Angus MacDonald MP: written questions
151 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Energy: 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 recordSmall Businesses: Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shireDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60278More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what financial steps his Department is taking to support seasonal businesses in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.
Answer: Seasonal businesses in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire can benefit from a range of British Business Bank programmes for example, through the Start Up Loans programme, in addition, the Investment Fund for Scotland also provides debt and equity funding ...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Insurance Contributions: GratuitiesTreasuryTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60273More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the merits of exempting tips paid by card from National Insurance contributions.
Answer: The method of payment of a tip does not determine whether National Insurance is due. National Insurance is not due on tips paid directly to the worker, or where the employer has no influence in the allocation of the tips. If an employer is involved in dec...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Insurance Contributions: GratuitiesTreasuryTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60272More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the merits of the application of National Insurance contributions to tips paid by card.
Answer: The method of payment of a tip does not determine whether National Insurance is due. National Insurance is not due on tips paid directly to the worker, or where the employer has no influence in the allocation of the tips. If an employer is involved in dec...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: UkraineDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60271More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 56574 on Ukraine: Vehicles, whether her Department has made an assessment of trends in the number of vehicles collected under the ULEZ scrappage scheme that ha
Answer: Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London and they were responsible for the ULEZ scrappage scheme. 680 vehicles were donated to Ukraine through the scheme before it closed in September 2024.
Answered 20 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordVehicles: UkraineHome OfficeTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56574More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of sending (a) vehicles seized by the police and (b) decommissioned police vehicles to Ukraine.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence remains in regular contact with the Government of Ukraine regarding the most effective means of supporting them.
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordShared Rural Network: AerialsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52827More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will publish a full list of approved masts included in the Shared Rural Network programme.
Answer: The locations of proposed government-funded Total Not Spot masts can be found at https://srn.org.uk/about/srn-tns-site-locations/,however this is due to be updated soon, as we now expect the objectives for this part of the programme to be met with far few...
Answered 23 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: ScotlandDepartment for TransportTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52175More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring Scottish driving instructors to undergo (a) PVG and (b) DBS checks.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes the safety of learner drivers extremely seriously.DVSA requires every prospective approved driving instructor (ADI) in Great Britain to apply for an enhanced disclosure and barring (DBS) check before be...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: VettingDepartment for TransportTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52174More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the differences between the PVG requirement for driving instructors in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) England and (d) Northern Ireland.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes the safety of learner drivers extremely seriously.DVSA requires every prospective approved driving instructor (ADI) in Great Britain to apply for an enhanced disclosure and barring (DBS) check before be...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: ScotlandDepartment for TransportTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52173More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) notice provided and (b) the prior consultation for the new requirement for Scottish driving instructors to join the PVG scheme.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes the safety of learner drivers extremely seriously.DVSA requires every prospective approved driving instructor (ADI) in Great Britain to apply for an enhanced disclosure and barring (DBS) check before be...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Chronic IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50454More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of Personal Independence Payments assessments for people with (i) moderate and (ii) fluctuating health conditions.
Answer: The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment looks at how a long-term health condition or disability impacts on daily life across 12 activities, taking into account fluctuations over a 12-month period. The activities are grouped into two components,...
Answered 9 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment and Universal Credit: Chronic IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50453More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of cuts to (a) Personal Independence Payments and (b) the health top-up in Universal Credit on people with (i) moderate and (ii) fluctuating conditio
Answer: No assessment has been made on the impacts of the reforms on claimants with particular health conditions.Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britai...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Relations with EUCabinet OfficeTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48840More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the benefits of restoring stronger ties with the European Union.
Answer: We have reset our relations with European partners. The Government is now focused on using our strengthened relations to deliver a new strategic partnership with the EU to grow the economy, boost living standards, protect our borders and keep the UK safe....
Answered 9 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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