Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
5th Report - The work of the Committee in 2024-25, and Industrial transition in Scotland
Scottish Affairs Committee
HC 1651
Published 30 January 2026
Conclusions (5)
1
Conclusion
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 …
2
Conclusion
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 …
3
Conclusion
We have identified two transitions Scotland is currently undergoing, and have launched specific inquiries into these areas to ensure the UK Government is managing these transitions effectively: • GB Energy and the net zero transition, which examines the shift away from oil and gas to clean energy; and • Securing …
4
Conclusion
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 …
5
Conclusion
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 …