Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6O-03717

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Channel 4 in relation to increasing its Made outside England quota from 9% to 16% in line with population breakdown, as called for by PACT, the independent TV representative body.

Question reference: S6W-28827

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to setting deployment targets for tidal stream and wave energy.

In January 2023, we launched a consultation for the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), seeking feedback on our draft vision for marine energy, and including a question on whether the Scottish Government should set a deployment target for marine energy. The forthcoming finalised ESJTP will take into account the wide range of consultation responses received. As we develop Scotland’s ambitions for both wave and tidal energy, we will continue to engage with the industry to explore and support solutions to address long-term needs.

Question reference: S6W-28826

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider providing innovation funding support for the tidal stream industry to ensure that the supply chain opportunity is secured in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has provided consistent support for the marine energy sector for more than a decade, for example through our work with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), based in Orkney, which is the world’s only fully accredited test and research centre for wave and tidal energy. However, the main levers for enabling the commercialisation of these emerging technologies lie with the UK Government. The UK Government’s Contracts for Difference Allocation Rounds 4 and 5 highlight Scotland’s pioneering role in the tidal stream energy and its potential in our future net zero energy system. We welcome the recently announced £15 million ring-fenced support for tidal steam projects and look forward to working with the UK Government to ensure these technologies are supported through the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-28828

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with industry in developing a marine energy vision, as set out in its Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

The Scottish Government has had ongoing engagement with the wave and tidal energy sectors during the development of the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, including a Marine Energy Industry Roundtable event hosted by Scottish Renewables alongside key industry representatives. In addition, we received 346 responses from stakeholders to the consultation questions on marine energy in the draft ESJTP, which are being considered as we produce the final strategy.

Question reference: S6W-28832

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that cumulative impact assessments, as set out under the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), cover all energy projects in an area, regardless of the organisation responsible.

All applications are subject to site specific assessments which are expected to address cumulative impacts. Where there is a need for co-ordination between applicants proposing development in the same area, the Scottish Ministers expect all parties to work together to co-ordinate development and minimise any impacts on communities and the environment. When determining applications made under the Electricity Act 1989, the Scottish Ministers are required to seek advice from planning authorities to ensure that decision-making is co-ordinated to reflect local circumstances.

Question reference: S6O-03646

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish National Investment bank is operating legally, in light of reports that the advisory group that was meant to be established by the Scottish Ministers has not yet been established.

Question reference: S6O-03469

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent in 2023-24 on safety improvements to trunk roads in the North East Scotland region.

Question reference: S6W-27001

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20679, S6W-22695 and S6W-24757 by Neil Gray on 31 August 2023, 15 November 2023 and 1 February 2024 respectively, whether it will provide an update on the establishment of an advisory group as required under section 29 of the Scottish National Investment Bank Act 2020.

Question reference: S6W-27065

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 7 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update its economic assessment of Air Departure Tax in Scotland in order to better reflect the current state of the Scottish economy.

We continue to explore all options to implement Air Departure Tax in a way that protects Highlands & Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government’s subsidy control regime.

Options identified will be thoroughly assessed and the findings will be set out at the appropriate time.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all options presented will protect Highlands and Islands connectivity, along with the communities and business that rely on this to prosper.

Question reference: S6W-27064

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 7 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the potential impact upon Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sector of using Air Departure Tax for "demand management".