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Select Committee · Scottish Affairs Committee

Industrial transition in Scotland

Status: Closed Opened: 13 Feb 2025 Closed: 23 Mar 2026 5 conclusions 1 report

The Committee’s work on industrial transition in Scotland has two parts. The first part of the inquiry considers Scotland’s industrial past, how its industrial landscape has changed over time, and the socio-economic impact of industrial transition on communities. The second part examines the future of Scotland’s industrial landscape and the extent to which the UK …

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
5th Report - The work of the Committee in 2024-25, and Indu… HC 1651 30 Jan 2026 5 —

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
1 Conclusion 5th Report - The work of the Committee …

Scotland's deindustrialisation created lasting legacies of worklessness and health inequalities in unsupported communities.

Scotland’s experience of deindustrialisation over the past four decades demonstrates the profound and lasting consequences of industrial transition when communities are not properly supported. The loss of major industries has left a legacy of worklessness and health inequalities. Despite Scotland’s proud industrial heritage, the erosion of key industrial skills has …

Scotland Office
2 Conclusion 5th Report - The work of the Committee …

Ensure future industrial transitions in Scotland support communities, retain skills, and prevent past mistakes.

As Scotland undergoes another major transition — this time in the oil and gas sector — there is an urgent need to avoid repeating past mistakes. Future industrial transitions must be a practical, deliverable commitment that supports communities, retains skills and ensures that no community pays the price of industrial …

Scotland Office
4 Conclusion 5th Report - The work of the Committee …

Industrial Strategy overlooks key high-value Scottish sectors, like spirits, limiting national growth opportunities.

While the Government Industrial Strategy’s IS-8 broadly reflects Scotland’s economic strengths, the omission of key high-value Scottish sectors such as spirits suggests the strategy does not fully capture the breadth of Scotland’s economic contribution. Scotland’s whisky industry alone is globally 29 competitive, highly productive and central to the UK’s export …

Scotland Office
5 Conclusion 5th Report - The work of the Committee …

Mandate a dedicated Scottish representative on the permanent Industrial Strategy Council in future legislation.

We welcome the establishment of a permanent Industrial Strategy Council when parliamentary time allows. However, while we acknowledge that there has been engagement between the council and Scottish stakeholders, we are concerned that the absence of a dedicated Scottish representative limits the Council’s ability to understand Scotland’s distinct economic and …

Scotland Office

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
29 Oct 2025 Dame Nancy Rothwell · Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, Dave Moxham · Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), Leonie Lambert · Department for Business and Trade, Sara Thiam · Prosper View ↗
10 Sep 2025 Angela Carrigan · Community Union NEC, Jacqui Murray · Warwick Manufacturing Group View ↗
16 Jul 2025 Graeme Thomson · Ferguson Marine, Tom Chant MBE · Society of Maritime Industries View ↗
18 Jun 2025 Professor John Howie MBE · Babcock International, Sir Simon Lister · BAE Systems Naval Ships View ↗
21 May 2025 Corey Beaton · Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce, Councillor Altany Craik · The Industrial Communities Alliance (Scotland), Councillor Debbi McCall · Provost of Midlothian, Councillor Norman Hampshire · East Lothian Council, Councillor Stephen McCabe · Inverclyde Council, Pauline Grandison · Coalfields Regeneration Trust View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
3 Sep 2025 — Letter with the Chair and Ferguson Marine following up from 16 July session, d…