Douglas Lumsden

15 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the criteria used to assess Electricity Act 1989 consent applications have changed following the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance and, if so, what changes have been made.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The decision-making process is undertaken in accordance with the Electricity Act 1989, and other applicable regulations pertaining to applications depending on the specific details of each case. Recommendations are made in accordance with regulatory requireme…

15 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any updated guidance reflecting the revised ministerial responsibility for Electricity Act 1989 consents.

Answer · Gillian Martin: There are no administrative impacts for external stakeholders which would require guidance for Electricity Act 1989 consents applications to be updated.

15 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any implications of the transfer of Electricity Act 1989 consent responsibilities to the Minister for Public Finance for the consideration of alternatives to overhead transmission lines.

Answer · Gillian Martin: When determining applications for overhead power lines, made through the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish Ministers must only consider the project outlined within the application documentation. The legislation does not allow for Scottish Ministers to suggest or…

15 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it used to determine that responsibility for Electricity Act 1989 consents should sit under the Public Finance portfolio.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The allocation of ministerial portfolios and responsibilities is a matter for the First Minister and do not follow set criteria. The Minister for Public Finance was considered as the most appropriate in this instance, due to his other ministerial responsibili…

15 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considered alternative ministerial portfolios to the Public Finance one when it transferred responsibility for Electricity Act 1989 consents, and if so, which portfolios it considered.

Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43110 on 27 January 2026. 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-committ…

15 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to manage any potential conflicts of interest where a single ministerial portfolio has responsibility for both infrastructure financing and infrastructure consent decisions.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Ministerial Code outlines the general principle that Ministers should take particular care to avoid conflicts of interest when dealing with planning matters, including the granting of energy consents.Mechanisms are available to preserve the integ…

15 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any guidance, instructions or internal protocols that govern Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions have been revised following the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance on 18 December 2025.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Internal protocols for members of the Energy Consents Unit now reflect the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance for Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions.

15 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it made of any implications of assigning Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions to a ministerial portfolio that is primarily responsible for public finance.

Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43110 on 27 January 2026. 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-committ…

17 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, whether it will list how many times in each of the last five years each minister has taken a flight where a frequent flyer or other travel loyalty scheme account number was used, broken down by the (a) date of travel, (b) (i) departure and (ii) arrival airport, (c) airline used, (d) cla…

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government Travel Management system does not record personal membership or usage of travel loyalty schemes. SG guidance for staff, including Ministers, states that any such schemes should be used sparingly and not for personal gain. All ministeri…

17 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42412 by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2025, whether it will confirm by what date the proactive release covering all ministerial engagements and expenses for November 2025 will be published, and whether this will include the information that was req…

Answer · Gillian Martin: The proactive release of ministerial engagements and overseas travel covering November 2025 will be published in February 2026. This release will confirm all costs for my trip to Brazil for COP30.

16 Dec 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to manage and reduce damage and repair costs in schools.

10 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42085 by GillianMartin on 5 December 2025, what information it has regarding the dates that theteams involved in Let’s Do Net Zero discussed the Heroes of Net Zerocommunications campaign, whether formal or informal minutes, notes or otherrecor…

Answer · Gillian Martin: There are no records available to publish.I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41710 on 18 November 2025 and S6W-42085 on 5 December 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facilit…

10 Dec 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that increased regulations have had on the construction costs of housebuilding.

4 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-41875, S6W-41876, S6W-41877, S6W-41879, S6W-41880, S6W-41882 and S6W-41884 by Neil Gray on 1 December 2025, what information it currently collects from NHS boards on patients who travel outwith their home board area to receive secondary or tertiar…

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not collect patient data directly. It is for Public Health Scotland (PHS) to collect outpatient, inpatient and day case activity data from hospital administrative systems.PHS publishes official statistics on cross boundary flow qu…

4 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41888 by Gillian Martin on 1 December 2025, what information it has on the total cost to it of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy’s travel to attend the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, broken down by (a) travel, (b) …

Answer · Gillian Martin: 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.

4 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42087 by Ivan McKee on 2 December 2025, for what reason carbon savings were not measured for the Climate Change Saltire Fellowships and Scotland Lights up Malawi projects funded from the Scottish Government carbon levy; what assessment it has made o…

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Climate Change Saltire Fellowship and Light up Malawi projects were carried out in 2009 and 2014 respectively. There is no information available relating to the reasons for not measuring the carbon impact of these projects. At the time there was a focus o…

4 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42088 by Ivan McKee on 2 December 2025, what information it can provide on the current review of the Scottish Government carbon levy, including (a) the remit and scope of the review, (b) when the review (i) commenced and (ii) will be completed, (c) …

Answer · Ivan McKee: The review of the carbon levy commenced in summer 2025. The review is being led by the Scottish Governments Travel Management Team in consultation with Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate, Directorate for People and the Office of the Chief Economic …

3 Dec 2025 · Portfolio Question

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. 

26 Nov 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting skills development to promote the future of the north east fishing industry.

20 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the percentage of ScotRail Inter7City trains that have operated their Inter7City cafe during their journey in each year since the introduction of the service in 2018.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This is an operational matter for ScotRail Trains Ltd. The member may wish to contact ScotRail Trains Ltd directly to obtain this information.

20 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41715 by Neil Gray on 18 November 2025, in light of the cabinet secretary’s comment that the “cost of translation services can be obtained from Health Boards individually”, whether it will provide the information that was requested…

Answer · Neil Gray: While it is always our intention to be as open with the Parliament and the public as possible, as outlined in the answer to question S6W-41715, the Scottish Government is unable to provide the information requested as it does not hold this.It is the responsib…

20 Nov 2025 · Written Question

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)…

Answer · Ivan McKee: 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 - £33,3212018-19 - £32,2112019-20 - £40,5342020-21 - £5582021-22 - No money collected…

20 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41710 by Gillian Martin on 18 November 2025, what work was undertaken in relation to the reported action point recorded in the note of the meeting between the Minister for Climate Action and HadFab Limited on 22 May 2024 that “SG officials [we…

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Heroes of Net Zero campaign was raised to me in a meeting in 2024.Ideas for future communications campaigns are discussed with teams involved in Let’s Do Net Zero. The suggestion has not been taken forward this year.I refer the member to the questio…

20 Nov 2025 · Written Question

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 f…

Answer · Ivan McKee: (a) The objectives of the levyThe 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 En…

20 Nov 2025 · Written Question

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 b…

Answer · Ivan McKee: 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 Common…

19 Nov 2025 · Written Question

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

Answer · Gillian Martin: As outlined in my response to the chamber on the 27 November, we are focused on securing a Just Transition for workers, including at Mossmorran. Our focus is on securing new opportunities for workers, utilising the experience through Scottish Enterprise&rsquo…

19 Nov 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on reducing audiology waiting lists at NHS Grampian.

13 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding what the primary reason for travel was for patients registered with GPs in (a) Aberdeen City and (b) Aberdeenshire who received care delivered by NHS (i) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (ii) Lothian in each of the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The member may wish to contact NHS Grampian directly for this information.

13 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the patient (a) feedback and (b) complaints recorded by NHS boards regarding travel for planned care outwith a patient’s board area in each of the last five years, and what main themes were identified.

Answer · Neil Gray: NHS Health Boards are required to provide the Scottish Government with Complaints and Feedback Annual reports and complaints statistics on an annual basis, and these are published by Public Health Scotland. There are specific indicators that Boards must use w…

13 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the number of fundedpatient escorts, such as spouses, other family members and support workers, who accompanied patients registeredwith GPs in (a) Aberdeen City and (b) Aberdeenshire who received care deliveredby NHS (i) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (ii…

Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government.While the Scottish Government provides the overall guidance to NHS Boards for the patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes, individual Boards are responsible for deve…