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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

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Question reference: S6W-04372

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has the power to compensate veterans who are in receipt of benefits and who are being financially disadvantaged as a result of receiving military compensation, by topping up their benefits or providing a discretionary payment.

The Scottish Government is not aware of existing scenarios where veterans would be financially disadvantaged as a result of military compensation payments reducing or removing reserved benefit entitlements.

As such, there has not been any examination of whether the Scottish Parliament's existing powers could be used for top-ups or discretionary payments. In scenarios where veterans were being disadvantaged as a result of compensation payments it would be appropriate for this to be remedied at source by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Defence.

Question reference: S6W-04373

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many veterans in Scotland are in receipt of Universal Credit.

Universal Credit, alongside other reserved benefits including Employment and Support Allowance, are fully reserved to the UK Government and as such the Scottish Government does not hold the data relevant to this question.

The Department for Work and Pensions provides the data confirming the number of people in receipt of both of these benefits, however it does not record information relating to an individual’s past employment or if they are a veteran.

Question reference: S6W-04374

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many veterans are in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance.

Question reference: S6W-04369

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many veterans are in receipt of Social Security Scotland devolved benefits.

Question reference: S6W-04273

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the geographical breakdown is of the 22,660 renewable energy industry jobs that have reportedly been created.

Research carried out by the Fraser of Allander Institute found that Scotland’s renewable activities support 22,660 full-time equivalent jobs in Scotland 2019.

https://www.scottishrenewables.com/assets/000/001/718/2021_FAI_Economic_Impact_of_Scotland_s_Renewable_Energy_Sector_original.pdf?1622564058 ).

No data is available to provide additional geographic breakdowns below the Scotland level at this time.

Question reference: S6O-00439

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support the cultural sector in Aberdeen to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00389

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the rural economy in the north east.

Question reference: S6W-03387

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue is raised each year in business improvement district levies.

Question reference: S6W-02677

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review its policy on Ramsar sites, in light of reports that such sites receive a higher level of protection in the rest of the UK.

Ramsar sites are currently afforded a high level of protection in Scotland by virtue of their co-designation as Sites of Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation or Special Protection Area. We are committed to producing a new Biodiversity Strategy by autumn 2022. As part of the development of that strategy and the implementation of key commitments such as the protection of 30% of our land for nature by 2030, we will look at how best we can protect and restore nature in Scotland. This will include looking at the levels of protection given to our protected areas.

Question reference: S6W-02675

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 20 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that internationally-designated Ramsar sites in Scotland are given an increased level of protection in the forthcoming National Planning Framework 4.