Scotland Office - First government trade mission since UK-EU deal

10th June 2025

Minister Kirsty McNeill teams up with the Scottish Chambers of Commerce to champion Scotland and the UK in Spain.

Boosting trade and investment between Scotland and Spain is top of the agenda as a group of 16 Scottish female entrepreneurs, led by UK Government Minister Kirsty McNeill and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC), arrive on Spanish soil today (Monday 9th June).

The Scotland Office led trade mission will meet with Spanish entrepreneurs, business leaders and politicians to maximise the benefits of the recent UK-EU deal, tackle the Scottish gender export gap, promote Brand Scotland's iconic goods and services and encourage Spanish investment into Scotland.

A recent report found that trade in Scotland could increase by more than £10 billion over two years if women-led businesses exported at the same rate as those led by men.

Women from Scotland's world class food and drink, tech, manufacturing, energy, tourism, travel, legal services, consultancy, marketing and cosmetic sectors are on the trade mission.

UK Government Scotland Office Kirsty McNeill said:

I'm very proud to be teaming up with the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and fantastic Scottish women entrepreneurs on a trailblazing mission to Spain to help kickstart economic growth, create jobs and attract investment to Scotland as part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change.

I want the UK to be a leader in promoting gender diversity in international trade and this is a unique opportunity for our women business leaders to build international connections, explore market opportunities, and connect with other female entrepreneurs in one of Scotland’s and the UK’s largest EU markets.

Through Brand Scotland, we are now giving our country the global platform it deserves.

Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Dr Liz Cameron CBE said:

This trade mission marks a bold step forward in advancing Scotland’s global trade ambitions. By connecting some of our most dynamic women entrepreneurs and leaders with key players in Barcelona, we are opening new doors of opportunity, innovation, and growth. Scotland’s businesswomen are global in their outlook, ambitious in their vision, and ready to lead the way in forging deeper connections around the world.

The collaboration between the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and Scotland Office is a powerful partnership which will boost business growth, increase exports, and champion Scotland as a world-leading trading nation. This mission expands our market access and ensures the future of our business community is more representative, resilient, and internationally competitive.

This visit marks the first Brand Scotland trade mission since the signing of a partnership agreement between the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the Scotland Office on Friday (June 6th). The deal, backed by a £100,000 UK Government grant, is focused on showcasing Scottish businesses globally and attracting inward investment.

Spain is the UK’s seventh largest trading partner (2024) and Scotland’s 10th with total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) being £64.6 billion, while the UK is the number one European destination for Spanish investment (€83 billion stock). Last year Scotland’s goods exports to Spain reached £0.7 billion, with food and drink leading the way at over £212 million. Most recent figures show that Spain was the number six export destination for Scotch whisky, with sales worth £196 million in 2024. Spain is also among the most valuable destinations for Scottish seafood exports, including a top 20 destination for Scottish salmon exports.

The trio of trade deals secured by the Prime Minister in recent weeks offers a huge opportunity for Scotland and the UK’s economy.

The agreement with the EU directly addresses challenges faced by Scottish exporters since 2019, especially in the food and drink sector, as it makes it significantly easier to sell Scottish goods to markets such as Spain (see stakeholder quotes annexed below).

The two day trade mission comes after Minister McNeill hosted a gathering of female business leaders from across Scotland in Edinburgh in May to identify and tackle export challenges they face.

While in Spain the Minister will also participate in cultural initiatives, including a concert for Ukraine, being organised by the British Embassy in Madrid.

Trade mission, list of delegates:

Dr Liz Cameron CBE, Director & Chief Executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Dr Jeanette Forbes OBE, CEO, PCL Group

Dr Poonam Gupta OBE, CEO & Founder, PG Paper Company Ltd

Arjumand Ara Sheikh, Principal Solicitor and Associate CIPD, Strand Solicitors

Elaine Borland, Owner, Blowin’Free

Beth Wright, Co-Founder, HCW Consulting Partners

Becky Hain, Co-Founder, HCW Consulting Partners

Katie Cameron, Co-Founder, HCW Consulting Partners

Sophie Rankine, Managing Director, Sophie Gets Social Ltd

Lucy Harper, Head of Public Affairs, Lumo

Shona Cowan, Director, Go-You Ltd

Rebecca Wilson, Owner, Bec Wilson Creative

Arabella Harvey, Founder & CEO, Raven Botanicals

Amber Knight, Director, MacNeil Shellfish Limited

Libby McQuarrie, Commercial Executive, MacNeil Shellfish Limited

Rosalind Wardley-Smith, International & Operations Executive Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Agenda

Today (Monday) the Minister will attend a women in business lunch in Madrid for senior female business leaders. This will be chaired by Sir Alex Ellis, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain. She will also meet with the newly appointed CEO of Navantia UK, Donald Martínez, to discuss Navantia’s progress and future plans for their two shipyards in Scotland.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) in Barcelona the Minister and all women trade delegation will meet Spanish women business leaders, Barcelona Chambers of Commerce, the British Chambers of Commerce and Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Maria Eugènia Gay Rossell. The Minister will also meet the President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa to discuss new opportunities for trade and investment for both the UK and Spain.

Stakeholder quotes

Head of Trade Marketing - Europe at Seafood Scotland Marie-Anne Omnes said:

The timing and geographic focus of this ministerial trade mission are highly relevant. Spain is a key market for Scottish companies and presents significant growth opportunities that initiatives like these can help identify. Spanish consumers are knowledgeable about seafood and Scottish products, with an understanding of the importance of product origin. It is essential to strengthen relationships at both government and corporate levels, especially considering that the new trade agreement could facilitate more direct trade between the two countries.

Director of central Scotland-based MacNeil Shellfish Amber Knight said:

The partnership between the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the Scotland Office is a game-changer for Scottish exporters. For businesses like ours, anchored in rural communities and operating across European markets, this agreement provides the visibility, credibility, and connections needed to grow with confidence. Our expansion into Spain, with a new distribution hub in North Spain is just the beginning. With this renewed focus on promoting Scotland’s world-class products internationally, we can scale our reach, strengthen our brand, and help put Scotland’s sustainable seafood firmly on the global map.

Note
the Scotland Office is an arm of the UK Government not The Scottish Government.

The Scotland Office (Scottish Gaelic: An Oifis Albannach), known as the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland from 2018 to 2024, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the secretary of state for Scotland and responsible for Scottish affairs that lie within HM Government's responsibility.

The department evolved from the Scottish Office which was formed in 1885. It was renamed the Scotland Office in 1999 following devolution in Scotland, where the majority of its responsibilities were transferred to the Scottish Executive (since renamed the Scottish Government).

Responsibilities
The office is responsible for the representation of Scotland and Scottish affairs in the UK Government, facilitating the smooth operation of devolution, liaising between the central Government and the Scottish Government at Edinburgh and the administering of certain reserved matters of government relating to Scotland.

History
Until the advent of the Scottish Parliament and the devolved Scottish Government, the Scottish Office (the precursor to the Scotland Office) was a major UK government department dealing with most aspects of the domestic governance of Scotland, a position known as "administrative devolution".

Since devolution, its powers are limited to those relating to reserved matters that are not dealt with by other departments of HM Government as well as relations with the devolved bodies. Along with the Wales Office, the Scotland Office has shared administrative functions first with the 2007 Department for Constitutional Affairs and later the Ministry of Justice. The Secretary of State for Scotland also holds certain powers of oversight over the operation of the Scottish Parliament under the Scotland Act 1998.

Donald Dewar, who held the office from 1997-99, resigned to become the inaugural First Minister of Scotland following devolution on 17 May 1999. Under the Blair Ministry and Brown Ministry, the office of secretary of state for Scotland was sometimes held along with another Cabinet role. These cases were Alistair Darling, who served as Secretary of State for Scotland between 2003 and 2006 while also being Secretary of State for Transport. When Douglas Alexander took on the role in 2006 he also held the additional Transport office. His successor Des Browne, who was Secretary of State from 2007–08, was simultaneously the secretary of state for defence. Jim Murphy was appointed to the office in 2008, which remained his only government position until the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition gained power in 2010. The position was then held by Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament until the Conservative government came into office following the 2015 general election.

Between 2015 and 2018, the Scotland Office rebranded much of its output under a UK Government in Scotland branding, with the office itself then becoming known as the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Similar changes were made in relation to the Wales Office. Both departments reverted to their original names in 2024.