Written evidence submitted by UK Government (PSI0015)

Pete Wishart MP

Chair, Scottish Affairs Committee House of Commons

London SW1A 0AA

6th October 2022

Dear Pete,

Promoting Scotland Internationally

The UK Government (UKG) thanks the Scottish Affairs Committee for publishing its inquiry into Promoting Scotland Internationally. The Scotland Office, the Department for International Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office welcome the opportunity to provide joint written evidence on how the UK Government fulfils its role of promoting Scotland internationally in support of this inquiry.

The attached UKG written response sets out the scope of UKG efforts to promote Scotland overseas, working across government to deliver benefits for the people of Scotland. Through our extensive diplomatic network, the UKG promotes Scottish interests, across diverse areas such as culture, education, trade and investment. The UKG is committed to ensuring that Scotland’s interests remain at the heart of our international agenda.

We and our ministerial teams look forward to appearing before your Committee.

Best wishes,

Contents

Introduction              3

Evidence              4

How successful have UK bodies and the UK Government been in promoting investment in Scotland and Scottish products internationally, and what steps could they take to improve this?              4

How are Scottish interests represented and promoted in UK embassies and missions around the world?              6

How effective have the Scotland Office, in coordination with the FCDO, been in promoting Scotland internationally, and could this be strengthened (i.e. by how well they coordinate their activities)?              9

How effectively is Scotland’s cultural offer promoted overseas by the UKG and its associated bodies?              17

How effectively has hosting major international events, such as COP26, been capitalised on to boost Scotland’s profile/promote Scotland overseas?              18

Concluding Statement              20

Annexes              21

Annex A: Examples of activity to promote Scotland from the UK overseas network              21

Country profile: India              21

Country Profile: United States of America              23

Country Profile: France              25

Rest of World              26

Annex B: GREAT Campaign Scottish highlights document              31

Introduction

1.     The UK Government (UKG) acts on behalf of the entire United Kingdom to represent England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to the world.

2.     The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) oversees one of the world’s largest diplomatic networks, with 282 diplomatic missions covering 180 countries and territories. In the last decade, this network has expanded by over 10%. The overseas network is committed to promoting the interests of all nations and regions of the UK across foreign policy, security, defence, trade, investment, culture, education, arts and consular. This work is conducted in close collaboration with the Department for International Trade (DIT) and other UKG departments.

3.     Foreign affairs, international relations and development, and the regulation of international trade are reserved matters under schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998, and the UKG takes seriously its duty and responsibilities in representing Scotland internationally. The UKG recognises that the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have an interest in areas of international policy, especially those which impact on devolved competences. To this end, the UKG works together with Scottish Development International (SDI) and the Scottish Government (SG) to promote Scottish interests overseas, such as Scottish products, culture, industry and education.

4.     The UKG published the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, in March 20211. The Integrated Review describes the UKG’s vision for the UK’s role in the world over the next decade and the action we will take to 2025. In recognition of the major international and domestic developments since that time, the Prime Minister has committed to producing a refreshed version of the Integrated Review to ensure that the UK's strategy remains up to date. The Review sets out that the Union is our greatest source of strength at home and abroad; its vision is for the Union to be more secure and prosperous, with the benefits of growth and opportunity shared between all citizens across the UK. By combining the resources of the Union – in our armed forces, our diplomatic network, and our expertise in areas such as science and health – we are better able to respond to global challenges, project our influence overseas, and deliver for people across the UK.

5.     In the first year of the Integrated Review, the UK delivered this ambition through a “year of British leadership”. Achievements during this period included: securing the Glasgow Climate Pact at COP26; reasserting the value of the G7 as a forum to shape the global conversation; leading Western action in the face of Russian aggression; and hosting the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit to advance international collaboration on vaccine research and development.

1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-britain-in-a-competitive-age-the-integrated-review-of-security-defence- development-and-foreign-policy

6.     People in Scotland benefit from and contribute to the UK’s leading international voice on the world stage, both through the UK’s bilateral relationships and through our representation in international organisations.

●       The UK has a seat and is an influential voice in every major multilateral organisation, such as NATO, G7, G20, World Trade Organisation, Commonwealth, World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and the United Nations where the UK is one of five permanent members of the Security Council (the UNSC). UK representatives at multilateral organisations are responsible for ensuring the whole of the UK’s interests are promoted in international fora.

●       The UKG works internationally to promote and protect the economic interests of Scotland – securing foreign investment into Scotland, promoting Scottish products through our overseas missions, supporting Scotland’s businesses to sell their world class goods and services overseas, tackling trade barriers and opening new markets through trade agreements. Scottish businesses may directly access the services of His Majesty’s Trade Commissioners in over 100 markets.

●       Through its overseas network, the UKG promotes Scottish arts, education, culture and sport, building international links with Scottish universities, hosting cultural events to promote Scotland, and representing Scottish interests across diverse policy areas such as security, defence, climate and energy.

7.     This written evidence addresses the questions being considered by the Committee under this inquiry, and includes annexes with examples of work carried out by the UK’s overseas network to promote Scotland internationally, with a focus on US, France and India, and further illustrative examples from across the network.

Evidence

How successful have UK bodies and the UK Government been in promoting investment in Scotland and Scottish products internationally, and what steps could they take to improve this?

8.     Office for Investment: The UKG’s approach to investment is driven from the top of government with a dedicated joint No10/DIT Office for Investment (OfI), launched in November 2020. The Ofl exists to unlock significant strategic investments aligned to the government’s priorities, using the strength and expertise of UKG departments and organisations to encourage investment projects into all parts of the UK.

9.     In 2021/22, 4,408 new jobs were created while safeguarding a further 983 by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects across Scotland2. Three of Scotland’s major cities —

2 DIT inward investment results 2021/22

Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen — remained in the UK’s top 10 cities outside of London for attracting FDI projects in 2021, with Edinburgh ranked equal first along with Manchester. Dundee and Livingston also made the top 203.

10. In conversation with the Scottish Government, the OfI is identifying a portfolio of Scottish companies to showcase to investors. The OfI is designed to resolve barriers to landing ‘top tier’ investment, enhance the competitiveness of the UK investment environment and drive investment into all parts of the UK. DIT’s High Potential Opportunities Programme highlights 43 opportunities to overseas investors, driving investment into emerging technologies and innovative sub-sectors across all parts of the UK. This includes several opportunities in Scotland from promoting expertise in precision medicine to floating offshore wind. Information on the promotion of Scottish products internationally is provided in answer to question five.

11. Scotland as an investment destination: The UK’s overseas network promotes Scotland as an investment destination, hosting events and inward visits to Scotland to link foreign investors to investment opportunities in Scotland, across diverse sectors such as renewable energy, technology, healthcare and life science. Recent examples include:

●       In Portugal, supporting investments worth over £60 million from Portuguese companies, such as EDP Group in offshore and onshore wind, and solar.

●       In the Netherlands, supporting investments of over £53 million since 2020 by Dutch companies in sectors such as energy, food and drink, retail, vehicle automation and technology products.

●       In Austria, supporting Austrian company (Grain Gmbh) to build a new whisky distillery (Ardogowan) with an investment value of £16 million.

●       In Saudi Arabia, supporting Aberdeen Standard Investment’s regional joint venture with Investcorp to secure over £135 million from the Public Investment Fund for a Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Infrastructure fund.

12. Freeports: The UKG has committed to establishing two Green Freeports in Scotland that will be established in partnership with the Scottish Government. A joint announcement by the two governments on the two successful bids of the open and fair competition is expected in due course. Green Freeports will extend to Scotland the Freeports model being delivered in England and Wales. This ambitious policy includes a simplified customs process, tax measures to incentivise private business investment, locally led planning facilitations, and targeted funding for infrastructure improvements in Freeport areas. Subject to business case appraisal, Green Freeports will be able to access a share of £52 million of seed capital funding. Green Freeports will maintain the UK’s high standards for security and prevention of illicit activity, alongside providing attractive tax incentives for businesses, customs, business rates retention and innovation and trade and investment support, helping to level up across the UK, including Scotland.

3 EY Scotland Attractiveness Survey June 2022

How are Scottish interests represented and promoted in UK embassies and missions around the world?

13. The UK’s network of embassies and missions covers 180 countries and territories globally. Across this network, the UK’s diplomats work to promote Scottish interests in a range of areas including: education and research, foreign policy, security and defence, climate and energy, trade and investment, culture and arts, sports, consular support and international development.

14. By hosting events, delivering communications activity, building institutional partnerships and fostering business relationships, the UK’s overseas network provides a globally respected platform to promote and deliver Scotland’s interests. The range of UKG departments and partners across government represented in UK embassies and missions (including FCDO, DIT, BEIS, British Council4, Visit Britain, SDI and Scottish Government) enables Scotland to benefit from the wide reach of the UK’s overseas network and the expertise of its diplomats, which includes many Scots.

15. The UKG works with the Scottish Government to support international interests that relate to devolved matters. As a signatory to the One HMG Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Scottish Government and Scottish Development International staff are located in many UK embassies and high commissions overseas, alongside the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive. The UKG and the Scottish Government staff overseas work together to deliver the UK’s international objectives effectively, efficiently and to ensure value for money to the British public.

16. The following provides an indication of some of the activities, grouped by theme, which are delivered by UKG staff overseas to promote Scotland, working in collaboration with international, domestic and devolved partners.

17. Education and Research: the UK’s overseas network promotes the strength of Scottish academia to attract international students to Scotland and to develop new partnerships for Scottish universities, including through funding of the ‘GREAT Study UK campaign’. The economic benefit to local economies of international students attracted to Scottish universities through Study UK campaign is estimated at £46.5 million5 over the course of three years from 2021/22 onward. For example, in China, the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde, and St Andrews participated in the GREAT Scholarships Campaign 2022/23, offering GREAT campaign and British Council funded scholarships for post- graduate study.

4 https://www.britishcouncil.org/about-us

5 'Study UK ROI Research 2021/22', British Council, May 2022. Citing HEPI.

18. FCDO also supports a range of scholars to study in Scottish universities through the Chevening, Marshall and Commonwealth programmes, from diverse countries such as Albania, Côte D'Ivoire, Sri Lanka, Dominican Republic, Mongolia and South Sudan, drawn from over 160 countries and territories around the world. More than 1200 Chevening, Marshall and Commonwealth Scholars have studied at Scottish Universities over the last 5 years, helping to promote Scotland on return to their home countries.

19. The UK’s overseas network develops institutional partnerships between Scottish and international universities to harness the best of Scottish expertise. Examples include:

●       In Greece, a new MoU on staff and student exchanges was agreed between Aristotle University and Strathclyde Business School.

●       In Germany the Embassy promotes bilateral partnerships between Scottish/German institutions - St Andrews-Bonn; Strathclyde-Braunschweig; Glasgow-Lüneberg

●       In Australia the High Commission has partnered with South Australia’s Department for Trade and Investment to implement a connection between the Scottish Quantum Cluster (Universities of Strathclyde, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and the South Australian quantum applications sectors, towards a SA-UK Quantum Bridge MoU.

20. Around twenty Scottish universities, research institutions and businesses are current or recent recipients of FCDO Research & Development funding, awarded through open competition. This reflects the calibre of Scotland’s science and technology sectors. These institutions deliver development research through international partnerships, which raises the profile and reputation of Scotland. One example is The Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines, a non-profit based in Edinburgh, which develops vaccines, diagnostics and drugs to treat neglected livestock diseases.

21. Climate and energy: The UK’s overseas network undertakes a range of activity to develop international connections with Scottish industry, businesses and institutions and to help drive forward the race to Net Zero. Examples include:

●       In India, DIT introduced Glasgow based Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and India’s National Institute for Wind Energy to support India’s nascent offshore wind industry, who now plan to replicate testing and demonstration facilities in Danushkodhi, Tamil Nadu. Both have signed an agreement to work together on offshore wind in India.

●         In Mexico, two Scottish-based organisations (Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions) feature as part of the roster of experts sponsored by the UKG’s PACT-Skill Shares programme, which offers British expertise in low carbon to partner government institutions overseas.

●         In Mozambique, through a DIT Pan African Clean Energy Trade Mission, the High Commission accompanied a Mozambican government delegation to attend the Energy Exports Conference in Aberdeen. During this visit, the Trade Mission visited the National Decommissioning Centre that focuses on research to

support the oil & gas industry to move towards Net Zero. The event was covered and promoted by local TV stations in Mozambique.

22. Security and Defence: The UK’s overseas network provides an effective platform to represent Scottish interests on security and defence policy, and to promote Scottish expertise, knowledge, and best practice in this field, bringing economic benefit to Scottish companies and businesses. Examples include:

●         In New Zealand, the British High Commission is actively supporting the bid for the Leonardo-built Wildcat to provide the Royal New Zealand Navy’s maritime helicopter replacement: if successful, this will directly involve and benefit Scottish businesses and sub-contractors.

●         In Greece, the Embassy has supported collaboration between Greek and Scottish judiciary and police, facilitating visits of Greek officials to Scotland.

●       In Sweden, the Embassy has supported communications highlighting and promoting the work and results of the Violence Reduction Unit Scotland.

23. Consular Services: In the UK and overseas, FCDO staff support British citizens from all parts of the UK, including Scotland, providing consular assistance to around 30,000 British citizens per year across the globe. Funding from the FCDO’s consular programme supports key Scottish based organisations to provide support to UK nationals, including Victim Support Scotland, the Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport Chaplaincies, and Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis Centre, the latter offering virtual support to those still overseas.

24. International Development: The FCDO provides funding to Scottish charities to support delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. Ongoing funding to Mary’s Meals (£2 million between 2022 - 2025) will support their work on a school food programme in Liberia. In Rwanda, the High Commission has worked closely with Scottish philanthropic organisation the Wood Foundation to support its activities for smallholder farmers in East Africa. In India, the High Commission ensured medical equipment from Scotland reached people in need during the second wave of Covid-19 in 2021.

25. The FCDO’s development strategy champions all British, including Scottish, interests. The strategy will continue to deepen economic, security and development ties globally, while delivering jobs and growth in both Scotland and low- and middle-income countries. This work will harness the best of Scottish expertise to channel world-class business, civil society networks, research partnerships and technology capability to countries across the world.

26. Communications: Underpinning this activity across the overseas network are communications and social media, which are used to promote Scottish interests abroad. The China Network for example has proactively promoted Scottish interests on social media, totalling over 60 posts on Weibo and WeChat, covering cultural events, business promotion and technical exchanges.

How effective have the Scotland Office, in coordination with the FCDO, been in promoting Scotland internationally, and could this be strengthened (i.e. by how well they coordinate their activities)?

27. The Scotland Office has a varied programme of work to promote Scotland’s interests internationally, and works closely with FCDO and DIT to deliver this. Work is driven by the following objectives:

●       To champion Scotland’s interests overseas, highlighting opportunities for Scottish businesses and Foreign Direct Investment;

●       To illustrate to international partners the strengths of the United Kingdom, the constitutional landscape of the United Kingdom, and to demonstrate how UKG delivers for all parts of the UK.

28. Overseas Visits: A key pillar of this work is an overseas visits programme which supports Scotland Office Ministerial delegations in promoting Scotland overseas. Ministers utilise visits to priority countries to promote Scottish trade and investment, including by visiting Scottish owned companies and those with commercial interests in Scotland. Scotland Office Ministers have in the last 12 months visited India, Finland, Norway, Copenhagen and the Faroe Islands. Minister Offord will also visit Iceland in Oct 2022 to address the Arctic Assembly and support Scottish trade and investment. Further overseas visits are also being planned.

29. Visits by UK Ministers overseas often provide a platform to promote Scotland. FCDO, DIT and the Scotland Office work closely together to identify where ministers can highlight opportunities for Scotland and coordinate visit plans. DIT’s Trade & Investment team in Edinburgh works with UK sector teams to ensure relevant Scottish businesses are encouraged to engage with overseas missions that will help them win business, and business representation on Government Trade Missions aims to represent all parts of the UK.

30. Ministers from all UKG departments use their overseas meetings with international counterparts to foster understanding of respective priorities, identify areas of potential collaboration and agree common approaches on shared challenges. This enables Ministers to promote Scotland on the international stage and lobby for Scotland’s interests, as well as clarify the political and constitutional arrangements of the Union. The UK’s overseas network also supports a range of overseas visits by Ministers and Parliamentarians, including from the Scottish Government, to promote Scotland.

31. Heads of Mission: Prior to taking up their postings, new FCDO Heads of Mission (HoMs) receive briefing on devolution and Union issues from senior representatives from each of the Territorial Offices and Devolved Governments, who advise them of current priorities and objectives, enabling HoMs to effectively promote Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to their host country. Prior to the pandemic, this training included visits to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The programme continued in virtual format during the pandemic, and FCDO will look to re-institute those visits in 2023. Deputy Heads of Mission also receive briefing on devolution and the Union as part of their pre- posting training.

32. Heads of Mission regularly undertake visits to Scotland to deepen trade, investment and cultural links between their partner countries and Scotland. Recent visits to Scotland include those by His Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA) Beijing (April 2022), HMA Geneva and HMA Riyadh (September 2022).

33. Domestic Engagement: The UKG proactively seeks opportunities to increase engagement with international partners with a presence in the UK to help promote Scotland, and in this context regularly liaise with the diplomatic corps in London and Edinburgh. Examples of recent engagement:

●       Consuls General: the FCDO recently appointed a Director to lead the FCDO’s engagement with Consuls General in Scotland. SO and the FCDO hosted an event in

June 2022 at Queen Elizabeth House for the Edinburgh Consular Corps, providing an opportunity to discuss current UKG initiatives and reiterate the UKG’s interest in working with partners to support trade with Scotland.

●       Scottish Council on Global Affairs (SCGA): alongside the Scottish Government, the UKG supported the establishment of a new Scottish foreign policy think-tank, the SCGA. The Scotland Office and FCDO arranged a reception for SCGA at Lancaster House in June 2022, hosted by the Secretary of State for Scotland and FCDO Minister for Africa, who welcomed academics, parliamentarians, think tanks, and Scottish Government representatives.

●       Defence Attaché engagement: in October 2021, the Scotland Office held a joint event alongside the Ministry of Defence at Queen Elizabeth House - the site of the UKG in Edinburgh - for 48 visiting defence attachés from 34 countries. This was hosted by Scotland Office Minister Stewart and Baroness Goldie, Minister of State for Defence, and was attended by representatives from across the Scottish defence industry, providing an opportunity to showcase the innovation and expertise of Scottish defence companies.

●       UK-U.S. dialogue on the future of Atlantic trade: held in Aberdeen in April 2022. Then Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Ambassador Katherine Tai hosted a series of roundtable discussions with a diverse group of stakeholders from the UK and U.S. business community, trade unions and civil society, in addition to bilateral discussions.

34. Cross-Government Working: The Scotland Office, FCDO, DIT, Cabinet Office and other relevant departments collaborate across government to promote Scottish interests abroad, and work with the Scottish Government on promoting devolved priorities overseas.

35. Following the January 2022 review of Intergovernmental Relations, the FCDO established an FCDO-Devolved Government Senior Officials Group (SOG), which meets to discuss international issues that impact on devolved interests. To date, two meetings have been held which discussed issues such as international climate policy and the impact of the Russia/Ukraine crisis. The SO participates in these SOG meetings as well as in a regular Inter Ministerial Group on UK-EU Relations, mandated by the Intergovernmental Relations Review and convened by the FCDO, which includes the Scottish Government and other devolved governments.

36. DIT has established the Inter-ministerial Group for Trade (IMG Trade), which coordinates engagement between the UK Government and all devolved administrations on the UK’s international trade policy and meets quarterly. This was established as the Ministerial Forum for Trade, holding its inaugural meeting in January 2020, and has now met nine times. The DIT-DA SOG supports the work of IMG Trade meeting every six weeks. The Scottish Government and Scotland Office attend both IMG Trade and DIT-DA SOG ensuring a regular dialogue on trade policy and the UK's FTA programme.

What is the role of the UK Government in promoting Scottish trade and exports, and what steps should the UK Government take to maximise the benefits of recent and upcoming Free-Trade Agreements for Scotland?

37. Exports and greater internationalisation of the economy are key drivers for future growth as exporting businesses are more competitive, pay higher wages and are more profitable. Focus on these critical levers has never been more important given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic impacts of Russia’s deplorable invasion of Ukraine.

38. Scotland delivers two of the UK’s largest food and drink exports - Scotch whisky and salmon. It also makes more small satellites than any other country in Europe, is home to the UK’s second largest finance cluster and has a consistent track record as the most popular UK destination for overseas investors outside of London and the South-East. These facts speak to a strong international brand and a trading potential in both goods and services that goes far beyond the traditional image.

Figure 1: Trade in goods between Scotland and the World in nominal terms in 2013 - 2021 (£ billion6)

39. HMRC data (Figure 1) shows that the trend in the value of Scottish goods exports has remained relatively constant. In the four quarters to Q1 2022 Scottish goods exports were £28.3 billion a rise of 11.5% in current prices compared to the four quarters to Q1 20217. This points to encouraging signs that pre-pandemic demand for goods is returning but this can also be attributed to mineral fuels exports rising (due to fuel price increases) contributing 28.6% of the overall increase in UK goods exports.

6 HMRC Regional Trade Statistics (January to March) 2022)

7  HMRC regional trade in goods statistics Q1 2022

40. Export Strategy: DIT launched a refreshed Export Strategy: Made in the UK, Sold to the World in November 20218, setting an ambition to boost exports to £1 trillion annually by the end of the decade to ensure the UK economy recovers from the pandemic and builds back better and greener.

41. The UK Export Academy is open for SMEs UK-wide to sign up for a programme of webinars, workshops and virtual events to help them to start their export journey and take advantage of opportunities in key markets globally. The ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ campaign champions the UK’s priority sectors through an innovative, localised marketing campaign that promotes the best of British goods and services in towns and cities across the UK. Scottish businesses from traditional food and drink to the space sector are already being showcased as part of the campaign.

42. The GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign is the UK’s international brand marketing campaign, which works closely with UK businesses, not-for-profit organisations and high-profile figures to promote the best of the UK abroad. It has already brought in over £4.5 billion since its initial launch in 2011, by increasing exports from UK food and drink through to British music and film, as well as driving inward foreign direct investment and supporting thousands of jobs. GREAT is creating a growing suite of print and social media assets to tell the surprising stories of some of Scotland’s most important people, places and cultural icons – from the V&A Dundee to Abertay University, and the innovative Scottish companies forging a more sustainable future for our planet (see Annex B).

43. Boosting exports offers particular opportunities and benefits to Scotland. Despite the innovation, drive and vibrancy of Scottish businesses, they are not currently enjoying the same exporting success as the UK average, with exports almost flat as a proportion of GDP for around the last two decades. DIT is working closely with businesses and business groups and the Scottish Government to work out how best to focus support to maximise the potential of Scottish businesses looking to internationalise.

44. Underpinning DIT’s support for Scottish businesses is a new Trade & Investment team, based in Edinburgh since 2021, dedicated to helping businesses export more, attract more investment and realise the opportunities of Free Trade Agreements.

45. DIT Scotland works with the Scottish Government, Scottish Development International and other enterprise agencies, Local Authorities, business representative organisations, trade bodies and businesses across Scotland to ensure that Scottish businesses and the economy benefit from the support available9.

8 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-strategy-made-in-the-uk-sold-to-the-world

9  The Director of DIT Scotland chairs monthly Business Representative Organisation meetings (Federation of Small Businesses, Scotland; CBI Scotland; Scottish Chambers of Commerce; Institute of Directors, Scotland; Scottish Council for development and Industry; Scotch

46. Trade Agreements: The UKG is focused on opening international markets to UK businesses. The Government has secured trade agreements with 71 non-EU countries and the EU10. Total UK trade with these partners was worth £808 billion in 202111. UKG has an ambitious programme of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations continuing to build relationships with trading partners to break down barriers to trade and support growth, jobs and higher wages for UK workers. Scottish consumers and businesses will benefit from increased choice, competition and innovation. An FTA with India could break down more market access barriers, opening doors for Scottish industries, including Scotland’s cutting-edge renewables sector, which could play a larger role in India’s green energy transformation. Negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will put the whole UK, including Scotland at the heart of a dynamic group of countries, as the world economy increasingly centres on the Pacific region.

47. More than £2 billion worth of goods were exported by more than 800 Scottish businesses to CPTPP countries in 202112. Preliminary analysis from the published Scoping Assessment13 shows that acceding to CPTPP could benefit Scotland with output (measured by gross value added in 2017 current prices) estimated to increase by £163 million in the long run. These negotiations are being conducted in full consultation with the Scottish Government and other devolved governments.

48. Food and Drink Export: Scotland’s world-leading food and drink sector accounted for 29% of all UK food and drink exports to the world in 202114. British produce is renowned for its quality and is highly competitive in the global marketplace. The UK’s FTA programme will bring opportunities to access some of the world’s biggest consumer markets including in the Americas and the Pacific, while maintaining the high agricultural standards that the British market requires. Taken together these deals will give Scotland’s rural communities an opportunity on the global market not available in the last 50 years. Scotch beef, Orkney Cheddar, from barley to venison – will be at the forefront of the UK’s Global Britain programme. The UKG has launched a £1 million package to boost UK seafood exports and promote the industry’s high-quality produce overseas. The package will target growing overseas markets and provide new export

Whisky Association) and a Scottish Public Sector meeting (Scottish Development International; Highland & Islands Enterprise; South of Scotland Enterprise; Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group), this meeting is jointly chaired with Scottish Government.

10 The UK-EU figure forms part of the UK bilateral trade figure and includes trade with the EU27 plus Andorra, San Marino, EU overseas territories and UK crown dependencies

11 ONS UK trade, all countries, seasonally adjusted, Q1 2022

12 HMRC regional trade in goods statistics: January to March 2021

13https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-approach-to-joining-the-comprehensive-and-progressive-agreement-for-trans-pacific- partnership-cptpp

14 HMRC RTS Q1 2022

opportunities for the Scottish fishing industry and seafood sector by identifying new overseas buyers and promoting seafood at international events.

49. The UKG has been clear that any future trade deal must work for consumers, farmers and companies across the UK. Imports into the UK will meet our stringent food safety standards. UK Ministers decide how to set and maintain UK standards and regulations and have been clear that there will be no compromise on high UK standards of food safety and animal welfare. The Trade and Agriculture Commission scrutinises signed FTAs and informs government and Parliament’s understanding of whether the measures relating to trade in agricultural products are consistent with the maintenance of relevant statutory protections.

50. Promotion of Scottish products: Through the UK’s overseas network in over 100 markets internationally, DIT offers Scottish business access to global export markets and opportunities only achievable as a result of the UKG’s truly global footprint.

●       In the United States, BIO is the world’s largest biotechnology innovation event attracting 15,000+ attendees from 65+ countries. In June this year, it took place face to face for the first time in two years in San Diego, California, one of the world’s top life sciences clusters. A range of UK activity was organised at the event, within which there was considerable Scottish participation. This included Scottish companies such as Symbiosis Pharma who exhibited at the event and a UK reception, partly co- sponsored by DIT Scotland and the Bio Industry Association, which highlighted the strengths of the UK's Life Sciences ecosystem.

●       In Uruguay, the Embassy has supported Vegware, a Scottish company producing a compostable alternative to single use plastic, in launching a business partnership with a Uruguayan company involved in composting for commercial businesses. The Embassy has also engaged with local Aberdeen Angus breeders, celebrating the leading role of this Scottish breed in Uruguay’s economy to help ensure Aberdeen Angus commands the largest share of the beef market – Uruguay's biggest export.

●       In Barbados, the British High Commission hosted 17 Scottish Companies from the Renfrewshire Business Network in November 2021. This was the first trade mission to the region since the beginning of the pandemic and included meetings and engagements with a wide range of domestic stakeholders. As a result, OGV Taproom is set to launch in Barbados later this year operating as a bar/restaurant and

microbrewery. Additionally, there are export wins in motion with the delegations in the education sector, food and drink sector and the energy sector.

●       In Kazakhstan, following three years of work, the British Embassy reached agreement in August between the UK and Kazakhstan on the Eurasian Economic Union Export Health Certificate for Bovine Semen. This unlocks an Aberdeen Angus Export project worth an estimated £20 million over 5 years that should complete in the autumn.

51. UK Export Finance: As the UKG’s export credit agency (ECA), the mission of UK Export Finance (UKEF) is to advance prosperity by ensuring that no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, doing that sustainably and at no net cost to the taxpayer. UKEF is the world’s oldest ECA, and has fulfilled that role for more than a century by providing companies across the whole of the UK with finance and insurance to help them win and fulfil contracts, and receive payment for international business where gaps arise in private sector provision.

52. UKEF support for Scottish Exports has dramatically increased over the past six years from c£36 million in 2016/17 to c£416 million in 2021/22, providing a total of over £2.1 billion since 2016/17 to support a range of companies from food processors to hydro research, manufacturing and infrastructure to renewable energy. Since 2016, UKEF has supported Scottish business, creating jobs not only in Scotland, but across the whole of the UK. Scottish Government and DIT’s Trade & Investment team promote UKEF services and refer businesses who might benefit from their finance and insurance products.

53. UKEF has a strong presence in Scotland, with three Scottish trade finance experts based in Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Highlands and Islands and Aberdeenshire supporting businesses across the whole of Scotland.

How effectively is Scotland’s cultural offer promoted overseas by the UKG and its associated bodies?

54. Scotland’s rich culture and heritage is internationally renowned. Scotland is recognised for its striking landscape and historic cities, international arts scene, and its thriving food and drinks industry. The UK’s global network actively draws on this rich culture to help promote Scotland and Scottish products overseas.

55. Cultural Celebrations: St Andrew’s day and Burns Night are two significant dates in the FCDO’s international calendar and Embassies, High Commissions, Delegations and Missions use these events as an opportunity to champion Scotland. In 2021/22, the FCDO produced videos for St Andrew’s Day and Burns Night promoting the work of our Scottish staff overseas, which were amplified across our social media channels overseas. In Germany, two Burns Night social videos from the Embassy secured 5.6k views in January alone.

56. On St Andrew’s Day, the overseas network are actively encouraged to fly the Scottish saltire, in addition to the Union flag. In 2021, for example, St Andrews Day was celebrated across the globe with events and receptions hosted by the UK’s Ambassador or High Commissioner in diverse locations such as Abidjan, La Paz, Nicosia and Kuala Lumpur.

57. UK missions overseas take advantage of Burns Night to celebrate Scottish culture, hosting events with key contacts to promote Scottish whisky and produce. The UK network uses local social media to amplify events highlighting the heritage and cultural tradition of the Burns Night supper and taking the opportunity to promote Scotland as a key destination to visit. Our diplomats overseas play an active role in Scottish expatriate communities and organisations, which often celebrate Burns Night. For example, in Australia where there is an active Highland Games tradition, the UK’s Consul General in Melbourne is also Chieftain of the Highland Games, and regularly attends events to promote Scotland. In 2022, Burns Night events were held by UK missions across the globe including in Melbourne, Paris, and Buenos Aires.

58. Scottish Sport: The UK network plays an active role in supporting UK and Scottish sports teams when overseas, recognising the importance of sports diplomacy to further links between Scotland and international partners. For example, in June 2022, the British Embassy in Chile partnered with Scottish Rugby to facilitate the first ever top-flight match between the two countries which was used to build links between Scottish Rugby, the Chilean Rugby Federation and Santiago’s Rugby Association. To promote Scottish Rugby and partner in efforts to further the development of rugby in Chile, the Embassy helped facilitate new connections with the National Olympic Committee and Chilean Ministry of Sports.

59. Arts and Culture: The UKG’s Delegation to UNESCO, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and the National Commission are responsible for ensuring Scotland successfully applies for and maintains UNESCO designations under the World Heritage Convention, Biosphere Reserves, the Geoparks, Creative Cities and UNESCO Chairs. DCMS, as State Party to the World Heritage Convention, is supporting the Flow Country with its bid to become the seventh World Heritage Site in Scotland, and the first inscribed for Natural (rather than Cultural) criteria. DCMS will formally submit the site’s nomination dossier to UNESCO by 1 February 2023.

60. The Scottish Creative Industries contribute significantly to Scotland’s economy and cultural identity. The FCDO, DIT and DCMS seek to support and promote Scottish film, dance and creative arts internationally, working closely with the British Council and the Scottish Government. For example:

●        At UNESCO, the UK’s Permanent Delegation and the UK’s National Commission extensively supported Perth in its application to become a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art and join the UNESCO Creative Cities global Network. Perth achieved its accreditation in November 2021.

●        In Nepal, the British Council supported Scotland-based filmmaker Yulia Kovanova in the Nepal International Film Festival, presenting her work to film students and professionals.

●        In China, the British Council has a significant level of engagement with Scotland’s vibrant and dynamic arts and culture. In 2021/22 engagement has included;

• Time to Dance-China – an international collaboration between Scottish Ballet and Beijing Body On & On Culture Center, based on the best practice of Scottish Ballet’s dance health and wellbeing programme.
• Supporting an Arts & Heritage artists’ residency project between Glasgow-based artist Alan Rutherford and the Ruan Yisan Heritage Foundation (RHF) in China, aiming to bring the heritage and tradition of historical sites to new audiences.

How effectively has hosting major international events, such as COP26, been capitalised on to boost Scotland’s profile/promote Scotland overseas?

61. The UKG works across departments to maximise the impact of major events, including sport, to the benefit of Scotland and to promote Scotland overseas. Recent examples include the United Nations Climate Change conference (COP26), the Edinburgh International Culture Summit, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Edinburgh International and Fringe festivals.

62. The UKG’s overseas network uses major events to promote Scotland’s culture, business, trade and tourism to international audiences, through the use of digital communications, social media, organisation of satellite events in-country and through support to visiting delegations to Scotland. Examples include:

63. COP26: It was with enormous pride that Glasgow hosted COP26, the most important climate negotiations since the Paris Agreement, and the biggest international summit the UK has ever organised. COP26 has a significant international legacy - as a result of the work delivered by the UK Government, in partnership with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders, 90% of the global economy is now covered by Net Zero targets. The UK’s diplomatic network across the world proactively promoted Scotland as part of COP26. With the conference taking place in Glasgow, the UK’s staff overseas supported international delegations, including Presidents, Prime Ministers and VIPs, in their attendance at the conference and with their wider programme to Scotland. Examples include:

●       In Canada, the British High Commission ran a series of events (webinars, film screenings, receptions), which highlighted Scotland’s climate credentials, and ran policy events to promote the partnership between the UKG and the Scottish Government on the North Sea Transition Deal.

●       In Slovakia, the British Embassy ran their biggest communication and policy campaign of 2021 around COP26, including helping a Slovak journalist to visit Aberdeen to report on its evolution towards renewables.

●       In Uruguay, the British Embassy supported the Uruguayan delegation on a programme for their visit to Scotland for COP26, including the Montevideo Mayor sharing a platform with Scottish local government to promote a shared cities agenda.

●       In Chile, the British Embassy helped arrange the programmes of four Chilean ministers in the margins of COP26, including with Scottish universities, and a Chile- Scotland seminar on Peatland Management, leading to the signing of an MoU between Scotland and Chile to support the sustainable management of wetlands.

64. Edinburgh Festivals and Military Tattoo: the UKG promoted the Edinburgh Festivals and Military Tattoo through local communications and social media, via communications teams overseas. In New Zealand for example, the High Commission worked with the Edinburgh Military Tattoo to promote the event, with a New Zealand Army Band attending the Tattoo playing specially arranged content which integrated Celtic and Māori music.

65. Edinburgh International Cultural Summit (EICS): The UKG works collaboratively with the Scottish Government, British Council, Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh International Festival to provide financial and strategic support to the EICS Foundation to deliver the EICS, which is a meeting of international culture ministers, arts leaders and artists in the Scottish Parliament every two years. The sixth Summit took place between 26 and 28 August 2022. This was an opportunity for the UK and Scottish Governments to showcase the whole of the UK as a global diplomatic leader and promote Scottish culture to an international audience. Several Ministers from across UKG departments participated: Lord Parkinson, Minister for Arts; Lord Mendoza, Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal; Minister Chishti (FCDO) and Minister Offord (Scotland Office).

66. Major sporting events: UK Sport, an Arms Length Body of DCMS, works closely with the Scottish Government and EventScotland, to identify and bid for major international events that will generate significant benefits for Scotland. This supports Scotland’s national event strategy to develop a strong and dynamic events industry that delivers sustainable impact and international profile for Scotland. In the past year, the UK and Ireland have secured the 2030 Men's T20 ICC Cricket World Cup where matches will be played in Scotland. DCMS and UK Sport are also working on other event bids with Scotland, most notably the 2026 Tour de France Grand Départ and the 2028 Men's UEFA European Championships.

67. Following the Commonwealth Games in 2014, Scotland has a wealth of infrastructure and venues to support the hosting of major sporting events. Scotland and its most frequent event hosting cities (Glasgow and Edinburgh) have become key hosting partners for UK Sport.

68. Scotland has a range of signature events such as the Edinburgh festivals and the Open Championship, but also works in partnership with UK Sport and host cities to attract a number of one-off sporting events that drive tourism and impact for Scotland and showcase its built facilities and natural environment to the world. UK Sport has invested over £11.6 million of national lottery funding into 33 events in Scotland, covering a wide range of sports including curling, badminton, cycling, sailing, archery and athletics. These events have (and will) generate a domestic and international profile for Scotland, promoting Scotland’s reputation globally.

Concluding Statement

69. This submission demonstrates the extensive collaborative work across the UKG to place Scotland’s interests at the heart of its international agenda. The UK has a significant influence on the world stage, and the UKG takes pride in the work undertaken to promote Scottish culture and interests overseas, secure free trade agreements which deliver for Scotland and the whole of the UK, maintain and strengthen our international relationships, increase trade and investment, and deliver sustainable economic growth for Scotland.

October 2022

Annexes

Annex A: Examples of activity to promote Scotland from the UK overseas network

This Annex provides examples of work by the UK’s network of overseas missions to support Scottish interests internationally. It provides detailed examples from India, the USA and France, and a further selection from a wider range of posts globally, demonstrating the depth and breadth of how the network supports Scotland15.

Country profile: India

India is an important partner for the UK, and a Free Trade Agreement offers the opportunity to deepen the relationship. India is a dynamic, fast-growing economy at the heart of the Indo- Pacific and while our bilateral trading relationship is already significant (£24.3 billion in 202116), India is projected to be the world’s third largest economy by 2050, meaning any improvements to our current trading arrangement could pay dividends for years to come. The UKG continues to work closely with Scottish stakeholders to ensure that negotiations with India further the UK’s key interests and bring benefits for the whole of the UK.

The British High Commission in India works to promote Scotland across a range of areas, as demonstrated by the following:

Trade and investment

●        DIT India led a trade mission to the UK supported by SDI, focused on hydrogen and

15 The Annex includes examples from the British Council – a non-departmental public body sponsored by the FCDO.

16 ONS UK trade all countries: January to March 2022

offshore wind in June/July 2022. The trade mission comprised 70 delegates and visited the University of Strathclyde and Advanced Forming Research Centre to discuss potential collaboration on offshore wind and hydrogen technologies.

●        DIT introduced MEP Technologies, a start-up company from Dundee, to the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer in Chennai, to develop new battery technologies for low-carbon transport.

●        India is of particular interest to Scotland’s whisky producers. Scotch whisky exports to India amounted to £146 million in 202117, with potential for growth if tariffs are reduced. In October 2021, British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India and His Majesty's Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for South Asia wrote to the Government of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Excise regarding the special fee levied on Premium Scotch whisky in Maharashtra. In November 2021 the Maharashtra government slashed excise duty on imported alcohol by 50%.

Arts and Culture

Examples of events that have been held with the ambition of promoting Scottish culture:

●        Applied Arts Scotland (AAS) developed an international toolkit, translated into Hindi, to support artisans and artists in India in design and business skills. AAS has also partnered with Culture Aangan to develop enterprise skills of puppet makers in Pingulu, West India to support crafts.

●        Celtic Connections Festival was held online and attended by a delegation from India to share traditional and contemporary folk and electronic music from Scotland.

●        Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) in partnership with the British Council led the South Asia Festivals Academy to develop international networks and business skills of Festival Managers in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

●        Scottish Dance Theatre at Dundee Rep delivered performances online of Antigone at the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, and two online professional development dance residencies in Bangalore and Kolkata.

●        Glasgow University is working with the British Council to develop the creative economy through Arts Management and Culture policy scholarships for Indian postgraduate scholars.

●        The Conference of the Birds, a COP26 project with leading Scottish theatre company The Necessary Space, partnered with various performing artists and crafts communities across India including Yuva Ekta and Ojas Art Gallery to explore the global challenge of climate change through the arts.

●        Scottish cultural festivals such as the Edinburgh Festivals are regularly promoted by the Visit Britain Team in India, including on social media. Visit Britain work with Visit Scotland in developing tourism itineraries for Indian travellers that include Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Highlands. Scottish cultural tourism is also promoted by the Festivals from India platform, and the British Council international hub at Dance Base is a central locus to promote the Edinburgh Festivals and international collaboration in Theatre and Dance.

Education and research

●        DIT and the Deputy High Commission in Ahmedabad have been supporting the

17 HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics July 2022

University of Edinburgh’s ongoing work to establish the Gujarat Biotechnology University (GBU), an autonomous, post-graduate State university in Gandhinagar. The UK Prime Minister’s visit to GBU during his India visit in April 2022 provided a significant boost to the initiative and promoted Scottish strengths in education.

●        Work is ongoing with the Asia Scotland Trust to restore the AJC Bose Indian Botanic Garden near Kolkata, the legacy of the Scottish surgeon and botanist William Roxburgh.

●        Our Shared Cultural Heritage (OSCH) is a youth-led programme that explores the shared cultures and histories of the UK and South Asia. The programme is delivered in Manchester and Glasgow by a consortium, led by the British Council.

●        A British Council global partnership grant worth £136,000 was given to five Universities from Scotland in areas including sustainable societies, Internet of things, teacher education in STEM.

●        The UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) supported 24 partnerships between Indian and Scottish Universities under Research, Innovation, and Skills worth

£1 million. Key themes included Persons with Disability, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Manufacturing, and Big Data.

●        The Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning (CCGL) programme facilitated 22 partnerships between schools from India and Scotland.

Country Profile: United States of America

The United States of America remains Scotland’s second largest goods export destination country, with an estimated £3.3 billion of goods exports in 2021 - up by 14.6% from the previous year. It is also the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment into Scotland. The UKG works in the US to promote a strong economic and cultural relationship between the whole of the UK and the US through its coordinated network of embassies and trade departments.

The British Embassy network in the US provides significant support to promote Scottish culture, arts, education, trade and investment. Consular colleagues regularly assist Scottish visitors in the US. SDI colleagues are an integral part of the US Network and are included in wider Embassy and Consulate event planning such as for the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, (these and similar celebrations are often used to showcase particular Scottish brands including gins and whiskies). The examples below are a snapshot of the support to promote Scottish interests in the US.

Trade and Investment

●        The UK hosted the second transatlantic trade dialogue in Aberdeen in April 2022, aimed at boosting our £200 billion trade partnership with the US. Against a backdrop of Aberdeen’s flourishing tech scene and world-leading energy sector, the dialogue focused on agreed priority areas including digital and innovation, green trade, supporting SMEs and supply chain resilience. Latest figures show the importance of transatlantic trade to Scottish workers, businesses and industry:

• Nearly a quarter of Scotland’s services exports are to the US. The US is Scotland’s number one foreign investor, according to EY.
• Scotch whisky exports continue to play a vital role in wider UK-US trade, with almost two thirds of beverages exported to the US coming from Scotland.
• US-owned businesses support over 100,000 jobs, generating nearly £50 billion for the economy.

Overview of Embassy and Consulate General Activity to support Trade and Investment

The UK’s Embassy and Consulate General activity across the US has also been pivotal in securing and supporting trade and investment for Scottish industries:

●        British Embassy (BE) Washington: Has successfully lobbied for the removal of market agricultural access barriers, with a projected value of over £100 million over five years, benefitting Scotland.

●        British Consulate General (BCG) Miami: The DIT team has undertaken key account management work with Scottish business, notably in life sciences, FinTech and consumer goods. Scottish company MacRebur (a Scottish business which recycles hard- to-use plastic into material for use in roads and highways) set up operations in Florida last year and currently features as one of the GREAT partners in relation to innovation and sustainability.

●        BCG New York: BCG NY engages on defence, security and UN procurement, helping Scottish Business access this market. They have supported Scottish firms to secure a foothold in finance, professional and business services – for example by promoting Scotland as an important InsurTech and asset management destination.

●        BCG Boston: BCG Boston does considerable work supporting the Scottish offshore wind sector. This includes supporting SSE Renewables as they set up their US operations in Boston, in close coordination with SDI, and Kent Plc in expanding their US presence by establishing a Boston office which will be focused on offshore wind.

●        BCG Houston: UKEF finance has been offered to a number of Scottish-based companies including Enerquip and Wellgear Group. BCG Houston worked with ExxonMobil on signing a MoU to participate in the Acorn carbon capture and sequestration project in Scotland, which would include the company's joint venture gas terminal in Peterhead, Scotland.

●        BCG San Francisco: Has undertaken promotional activity highlighting the strength of the Scottish video games industry and its universities with games degrees to various FDI clients throughout the year.

●        BCG Chicago: DIT report FDI wins from the Midwest in financial year 2021-22, including Boeing Corporation creating 150 new jobs across Scotland.

●        BCG Los Angeles (LA): The BCG LA’s consumer team collaborates frequently with SDI and is planning a buyer's tour of the UK with Cost Plus World Market and BWI Importers that will start in Scotland and work its way south.

Arts and Culture

The US embassy network regularly highlights and promotes Scottish cultural interests including the promotion of National Scotch Day, Scottish Rugby and Burns Night.

●        The network celebrates and promotes achievements by Scottish artists, such as when the NY Deputy Consul General hosted author Douglas Stuart at the British Residence in New York to celebrate winning the Booker Prize for Shuggie Bain.

●        The Highland Games provided an opportunity to celebrate and promote Scotland to an overseas audience. BCG Chicago supports The Chicago Scots’ annual St Andrew’s Day celebrations and their Highland Games, and BCG Atlanta has supported the Stone Mountain Highland Games for many years, with staff attending and CG/ Deputy Consular Generals attending as guests of honour.

●        The network also identifies opportunities to showcase Scottish culture and talent. BCG Atlanta had bagpipers in the Pride parade and at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Garden party at the Residence, while bagpipers also featured in Houston for the Queen’s Jubilee Party.

●        BCG Houston helped organise the British Music Embassy at South by Southwest arts festival in Austin, Texas, which showcased a number of Scottish acts and created opportunities for them.

Education and research

The UK embassy network promotes the Scottish education sectors and generates interest in Scottish sport. This includes highlighting the work of Scottish universities.

●        Across the US: the entire UK diplomatic network consistently promotes the Marshall Scholarship with relevant audiences; several Scottish Universities are formal Marshall Partners and are highlighted during this outreach.

●        BCG Atlanta: is working with Charades, a Scottish theatre company based in Edinburgh, to produce a US run of The Mould that Changed the World, which tells the story of Alexander Fleming and his discovery of penicillin. Other partners involved are: UK Science & Innovation Network, CDC Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, GSK and WHO).

●        BCG San Francisco: The Science and Innovation team also hosted Heriot-Watt University at its 2022 Virtual Hydrogen Mission to California and Texas, increasing the institution’s network in the US Hydrogen technology sector.

Country Profile: France

France is a key economic partner to the UK, as our 5th largest trade and export partner.

The UK-France bilateral trading relationship was worth was £70.8 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2022, an increase of £7.5 billion from the previous year.

The British Embassy in Paris regularly promotes Scotland and Scottish interests in France.

Trade and Investment

●        “So British” Residence Takeover: In June 2022, DIT exhibited the best of the United Kingdom at the Embassy Residence. Over 500 French buyers, distributors, multipliers and other local businesspeople visited and met exhibitors from over 64 British companies. This included Scottish companies The Lost Distillery / Crucial Drinks; Dunnet Bay Distillers (Rock Rose Gin); Bellfield Brewery; Optos Plc.

●        The UK-France Business Forum focuses on unlocking trade and investment, boosting job creation and supporting economic growth in all parts of the UK and France. French companies of the Forum have operations and presence in Scotland, including Airbus, Bouyues Construction, Chivas Brothers Ltd, Total Energies, Veolia and L’Oréal.

●        DIT has continued to support investment projects into Scotland, including £97 million investment from Thales group in November 2021 and creating over 150 jobs through inward investment from tech and consultancy company CapGemini in March 2022.

Arts

The Embassy works closely with the local SDI office to ensure that Scottish culture, and food & drink are promoted. Examples of events/ programmes include:

●        The Queen’s Birthday Party (Platinum Jubilee); of which the theme was “Four Nations”. Scottish exhibits included the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland; Scottish Quality Salmon – Label Rouge Scottish salmon; Macduff Shellfish (Scotland) Ltd; Seafood Scotland; Brewdog; Isle of Harris distillery.

●        Momentum international delegation programme: led in partnership by British Council, Creative Scotland and Festivals Edinburgh sees five French arts professionals attend a bespoke five day cultural visit to introduce them to the Scottish arts sector in Edinburgh, supporting future collaboration and circulation of Scottish work internationally.

●        International Collaboration Grants; a partnership between Tron Theatre (Glasgow) and International Visual Theatre (Paris) supported through the British Council’s newly- launched international fund. The collaboration is focused on deaf-led performance and will premiere in autumn 2022 in both cities, also promoting access to culture for D/deaf audiences.

Education and research

●        The Embassy and the British Council supported an Aix-Marseille University-Glasgow University MOU and joint chairing of a “Call to Action” online seminar on biodiversity ahead of COP26.

●        The British Council has undertaken increased outreach to researchers in each of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as part of the Alliance call in 2021, which succeeded in doubling the number of applications from Scottish researchers compared to the previous year (representing 18% of all applications.

Rest of World

In addition to above, the following examples demonstrate the breadth and depth of work being carried out across the UK overseas network to promote Scottish interests abroad.

Trade & Investment

●        Mozambique: In the past 12 months, DIT in partnership with SDI has promoted and supported Scottish based companies Petrofac, Lloyds Register, ENEMERCH, 3T Energy (SurviveX) to identify commercial opportunities in Mozambique.

●        Kuwait: DIT engaged with the energy sector in partnership with SDI, with senior level visits to Scotland by senior representatives from the Kuwait Oil Company to explore business opportunities with Scottish companies in 2019. DIT Kuwait supported the Scottish company Corex to win business with the Kuwait Oil Company that amounted to

£86 million in 2021.

●        Mongolia: In 2020, a Mongolian draft alcohol law was introduced containing clauses

which would have severely impacted Scottish whisky exports. The British Embassy in Ulaanbaatar engaged with the Mongolian government and like-minded embassies. The clauses were subsequently removed from the legal draft, and the industry representatives (represented by the Scotch Whisky Association) signed an export agreement worth nearly £10 million.

●        China: DIT’s SME business support services and the Intellectual Property Office regularly engage with and provide advice to Scottish companies. DIT China has supported Scottish companies at trade fairs and put considerable emphasis behind promoting Scottish trade and investment in China to deliver export wins to a value of £59.3 million over the last 12 months.

●        Netherlands: The British Embassy helped secure a £38 million investment from Heineken for 700 Star pubs and bars across the UK, including Scotland, and a near £10 million investment from Netherlands-based cosmetics company Rituals with a new Edinburgh store opened in 2021. UKG support for Research and Development initiatives in Scotland also enabled investment for the world's leading supplier of automotive semiconductors, Nexperia (based in East-Kilbride, Glasgow), and Celestia Technologies which set up a R&D division in Edinburgh with the support of a £2.5 million Scottish R&D grant.

●        Hungary: The DIT team successfully removed a market access barrier for Menzies Aviation, a Scottish ground handling company at Budapest Airport. The company received extensive Embassy support in 2020 which ensured the barriers were lifted. In 2022, the UKG organised an audience with the Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to allow Menzies Aviation to showcase its operations, resulting in enhanced business activities which yielded an export win worth £15 million.

●        Argentina: The British Embassy was part of a campaign, with the Scottish trade envoy, Mark Menzies MP, as the figurehead, that successfully persuaded Argentina to reduce the import duty on Scotch whisky from 40% to 21% in 2019. Between 2019 and 2021, according to local figures, saw a c. 60% increase in the value of whisky exports to Argentina.

●        Mexico: The DIT team helped secure four wins for Scottish companies - two in the food and drink sector and two in the energy sector - accounting for over £22 million in exports to Mexico. This support included finding local partners for commercialisation of products, direct export sales and support for the collection of outstanding payments from Mexico’s national oil company, Pemex. T

Arts, Culture & Sport

●        Germany: The British Council’s Cultural Bridges pilot programme has funded three Scottish-German cultural partnerships, linking Alchemy Film & Arts in Harwick with Fine Arts Institute Leipzig, Govanhill Baths Art with the S27 city laboratory in Berlin, and Shetland Arts with Das Letzte Kleinod theatre in Bremerhaven. This has led to visits and

events in both Scotland and Germany.

●       Finland: The British Embassy and British Council are supporting the City of Helsinki’s Culture and Leisure team on a visit in September 2022 to Scotland, to learn from culture stakeholders including V&A Dundee. The 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland Pipes, Drums Platoon also visited Finland in July 2022 to participate in the International Hamina Tattoo Military Music Festival as the official representatives of His Majesty's Armed Forces.

●       Pakistan: British Council worked with the Scottish Documentary Institute and Pakistani Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on ‘Pakistan Stories’ - a project that is building the capacity of young female filmmakers in Pakistan. The project has benefitted Scotland by strengthening its position as a leader in the film sector and wider creative economy and as a trusted partner for the development of films. The project will contribute to Scotland’s prosperity by building trust to create favourable conditions for knowledge and the exchange of ideas (nurturing potential trade and investment opportunities).

●        Algeria: The Edinburgh International Book Festival was awarded a British Council International Collaboration Program grant for a new partnership with the Agence Algérienne pour le Rayonnement Culturel and Le Théâtre La Fourmi in Algeria. The collaborative performance premiered at Edinburgh International Book Festival in August 2022, with further performances planned to take place in Algeria in 2022-2023 to develop cultural relationships with Scotland.

Education & Research

●        Senegal: Creative Scotland, British Council Scotland, and Senegal worked together and funded a major delegation of 12+ Scotland based contemporary arts curators to visit Senegal in May 2022 for the Dak’Art Biennale (arts festival). They joined opening ceremonies, exhibitions and key events and critically brokered new connections with Senegalese and African curators, for future collaborations. The Embassy expects to see new opportunities for Scottish and Scotland-based members of the arts sector, arising from the visit.

●        New Zealand: The FCDO’s Science & Innovation Network promotes Scottish research capability and excellence, including EAVE II - the award-winning Scotland-wide COVID-19 surveillance platform used to track and forecast the epidemiology of COVID-19, developed with support by researchers from New Zealand.

●        Australia: The FCDO’s promotes the UKG’s Turing Scheme for student mobility which, in 2021, seventeen Scottish universities participated in, for which Australia was a key international recipient of UK-based students.

●        Malaysia: DIT has provided support to the University of Strathclyde through identifying local quality Higher Education Institutions and making relevant connections, enabling a