Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-05261

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues on how its internal modelling of oil and gas jobs in the north east compares with the latest industry estimates.

Question reference: S6W-42027

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 2 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Just Transition Plan for the Mossmorran Industrial Site.

Question reference: S6W-42088

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on its policy regarding the use of revenue collected from the Scottish Government carbon levy on business flights, including (a) the objectives of the levy, (b) the criteria and process for selecting carbon reduction projects on the core estate to be funded from the levy, (c) the governance and oversight arrangements for managing the levy funds, including which directorates are responsible, (d) how often the rate and operation of the levy have been reviewed since its introduction and (e) what changes have been made as a result of any such reviews.

(a) The objectives of the levy

The levy is designed to raise money from business flights to be invested in carbon reduction and active travel projects to reduce the impact of business travel and improve health and wellbeing.

In 2018 the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform approved a proposal to focus the money raised from the levy to reduce the Scottish Government’s carbon emissions to help compensate for the carbon emitted from business travel, which was the original purpose of the Levy. This has the benefit of reducing the Scottish Government’s carbon emissions in a measurable and reportable way.

(b) Projects are selected based on the potential for carbon reduction either via fully or partially funding projects, funding behaviour change initiatives, training or promoting active travel options.

(c) The carbon levy is administered by the Environmental Management Team within Workplace Division in the Scottish Procurement & Property Directorate.

(d) The rate of the carbon levy has not been reviewed since it was created in 2009. Officials are currently carrying out a review. The operation of the levy was reviewed in 2018.

(e) A review is currently underway. No changes have been made to the rates since the levy was introduced. The review in 2018 resulted in a change to the way the levy was spent. Agreement was given to support using the levy to fund carbon reduction projects on the Core Scottish Government Estate.

Question reference: S6W-42086

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-41711, S6W-41712 and S6W-41713 by Ivan McKee on 13 November 2025, whether it will provide information on how much has been collected through its carbon levy on business flights in each financial year since the levy was introduced, and what the (a) cumulative total collected to date, (b) cumulative total spent to date and (c) current balance remaining in the carbon levy fund is.

The Carbon Levy was implemented in financial year 2006-7. Historical data on the amount collected each year prior to 2017-18 is not available.

2017-18 - £33,321

2018-19 - £32,211

2019-20 - £40,534

2020-21 - £558

2021-22 - No money collected

2022-23 - No money collected

2023-24 - No money collected

2024-25 £40,512

Between 2021 and 2024 no money was transferred from the travel provider. The money accumulated and was paid in 2024-25

The cumulative total spend to date is £440,000.

The current balance is £147,136

Question reference: S6W-41883

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding what the median waiting time at the point of referral was for patients registered with GPs in (a) Aberdeen City and (b) Aberdeenshire who travelled to NHS (i) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (ii) Lothian, in each of the last five years, compared with patients treated in NHS Grampian for the same conditions.

Question reference: S6W-42087

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41713 by Ivan McKee on 13 November 2025, whether it will provide information on what money collected from the Scottish Government carbon levy on its business flights has been spent since the levy was introduced, broken down for each funded project by (a) project name and location, (b) delivery partner, (c) nature and description of the work undertaken, (d) carbon standard or methodology used, (e) cost, (f) verified or estimated CO2 reduction and (g) cost per tonne of CO2.

3 Projects have been funded since the levy was introduced.

1) Project 1

(a) Climate Change Saltire Fellowships

(b) Greener Scotland

(c) The Scottish Government agreed to set up a carbon emissions off-set/reduction fund as part of the bid to secure the 2014 Commonwealth Games for Glasgow. The fellowship scheme targeted resources to students from Commonwealth countries least able to deal with the impacts of climate change.

(d) N/A

(e) £40,000

(f) Not Measured

(g) N/A

2) Project 2

(a) Scotland Lights up Malawi

(b) 2020 Climate Group, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Glasgow Caledonian University

(c) To bring safe, solar energy to rural communities in Malawi replacing paraffin lights with rechargeable solar lighting.

(d) N/A

(e) £200,000

(f) Not Measured

(g) N/A

3) Project 3

(a) Solar PV

(b) Scottish Government

(c) To provide funding to install solar panels on SAH to demonstrate installing renewables on a listed building in a conservation area and world heritage site.

(d) GHG Protocol

(e) £200,000

(f) 39,128 Kg CO2 saved to date.

(g) N/A

Question reference: S6W-41893

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use the discussions and outcomes from the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, to inform the finalisation and implementation of its draft Climate Change Plan, including any changes that it anticipates making to the actions and timescales set out in the draft plan up to 2040.

Question reference: S6W-41891

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its objectives are for engagement at the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, with (a) activists, (b) civil society partners from the Global South and (c) partners in its Climate Justice Fund programmes, and how it will evaluate the outcomes of this engagement.

Question reference: S6W-41892

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its priorities are for using its platform at the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, to contribute to international discussions on (a) climate finance, (b) climate justice and (c) the global debt crisis, and what specific outcomes it is seeking to achieve in each of these areas.

Question reference: S6W-41890

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what programme of (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral (i) meetings, (ii) roundtable discussions and (iii) speaking engagements the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy is scheduled to undertake at the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, and whether it will provide a list of these engagements broken down by (A) date, (B) host organisation, (C) main topic of discussion and (D) agreed follow-up actions.

I was the only Scottish Minister in attendance at COP30 in Belem, Brazil. I was supported by three Scottish Government officials. The delegation attended COP30 in Belem from 10 - 13 November 2025. No Special Advisors attended.

Details of all Ministerial engagements and expenses are proactively published by the Scottish Government, including the costs of travel and accommodation. The proactive release covering November 2025 will be published in due course.

However, the programme included meetings and events with the Under2 Coalition and Regions4 Climate Networks, where the Scottish Government is co-Chair and President respectively, Global South civil society partners and youth leaders, and Climate Justice Fund Partners and funding recipients.

The Scottish Government’s objectives for engagement at COP30 were to:

Strengthen Scotland’s climate finance and justice leadership,
Continue to position Scotland as a leader in just transition,
Build recognition of, and strengthen the voice of, states, regions and devolved governments, and;
Enhance Scotland’s diplomatic and economic standing.

I undertook a full programme of bilateral and multilateral meetings, roundtables and speaking engagements in support of Scotland's climate priorities, including:

Strengthening the influence of devolved, state and regional governments within international climate discussions,
Ensuring climate justice and debt justice is at the heart of international climate action; and
Showcasing Scotland’s leadership in renewable energy as part of an equitable, just and inclusive transition to net zero.

In support of international efforts to address the impacts of climate change, the Scottish Government confirmed funding for loss and damage, human rights and adaptation projects, as part of the £36 million Climate Justice Fund. Recognising that communities in the Global South, who have contributed least to global warming, are being hit hardest by the impacts of the climate crisis, £540,000 Climate Justice funding will be awarded to nine Latin American organisations supporting indigenous groups.

The remaining funding will help communities prepare for the known impacts of climate change – such as flooding and drought. It includes:

£150,000 grant funding through the Climate Justice Fund to support a UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights.
£100,000 funding to Regions4 to deliver a pilot project aimed at helping a community in the Global South reduce its vulnerability against climate impacts, such as extreme weather or food and water insecurity, in a way that tackles existing inequalities.

More information on this can be found here: Supporting global climate action - gov.scot

Evaluation of COP30 engagement outcomes is a continuous process undertaken by Scottish Government Officials and Ministers. This evaluation takes place through the ongoing management of relationships with stakeholders that the Scottish Government engaged with at COP30. A full summary of the my activities at COP30 will be published in due course, in line with our standard transparency reporting on Ministerial international engagements.

The Scottish Government will draw on the discussions, learning and outcomes from COP30 to help guide Scotland’s approach to reaching net zero, including our Climate Change Plan, taking account of international perspectives and emerging global solutions. As always, officials will continue to engage directly with our international partners in a reciprocal programme of learning and capacity building to ensure that the Scottish Government’s domestic climate change policies are ambitious and effective.

My overseas travel for COP30 was approved in line with ministerial travel policy.

Associated costs for supporting officials in Belem, COP30, were:

Flights x3 Officials - £19,060
Accommodation x3 Officials - £18,698
Subsistence and travel x3 Officials - £414
Other associated costs (vaccinations) - £252

Any business flights taken by Scottish Government ministers and employees are offset by a carbon levy. The levy is used to fund carbon reduction projects that compensate for the carbon emissions generated.

Chamber and committees