through 2016-17 DIT supported its customers to achieve £41.6bn in export wins, which included working with 2,811 new exporters. These figures, published in our annual report, include support to Scottish exporters.

In the financial year 2016-17 the High Value Opportunity programme was replaced by the High Value Campaign programme.

All UK companies, including those located or operating in Scotland, are able to access the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) national events and missions programme. This is viewable on great.gov.uk which is promoted nationally. DIT keeps a record of all companies who take part in trade missions so that we can ensure we continue to support them throughout their export journey, including any export wins. In the first six months of this financial year, 19 Scottish companies took part in missions organised by DIT.

The Green Freeports in Scotland: bidding prospectus (attached) sets out the assessment process for Scottish Green Freeport bids. The Government expects to announce the winning bids, jointly with the Scottish Government, very soon.

The Government has welcomed proposals for city deals for Edinburgh and South East Scotland, Tay Cities and Stirling and Clackmannanshire, which following the agreed deals for Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness, will deliver a city deal for every city in Scotland.

Negotiations, undertaken jointly with the Scottish Government, are progressing well with Edinburgh and Stirling, and are due to start with Tay Cities over the summer. In terms of concluding the deals, we are working to agree Heads of Terms with the regional partners and the Scottish Government as soon as possible.

This Government is committed to promoting and supporting local economic growth across the United Kingdom; and city deals, agreed jointly with devolved administrations and regional partners, are an excellent vehicle for doing so.

The Government is committed to the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement to introduce new legacy institutions that will be under legal obligations to be fair, balanced, transparent and proportionate and will be fully consistent with the rule of law. The Government believes that the Stormont House Agreement is the right way to address the past in Northern Ireland.

The Government is committed to consulting on the legacy proposals and it is the intention of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to bring forward a formal public consultation as soon as possible.