Angus MacDonald MP: written questions
688 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Israel: PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61646More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to maintain progress towards (a) a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine and (b) the recognition of a Palestinian state by the United
Answer: The UK commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state at a time that has the most impact in achieving this reality and is most conducive to long-term prospects for peace. We are clear that does not ne...
Answered 29 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPalestinians: Recognition of StatesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61645More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria his Department uses to decide when to recognise the state of Palestine.
Answer: The UK commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state at a time that has the most impact in achieving this reality and is most conducive to long-term prospects for peace. We are clear that does not ne...
Answered 29 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning and Infrastructure Bill: Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61076More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the environment in Inverness, Skye, and West Ross-shire constituency.
Answer: The Environment Act 2021 requires Ministers to have ‘due regard’ to the policy statement on environmental principles when making policy. This is to ensure that environmental considerations are at the heart of policymaking across government. Environmental ...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: Labour Turnover and StressDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60745More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the devolved Administrations and (b) professional bodies on the potential use of professional regulation to help improve (i) support for and (ii) levels of rete
Answer: Officials from the Department have regularly met their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss and update on the development of the 10 Year Plan in England. The Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place t...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: Labour Turnover and StressDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60743More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the devolved Administrations and (b) professional bodies on the potential use of immigration policy to help improve (i) support for and (ii) levels of retention
Answer: Officials from the Department have regularly met their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss and update on the development of the 10 Year Plan in England. The Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place t...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: Labour Turnover and StressDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60742More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his counterparts in the devolved Administrations and (b) professional bodies on the potential merits of amending tax policy to help (i) reduce burnout
Answer: There have been no recent discussions with counterparts in the devolved administrations or professional bodies about the merits of amending pension tax policy. Tax policy is a matter for my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In the last few...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: Labour Turnover and StressDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60741More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his counterparts in the devolved Administrations and (b) professional bodies on the potential merits of amending pension rules to help (i) reduce burn
Answer: In common with the pension schemes for National Health Service workforces in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the NHS Pension Scheme for England and Wales provides a good pension for retirement. The scheme also offers a partial retirement option which allow...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordIndependent Review of the Loan ChargeTreasuryTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60696More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the independence of the Independent Review of the Loan Charge Scandal.
Answer: The Government has commissioned an independent review of the Loan Charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. The independent review is being led by Ray McCann, a highly respected figure in the...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: ChildrenForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60686More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) location of re-education camps for deported Ukrainian children in Russia.
Answer: According to the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, around 8,000 Ukrainian children have been sent to re-education camps in illegally annexed Crimea and mainland Russia. We note, with concern, reports that Ukrainian children have also attended so-called recr...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: ChildrenForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60685More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking with international counterparts to highlight the issue of forced deportations of Ukrainian children.
Answer: The UK continually raises the forced deportation of Ukrainian children with international counterparts. We are an active member of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian children, and continue to raise this issue in multilateral fora, inc...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Medical EquipmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on their decision to place restrictions of NHS medical equipment being donated to Ukraine.
Answer: It is a matter for the Scottish Government to explain why they have placed restrictions on medical aid to Ukraine.
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: MetersDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60367More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the RTS switch-off on consumers in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.
Answer: The Department and Ofgem have been clear that they expect energy suppliers to promptly arrange suitable replacement metering solutions for their remaining RTS customers. Suppliers should sufficiently resource themselves to ensure they have installer workf...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: MetersDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that consumers are not disadvantaged by the RTS switch-off scheduled for 30 June 2025.
Answer: DESNZ has stepped in to ensure there will be a managed and more controlled start of the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) phase out from 30 June. People with an RTS meter will not face any unexpected disruption to their heating or hot water at the end of the...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCare HomesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase care home capacity.
Answer: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a diverse range of care and support services that enable people to access quality ca...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: VATTreasuryTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60292More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of removing VAT exemptions for private (a) first-class and (b) business-class flights on Aviation Industry’s Carbon Footprint.
Answer: The principal tax on the aviation sector is Air Passenger Duty (APD), which is expected to raise £4.7 billion in 2025-26. APD aims to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances. The Government has put in place a wide range of mea...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordExerciseDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60289More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase physical activity in the population.
Answer: The Government and National Health Service recognise that reducing physical inactivity in people of all ages is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives. Building movement back into people’s everyday lives is a key part of the Health Missi...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordExerciseDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60288More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of deaths linked to physical inactivity in the UK.
Answer: There are no official published statistics on deaths linked to physical inactivity in the United Kingdom.Statistics on deaths from specific causes are based on the medical causes of death recorded on a death certificate, which are coded using the Internat...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordForests: Climate ChangeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking ahead of COP30 to strengthen legislation aimed at preventing UK companies from contributing to deforestation.
Answer: We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. The Government will set out its approach to addressing UK consumption of forest risk commodities in due course. We are committ...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCapercaillie: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60286More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on levels of sustainability of the capercaillie population.
Answer: Capercaillie are native to Scotland. As nature conservation is a devolved issue the sustainability of the capercaillie population is a matter for the Scottish Government.
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLivestock: Animal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60285More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help farmers protect livestock from predation.
Answer: There are various lethal and non-lethal approaches available to farmers to help them protect their livestock from predation. Under the Environmental Land Management standalone Capital Grants scheme, the item ‘FG1: Fencing’ primarily provides funding for f...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFarmers: Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shireDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60284More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on support for farmers in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.
Answer: Defra and the other UK nations work closely together through the consensus-based and well-established governance arrangements we have set up and operate under the Agricultural Support Framework. The regular meetings established under this Framework provid...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordForests: CommoditiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60283More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage UK companies to reduce levels of deforestation caused by overseas supply chains.
Answer: We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. The Government will set out its approach to addressing UK consumption of forest risk commodities in due course.
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHighland GamesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60282More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the contribution of the Highland Games to UK sporting (a) culture and (b) heritage.
Answer: DCMS recognises the contribution of the Highland Games to UK sport, culture and heritage but no formal assessment has been made as these areas are devolved to the Scottish Government.However, we would encourage the Highland Games community to engage with ...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordShintyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60280More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with the Camanachd Association on support for shinty.
Answer: Whilst the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not had discussions with the Camanachd Association, the Government is supportive of shinty as an important grassroots sport, particularly in Scotland. The Department regularly works with the Scottish ...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60279More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Federation of Small Businesses on the impact of increased employer National Insurance Contributions.
Answer: This government regularly engages with stakeholders including the Federation of Small Businesses to discuss the potential impacts of relevant policies.In taking difficult decisions to address issues with public finances, the Government increased employer ...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →