Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to help strengthen links between Scotland and Malawi.

I recently hosted a Scotland-Malawi Partnership delegation as part of the wider events marking six decades of Malawian independence. The roundtable looked at ways of strengthening the already deep relationship between Scotland and Malawi.

As you will know, the UK Government remains committed to creating a world free from poverty on a liveable planet, working in partnership with international partners such as Malawi to support their development. As the UK transitions to an Official Development Assistance budget of 0.3 per cent of gross national income globally, we will continue to prioritise aid effectiveness and targeting assistance where it can have the greatest impact.

One of my priorities is promoting Scotland on the global stage. This includes supporting more Scottish businesses to export and attract inward investment.

The Scotland Office is looking at a potential trade mission to Southern Africa within the next two years where we can highlight the positive role Scottish industry can play in driving both economic growth at home and development overseas.