Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 12
Eighth Report - Promoting Scotland Internationally
Published 13 Sep 2023
Paragraph 56
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Promoting Scotland Internationally All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We welcome additional trading support provided for Scottish businesses through the recently established UK Government Trade and Investment Hub in Edinburgh. The UK Government Edinburgh Hub and Scottish Development International (SDI) must maintain regular contact with each other to ensure that the support provided to businesses by both organisations is complementary and not a duplication. We note the UK’s overseas network has a significantly larger footprint than SDI with an opportunity for the Hub and the Department for Business and Trade to support Scottish businesses wishing to expand into these markets and work with those not covered by SDI’s smaller footprint.
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, Eighth Report - Promoting Scotland Internationally (HC 625), paragraph 56, 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.