THE Scotland Office is dead.
Instead, the department of David Mundell will now be known as UK Government Scotland.
It is all part of a quiet updating of the “corporate identity” of the Scotland Office, and the first major change since 1999 when it ceased to be the Scottish Office.
And civil servants say where there is a need to distinguish between different UK Government departments, UK Government Scotland will identify as the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland.
It is, a government spokesperson says, about making sure people understand what the responsibilities of the UK Government are, and equally, what the responsibilities of the Scottish Government are.
The Wales Office has undergone a similar transformation.
But Deidre Brock, the SNP MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, has questions about the practicalities of the rebrand. The change, she suggested, was so other government departments could use Mundell’s building in Edinburgh.
In answers to questions in parliament, the Secretary of State revealed that 18 staff from four other government departments were now based in the Melville Street offices
Brock said Mundell had “clearly sold the jerseys” and was now “holed up in the fancy Whitehall offices that can cost us up to a million pounds a year”.
She added: “The Tories have closed the Scotland Office, now it’s time to end the farce completely, get rid of the fancy expensive offices, the targeted social media propaganda campaigns and the eye-wateringly expensive spin doctor team.”
A UK Government spokeswoman said the change would be better for the general public.
“The Scotland Office updated its corporate identity some time ago,” she said.
“The change ensures people can be confident about which responsibilities the UK Government delivers and are able to identify which issues have been devolved.
“This will make clear the extensive role of the UK Government in delivering for people in Scotland.”
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