Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether (a) his Department and (b) the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are informed when Scottish government Ministers meet foreign diplomats; whether permission is sought for such meetings; and whether (i) his Department and (ii) the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are informed of the content of those meetings.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has regular engagement with the Scottish Government across a range of issues, including its engagement with diplomatic representatives.

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. However, foreign diplomats based within the UK are able to meet a wide range of stakeholders across the UK without the need for permission from the Government.