Part of First Minister’s Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 23 January 2025.
John Swinney
Scottish National Party
It would be a brave individual who suggested that Christine Grahame should be diplomatic on any day of the week, and I certainly do not intend to go into that particular abyss.
Christine Grahame raises an important issue because, if there were to be tariffs of the type that she set out, that would be very damaging to key sectors of the Scottish economy, of which probably the strongest example would be the Scotch whisky industry. That is why, although I entirely understand that people will have very strong views about President Trump, it is my duty as First Minister of Scotland to ensure that I take every step that I can to protect the economic and national interests of Scotland. That is why, should that situation arise, I will engage emphatically to protect the interests of Scotland and to engage with the President of the United States if it is necessary to do so.
I hope that we do not end up in that situation, because Scotland and the United States enjoy and experience a strong and long-lasting relationship, and I want that to continue to thrive in the years to come.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
