Parliamentary questions
Douglas Lumsden
1,891 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has provided fast-track ministerial reviews since the start of the current parliamentary session.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government does not collect or record information relating to the volume of ministerial correspondence that is fast-tracked.
3 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many green jobs have been created directly as a result of Just Transition funding.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Just Transition Fund has allocated £75 million to date, supporting a cross-sector portfolio of projects ranging across sectors like energy, agriculture, digital innovation and construction while also supporting communities across the North East and …
3 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many former oil and gas workers have transitioned to green jobs as a result of Just Transition funding.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government does not currently hold overall figures relating to employment outcomes or job creation as a result of our funded programmes. We are currently commissioning an independent evaluation which will help to determine this and the impact of …
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Scottish Renewables to discuss employment and training initiatives for the renewable energy sector.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government regularly meets with Scottish Renewables to discuss a wide range of matters related to the energy transition. The First Minister met Claire Mack, the Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, in August, and this meeting included discussi…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met industry stakeholders to discuss workforce planning for renewable energy projects.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The most recent discussion on workplace planning for renewable energy projects took place at The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) on 18 September 2024, where members discussed barriers and opportunities in relation to skills and the workforce for…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss the impact of any funding changes on local skills initiatives for the energy sector in Scotland.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Officials are in regular contact with our UK Government counterparts. We are engaging closely with the newly formed Office for Clean Energy Jobs - set up to tackle workforce and skills challenges in the energy sector - and we look forward to supporting t…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Energy Skills Partnership to discuss the coordination of skills initiatives across Scotland.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government engages frequently with the Energy Skills Partnership (ESP) to discuss their work supporting Scotland’s college sector. Skills officials last met with ESP directly in August 2024.The Scottish Funding Council funds ESP to act as t…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group to discuss employment and training initiatives for the renewable energy sector.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government has not yet met with the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group to discuss employment and training initiatives for the renewable energy sector.The Scottish Government engages with industry regularly via a number of mechanisms including the Sc…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Offshore Energies UK to discuss employment and training initiatives.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with industry stakeholders, including OEUK to discuss their ongoing employment and training initiatives. The First Minister and I met with David Whitehouse, CEO of OEUK on 30 September 2024. The Scott…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Scottish Funding Council to discuss funding for energy skills initiatives.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government regularly meets with the Scottish Funding Council to discuss a wide range of matters, including sectoral skills initiatives.For example, skills officials recently met with SFC to discuss the co-led Tertiary Pathfinder Programme which, …
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Offshore Energies UK report, Energy Industry Skills Landscape Study, and whether it will seek to implement its recommendations.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government welcomes the Energy Industry Skills Landscape Study.We continue to work with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce that can benefit from opportunities across the energy system. This includes enabling skilled offshore …
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to discuss the safety of battery storage facilities.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: At the recent SFRS Annual Performance Review (APR) on 10 September, the Minister for Victims and Community Safety raised the issue of battery energy storage sites (BESS) with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).Scottish Government officials also meet …
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with emergency services regarding the safety of battery storage facilities.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: Scottish Government officials meet with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) representatives regularly to discuss fire safety issues in Scotland, including the safety of battery energy storage sites (BESS). The role of SFRS in relation to BESS sites is reg…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made on reallowing alcohol at certain times on ScotRail services.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is aware that passengers, ScotRail staff and other stakeholders hold a wide range of views about alcohol on trains.Ministers continue to consider this wide range of diverging views in line with the broad range of recommendations made i…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
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 and question S6W-27001 by Mairi McAllan on 7 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on the establishment of the advisory group re…
Answer · Kate Forbes: I am pleased to announce, in line with the Scottish National Investment Bank Act 2020, six individuals have agreed to become members of the Ministerial Advisory Group. They have a broad range of knowledge and expertise relevant to providing Ministers with adv…
2 Oct 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with local arts organisations to address any current challenges they face in maintaining their operations.
23 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what economic analysis it has undertaken regarding the potential early closure of the Forties Pipeline System.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Energy System and Just Transition: Independent Analysis published in support our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan highlights the need for careful management of the North Sea energy transition, including the fields linked to the Forties Syste…
18 Sep 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its Green Industrial Strategy will encourage companies to remain in Scotland.
13 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27175 byGillian Martin on 13 May 2024, on what date it will publish the recommendationsof the Transmission Network Short Life Working Group.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29845 on 24 September 2024. 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-commit…
11 Sep 2024 · Portfolio Question
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.
4 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue (a) has been raised by and (b) it has withdrawn from Crown Estate Scotland’s first round of offshore wind leasing in each year since the round concluded in 2022-23.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29569 on 19 September 2024. 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-commit…
4 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue remains from Crown Estate Scotland’s first round of offshore wind leasing, following the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government of plans to withdraw £460 million from this to support the 2024-25 budget.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29569 on 19 September 2024. 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-commit…
30 Jul 2024 · Written Question
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.
Answer · Ivan McKee: 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 to…
30 Jul 2024 · Written Question
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.
Answer · Gillian Martin: 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 i…
30 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to setting deployment targets for tidal stream and wave energy.
Answer · Gillian Martin: 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 …
30 Jul 2024 · Written Question
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.
Answer · Gillian Martin: 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 resea…
19 Jun 2024 · General Question
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.
14 May 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent in 2023-24 on safety improvements to trunk roads in the North East Scotland region.
24 Apr 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential economic impact of using Air Departure Tax for "demand management".
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government has not committed to managing aviation demand through Air Departure Tax and therefore no analysis or assessment has been undertaken.
24 Apr 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will significantly increase investment aimed at reducing rail journey times to the north east and north of Scotland, in the event that it proceeds with proposals to use Air Departure Tax for "demand management".
Answer · Tom Arthur: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27063 on 7 May 2024. 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/w…