-  Asked by:     Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
                                        
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Ben Macpherson on 1 December 2021
                                    
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has the power to exempt military compensation as normal income from benefits that are primarily “passported” from reserved benefits.
                                Answer
                                    As noted in the answer to S6W-04370 on 1 December 2021, the Scottish Government does not conduct means-testing for any of the devolved benefits that it delivers.
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/written-questions-and-answers 
 
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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                                            Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
                                        
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                                        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.
                                Answer
                                    Social Security Scotland does not hold information on how many veterans are in receipt of the benefits it delivers. This information is not captured as part of the application process and therefore not reported as part of the information Social Security Scotland routinely publishes on benefits.
 
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  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.
                                Answer
                                    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.
 
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  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.
                                Answer
                                    I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04373 on 30 November 2021. 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/written-questions-and-answers 
 
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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                                            Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
                                        
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                                        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.
                                Answer
                                    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.
 
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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                                            Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
                                        
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                                        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.
                                Answer
                                Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2021
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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                                            Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
                                        
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                                        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.
                                Answer
                                Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
                                        
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                                        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.
                                Answer
                                    Business Improvement Districts are business partnerships which vote to invest collectively to deliver local economic growth. There are currently 38 operating in Scotland covering town and city centres as well as themed areas such as digital, food and drink, and tourism. Business Improvement Districts in Scotland have consistently raised just over £6 million on average per annum in core levy.
 
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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                                            Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
                                        
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                                        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.
                                Answer
                                    Our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) position statement, published November 2020, sets out our intentions that NPF4 will strengthen our approach to protecting and restoring the health and quality of Scotland’s natural environment. We will lay a draft NPF4 in Parliament this autumn, and will carry out extensive public consultation at the same time.
 
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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                                            Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
                                        
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Lorna Slater on 20 September 2021
                                    
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to protect at least 30% of land for nature by 2030, how it will improve the protections given to internationally-designated Ramsar sites.
                                Answer
                                    The target to protect 30% of Scotland’s land for nature by 2030 provides an opportunity to strengthen our existing protected areas network, including Ramsar sites, by improving the connectivity between them. This will give the space for nature to adapt to Scotland’s changing environmental conditions, which is driven by climate change.