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: S6W-35888

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland, how many electricity consents it has suspended, revoked or corrected in each of the last five years, and how it took account of any concerns about investor and community uncertainty in proposing to expand its powers to vary consents without an application.

Legislation does not currently allow for modifications, suspensions or revocations consents when errors in consents are found. Should any issues arise, an applicant must apply for a section 36 consent variation and go through the full variation process, including payment of a fee.

The number of section 36 variation applications consented in the past 5 years are as follows:

2024 – 5

2023 – 5

2022 – 4

2021 – 6

2020 – 1

I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35884 on 1 April 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-35883

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland, how it will address reported concerns that statutory consultees may be placed under additional pressure from new time limits, potentially weakening their ability to provide robust input into proposed developments.

Question reference: S6W-35881

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland, what its response is to the reported suggestion that accelerating the end-to-end electricity consenting process risks undermining thorough scrutiny of environmental impacts.

Question reference: S6W-35886

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland, what evidence it considered in developing the “Acceptance Stage” for section 36 and 37 applications, and whether it will publish data showing how this stage could affect overall timescales and local input into project proposals.

The proposed reforms will make pre-application consultation for electricity infrastructure projects a statutory requirement and also introduce an Acceptance Stage when Scottish Ministers can decline to accept applications which have not fulfilled the necessary requirements. These reforms will reduce timescales for processing applications and increase local input into project proposals.

The Scottish Government will publish detailed guidance on the Acceptance Stage and what happens if the relevant planning authority objects or if an application is not accepted.

Question reference: S6W-35889

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland, how many applications for electricity infrastructure developments it projects will be submitted annually from 2025, and whether it has made any assessment of whether introducing new fees for pre-application functions could reduce application numbers.

Question reference: S6W-35879

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland, what its position is regarding reported concerns that the reforms to pre-application consultation for electricity infrastructure projects will reduce opportunities for meaningful community input.

Question reference: S6O-04501

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it will give to expanding the scope of statutory grounds for holding a fatal accident inquiry.

Question reference: S6W-36060

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many fatal accident inquiries have involved delays to the publication of the final inquiry report in each of the last five years, and what the reasons were for any such delays.

Question reference: S6O-04532

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Question reference: S6W-36042

Current Status: Withdrawn