To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many visits were made by Ministers in his Department to (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland in each year since 1983. (122526)

The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since then—from the records available—my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Stirling (Mrs. McGuire), attended the Highlands and Islands Convention in Shetland in March 2005.

I attended the Highlands and Islands Convention in Orkney in April 2006.