Conclusion 4

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 performance. Overlooking it risks limiting growth opportunities for one of the nation’s most successful and internationally recognised sectors. We will continue to monitor how the Industrial Strategy evolves to ensure Scotland’s diverse economic strengths are fully recognised. (Conclusion, Paragraph 77)