Scottish whisky industry to be investigated

The Scottish Parliament Committee is looking to launch an inquiry into the Scotch whisky industry, following Diageo’s decision to axe hundreds of jobs.

Talks of an inquiry come after the Scottish National Party MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Willie Coffey, wrote to the convener of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, Iain Smith of the Scottish Parliament, requesting a full investigation into the state of the Scottish whisky industry. The request was prompted by Diageo’s announcement that it is to close its Johnnie Walker plants in Kilmarnock and Hurlford. In total, up to 900 jobs could be affected, along with the closure of the Port Dundas distillery in Glasgow.

Coffey said: “I very much welcome the Convener’s confirmation that the Committee will consider an inquiry into the Scotch whisky industry.
“Whisky forms a significant component of Scotland and the UK’s exports. Having Scotland as the base of operations gives the Scotch whisky industry a major competitive boost in global markets in terms of reputation and brand loyalty, and I hope that the committee will be able to quantify such factors. It is right that the Scottish Parliament seeks to inform itself of the strategic direction of the industry and the issues it faces in growing its exports in the face of global competition.
“These are just some of the overall issues I hope the Committee will be able to investigate and I look forward to a positive response to their considerations for an inquiry.”