Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the level of investment of the Scotch whisky industry in the Scottish economy in the last five years.

Scotland's whisky industry plays a vital role in the Scottish economy.

Scotland is home to 128 malt and grain distilleries, making it the greatest concentration of whisky producers in the world. In 2017, the value of Scotch whisky exports reached a record £4.37 billion and accounts for 14% of all Scottish international exports.

The Moray area, which includes most of what is considered Speyside, has the highest intensity of distilling related firms, with a quarter of Scottish distilling activity based there.