Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 1774 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-37384

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 16 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the estimated annual number of seabird and raptor collisions at operational (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind farms, broken down by (i) species and (ii) year in each of the last five years.

As part of their applications for consent under the Electricity Act 1989, developers undertake environmental impact assessment (EIA), including collision risk modelling to estimate annual collisions in respect of ornithological receptors. The results of such modelling for offshore wind are available within the EIA Reports published on the Marine Directorate – Licensing Operations Team website: https://marine.gov.scot/marine-projects.

Data provided by offshore wind developers indicate a total of 2 confirmed collisions have been reported at operational offshore wind farms in the last 5 years – one kittiwake (date not provided) and one herring gull (July 2024).

NatureScot collect data for bird strikes at onshore wind farms via their online reporting tool. The reporting is voluntary, meaning it is likely they only receive reports on a proportion of strikes. Where possible the data is supplemented with information they receive from general correspondence.

Question reference: S6W-37385

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 16 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many post-construction ornithological monitoring reports it has received from wind farm operators in each of the last five years, and what summary findings it has identified from any such reports in relation to bird mortality.

In respect of offshore wind farms, six reports have been submitted to the Marine Directorate – Licensing Operations Team. Reports consider the distribution and abundance of seabirds around wind farms or protected sites and what this may mean in terms of their displacement from wind farm areas, with some reports discussing implications for collision avoidance rates used in modelling.

All information related to determinations made by Scottish Ministers in respect of onshore wind farm developments, which may include conditions such as post-construction ornithological monitoring, is publicly available on our Energy Consents website: https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationSearch.aspx.

Question reference: S6W-37381

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with consumer representative groups to assess any perceived fairness issues in relation to the potential introduction of zonal electricity pricing in Scotland, and what timeline it has set for any such engagement.

Question reference: S6W-37382

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the workforce and skills requirements associated with the potential implementation of zonal electricity pricing reforms in Scotland, broken down by skills category.

Question reference: S6W-37377

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of zonal electricity pricing on electricity generation projects that were awarded under the Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round, AR6, and what the findings were.

Question reference: S6W-37364

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its position is on any proposal to introduce zonal electricity pricing, and what evidence underpins that position.

Question reference: S6W-37368

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what modelling assumptions it has used when assessing the potential impact of zonal electricity pricing on (a) renewable generators, (b) network constraint costs and (c) consumer bills in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-37363

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of any distributional impacts of zonal electricity pricing in Scotland across (a) geographic regions, (b) income deciles and (c) protected characteristic groups, and what the findings were of any such work.

Question reference: S6W-37361

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding (a) zonal electricity pricing and (b) the proposed reformed national market under the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements, broken down by (i) date, (ii) minister or official leading the representation and (iii) format of the engagement.

We meet regularly with the UK Government to discuss the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) and welcome the constructive engagement we have had with them – I last met with Minister Michael Shanks MP on 23 April 2025. In addition, I have formally written to the UK Government to set out Scottish Government’s views on REMA and is planning to do so again shortly in advance of the final decision by UKG in the summer. We continue to engage with stakeholders – including consumer organisations such as Consumer Scotland – to ensure their views are represented in our discussions with the UK Government.

Question reference: S6W-37371

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential implications of zonal electricity pricing for fuel poverty levels in Scotland, including any projected distributional impacts by income decile.