Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Accepted
Positive collaboration between UK and Scottish officials in Washington should be replicated widely
Recommendation
The UK and Scottish Governments share many of the same priorities for Scotland on the international stage and there is an important role for the Scottish Government to play in promoting Scottish interests overseas in areas of devolved competence. Despite recent publicised tension between the two governments surrounding international activity, we found there to be positive and constructive collaboration between officials during our visit to Washington DC earlier this year, where UK and Scottish Government officials are co-located in the British Embassy. This kind of collaboration should be encouraged across the wider Embassy network where teams are co-located. In locations where Scottish Government officials are not co-located or based, it is important to embed regular communication between the teams to facilitate or identify any opportunities for joint initiatives between the governments. We encourage the UK and Scottish governments to work constructively and cooperatively on Scottish interests internationally. Whilst recognising that foreign affairs and international trade are reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government have international interests in devolved policy areas. (Paragraph 64) Promoting Scotland Internationally 33
Government Response Summary
The government stated that extensive collaboration, co-location, and regular engagement between UK and Scottish Government officials already exist across the embassy network. They detailed formal and informal engagement, training for HoMs, and the FCDO-Devolved Government Senior Officials’ Group, and expressed openness to further discussion.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Scottish Government staff are co-located in UK Missions in seven locations overseas (with Scottish Government’s Brussels office being a standalone office). There is regular engagement and collaboration—both formal and informal—between UK Government and both Scottish Government and SDI officials. Members of Scottish Government or SDI at Post will often be part of Senior Leadership Teams, Country Boards or other formal internal Mission structures. Where Scottish Government or SDI colleagues are co-located in UK Missions, they are routinely involved in the corporate life of the Mission and work collaboratively with UK Government officials where appropriate. This is to avoid duplication of efforts and to maximise benefits of delivery. The formal pre-posting training programme that HoMs and DHMs receive on briefing on priorities for Scotland is provided to all HoMs, regardless of where they are being posted. This ensures that all HoMs are aware of the Scottish Government’s devolved objectives before their posting begins. The FCDO also has a network of ‘devolution champions’ embedded in both thematic and geographic directorates in London and at Post, including where the Scottish Government do not have a presence. This is a corporate contribution in addition to their business-as-usual roles, whereby staff champion devolution issues within their teams. The FCDO established an FCDO-Devolved Government Senior Officials’ Group (SOG) in March 2022, which meets to discuss international issues that impact on devolved interests. To date, five meetings have been held on a range of topics of interest to the devolved governments. As well as regular engagement at working level, we also facilitate ad hoc briefings on common areas of interest, such as the International Development White Paper and on the FCDO’s multilateral work. Our written response to this inquiry included various examples of Posts—which do not have Scottish Government or SDI co-located in the Mission—delivering to promote Scotland internationally and working in the interests of the Scottish people.wever, the FCDO is always open to discussing how Scottish Government’s devolved objectives can continue to be communicated to Posts across the network, including where there is not a Scottish Government or SDI presence in the UK Mission.