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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 1891 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-00053

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the impact of the Energy Consents Unit's consultation process on public confidence in decision making relating to major electricity transmission infrastructure projects and, if so, what the findings of that assessment were.

The Scottish Government is committed to reforming energy consenting, including improving the consultation process for communities affected by proposed electricity transmission infrastructure projects. To this end, a comprehensive review of Scottish electricity infrastructure consenting was undertaken in 2024 through a joint UK and Scottish Government initiative, leading to reforms included within the UK Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.

The Act granted new regulation-making powers to the Scottish Ministers, such as mandating pre-application engagement, introducing an acceptance stage and establishing new time limits. Later this year, Ministers will consult on the use of these powers to improve the consenting process for all stakeholders, the results of which would inform associated secondary legislation.

Question reference: S7W-00050

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding consultations on major electricity transmission infrastructure projects, (a) what assessment it has made of the accessibility of the Energy Consents Unit's consultation process for (i) people in rural communities, (ii) older people and (iii) people with limited digital connectivity, (b) what consideration it has given to permitting representations to be submitted by email, (c) for what reason the Energy Consents Unit no longer accepts representations by email, and (d) whether it plans to review the current consultation arrangements.

Question reference: S6W-44165

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how renewable electricity curtailment costs are expected to change over the next (a) five and (b) 10 years in Scotland.

As matters relating to the setting and management of constraint payments are reserved, the Scottish Government has not made its own assessment of expected future changes in curtailment costs.

All regulation and legislation relating to electricity networks is reserved to the UK Government. The responsibility for the balancing the grid lies with the National Energy System Operator (NESO). More information including data on balancing costs can be found here: Balancing costs | National Energy System Operator.

Question reference: S6W-44167

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how the total cost of the Contracts for Difference scheme is expected to change over the next (a) five and (b) 10 years.

The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is a reserved to, and operated by, the UK Government. As such, the Scottish Government does not undertake its own independent modelling of the scheme’s projected costs.

We continue to support the CfD mechanism as the UK’s primary route to market for low carbon electricity generation. The scheme has played a central role in enabling the deployment of renewable energy projects in Scotland, helping to reduce costs for consumers, and providing long-term revenue certainty for developers.

We will continue to engage constructively with the UK Government to ensure that the CfD framework remains effective, delivers value for money, and supports Scotland’s renewable energy potential.

Question reference: S6W-44169

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the total net cost has been to date of payments to generators in Scotland under the Contracts for Difference scheme.

Question reference: S6W-44166

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how electricity transmission network charges in Scotland are expected to change over the next (a) five and (b) 10 years

As it is the UK Government which has responsibility for energy regulation and transmission charging, the Scottish Government has not carried out any formal analysis on how transmission charges are expected to change over the next decade.

Forecasts are produced by the National Energy System Operator (NESO).

We are clear that the current system of transmission charging is entirely unfit for purpose and unfairly penalises Scottish generators, putting them at a significant commercial disadvantage.

Successive UK Governments have failed to set out a long-term solution to this issue, and the current UK Government must urgently do set out plans on how they rectify the situation, as well introducing short to medium term measures to address the impact of unfair transmission charges on Scottish generators.

Question reference: S6W-44170

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been to date of payments to generators in Scotland under the Renewables Obligation.

Question reference: S6W-44168

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how the total cost of the Renewables Obligation is expected to change over the next (a) five and (b) 10 years.

While the Scottish Government is responsible for the legislation underpinning the Renewables Obligation Scotland (ROS), Ofgem are responsible for the operation and administration of the scheme and consequently hold the operational and administrative data.

To date, the Scottish Government has not carried out any formal analysis of how the total cost of the ROS is expected to change over the next 5 or 10 years. However, it is expected that the total cost of the scheme will steadily reduce between 2027, when the first generators begin leaving the scheme, and 2037 when the scheme closes.

Question reference: S6O-05647

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the Edinburgh accommodation allowance for MSPs will be reviewed, in light of the City of Edinburgh Council announcing that, from 1 April 2026, the premium applied to council tax on second homes will increase from 100% to 300%.

Question reference: S6O-05666

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding the 2017 Best Start plan to downgrade the number of level 3 neonatal intensive care units from eight to three.