THE UK Government has broken a promise to promote Scotch whisky abroad, the SNP has claimed, after working groups set up to promote trade around the world were discovered not to have a single document relating to Scotland’s billion pound drinks industry.
The Scotland Office dismissed the claims as “nonsense”.
Last month, in a joint release from Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell and Department of International Trade (DIT) Minister Liam Fox, the Government said it was looking at how to “boost overseas sales” as Britain leaves the EU.
The release went on to say the Department for International Trade had “already established 11 working groups to strengthen trade and commercial ties with key trading partners around the world, including the United States, Australia, China, India, Mexico, South Korea and the Gulf Co-operation Council. Ministerial trade dialogues have also been established with Taiwan, Vietnam, India, Kazakhstan and Brazil.”
At the time Mundell said: “We are determined to open up new markets around the world for the very best whisky our distillers have to offer – and to drive down any tariffs they face. By strengthening ties with key partners, identifying new markets and tackling tariffs, the UK Government is paving the way towards an even brighter future for Scotland’s whisky industry.”
But SNP researchers submitted a freedom of information request asking for copies of all DIT documents relating to Scotch whisky held by the 11 working groups.
They were told the DIT “does not hold any information falling within the scope of your request”.
SNP MSP Emma Harper called it “a worrying revelation for our whisky sector”.
She added: “The Tories promised just two months ago that they would support the Scotch whisky industry and put it at the forefront of any future trade deal with countries including the US, India, Mexico and Vietnam – yet this admission by the Department for International Trade suggests these promises have already been broken.
“Uncertainty over Brexit and continuing tariff-free access to the EU single market already puts at risk our whisky industry’s largest export market, worth £1.2 billion in 2016. Yet the Tories seem to be making no effort to ensure there is growth in other international markets for the industry to benefit from. It is utterly unacceptable for the Tory Government to be so careless with an industry so key to Scotland’s economy.”
A Scotland Office spokesman said: “This is absolute nonsense.
“The UK Government is committed to looking at how future trade agreements could substantially reduce export tariffs on Scotch whisky, where tariffs currently range from zero to over 150 per cent.
“During his recent visit to South America, the Secretary of State was hard at work promoting Scotland’s national drink and strengthening vital trading relationships in a region where sales of Scotch are worth more than £200m. Only last week, he visited Scotland’s newest distillery on the Isle of Raasay to discuss global trade opportunities.”
A UK Government source said that while Mundell had been working on promoting whisky sales in South America he was attacked by the SNP for not attending cabinet.
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