Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 10
Eighth Report - Promoting Scotland Internationally
Published 13 Sep 2023
Paragraph 46
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Promoting Scotland Internationally All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We appreciate the wide range of work undertaken by UK embassies across a range of interests, from security to international development assistance to consular support. Our inquiry has focused on the economic and cultural promotion of Scotland internationally, and our recommendations will therefore focus on this narrower area of competence. We were pleased to see and hear of the positive activity undertaken by many UK Government staff to promote Scottish industry and interests overseas, experienced first-hand during our visit earlier this year to New York City and Washington DC. However, we also heard from witnesses that across the wider UK embassy network, practice can vary depending on the background or understanding of the particular Ambassador or Head of Mission in post at the time, with a need for a greater consistency across the network in promoting Scotland internationally.
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, Eighth Report - Promoting Scotland Internationally (HC 625), paragraph 46, 13 September 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 30 November 2023 (deadline 13 November 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response recognises the importance of promoting Scotland internationally but, in several areas, describes existing arrangements as the right approach rather than adopting the Committee's proposals.
- On a strategy for marking Scotland's key dates, it says that "Issuing prescriptive guidance to the overseas network does not necessarily provide the most effective way to promote the best of Scotland", so Posts keep discretion.
- On an international strategy, it says the Scotland Office and FCDO "will continue to provide leadership", but that this "remains a cross-government endeavour". It notes that horizon scanning is "a continual process" and that the Delivering for Scotland Board includes promotion of Scotland internationally.
- On Tartan Week, it says departments are discussing potential collaboration for 2024 in New York, and that "Detailed plans for this will be developed during the autumn/winter 2023."
- On trade, it says DBT works with the Scottish Government and SDI so that "services aren't duplicated", and says the UK Exports Minister and senior DBT officials "can appear before the Committee" to provide an update.