Question
24. What steps he has taken to support economic growth in Scotland.
Answer
Last year, we provided the Scottish Government with a record spending review settlement, and last week at the Budget, we gave the Scottish Government a further £600 million through Barnett consequentials. We also announced £18 million for a UK advanced chip design academy led by Edinburgh University, £6 million to support the expansion of Glasgow’s Scottish event campus and £10 million of co-funding, with the Scottish Government, for two defence technical excellence colleges.
Verdict: GREEN (80/100)
The reply directly answers the question about what the department is doing to support economic growth in Scotland. It names specific commitments, including an £18 million chip design academy at Edinburgh University, £6 million for Glasgow's event campus, and £10 million co-funding for defence technical excellence colleges, and it adds context on the funding framework. Some of the funding is routed through the Scottish Government rather than run directly by the department, which slightly qualifies how far it reflects the department's own programmes. Overall, a reader would have concrete, committed information to work with.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What steps the Secretary of State has taken to support economic growth in Scotland, in terms of what the department is doing on this. | Addressed | Direct | The reply names concrete departmental actions and funding that support economic growth in Scotland, including the £18 million chip design academy at Edinburgh University, £6 million for Glasgow's event campus, and £10 million co-funding for defence technical excellence colleges. The Barnett consequentials and spending review settlement add broader context on the funding framework. Some of this is funding routed through the Scottish Government rather than the department's own programmes, but the specific projects are clearly responsive to 'what the department is doing'. |