SNP minister Richard Lochhead gave the speech on how Scotland seeks to become a leading European space nation as part of a three-day trip to Los Angeles, USA.
The new Cabinet Office base in Glasgow will function as a second UK HQ for the Government department and will support the UK Government’s Queen Elizabeth House base in Edinburgh, which opened last year.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also announced creating a second headquarters in Birmingham bringing an initial 650 jobs to Birmingham and Leeds by the end of 2025.
The measures are aiming to bring new jobs and investment to Scotland as part of the UK Government’s commitment to level up in every part of the United Kingdom.
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the move will co-locate the engine room of the UK Government in Scotland .
The new legislation creates a criminal offence of stirring up hatred against protected groups, expanding on a similar offence based on race that has been on the statute books for decades, as well as consolidating a number of different pieces of hate crime legislation.
But more than 2,000 people responded to a call for views made last year after the publication of the Bill s first iteration, and concerns over freedom of expression led to a number of changes to the legislation before it was passed on Thursday.
Concerns were also raised that conversations over the dinner table that incite hatred could be prosecuted while actors and playwrights could become criminally liable for what they say during plays.
| UPDATED: 16:05, Sun, Mar 14, 2021
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The latest Panelbase polling reveals only 25 percent of Scots would support holding a second independence referendum in the next year. Meanwhile, the poll showed only 45 percent say it should not take place for the next few years.