Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on their role in international affairs.

International relations is, and will remain, a matter reserved solely to the UK Government.

The terms of the International Relations Concordat of 2013 – agreed between the UK Government and Ministers of the devolved Governments (DGs) – reaffirm that the DGs can engage with international stakeholders, including at national and sub-national government levels.

That engagement should be done in consultation with the FCDO, and our expectation remains that where DG Ministers meet Ministers from other States, FCDO officials would routinely be in attendance.