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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.

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Question reference: S6W-37366

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 the total staff (a) time commitment, expressed in full-time equivalent days and (b) cost has been for work relating to zonal electricity pricing under the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements since 1 June 2021.

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-37375

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 internal correspondence it holds between the Energy Strategy and Markets Unit and the Directorate for Budget and Public Spending regarding the potential fiscal implications of zonal electricity pricing, since 1 January 2024, and whether it will publish a summary of any such correspondence.

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-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-37238

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, since the MV Glen Sannox entered operational service, what information it has on the (a) total volume of (i) marine diesel and (ii) liquefied natural gas consumed and (b) number of road-tanker deliveries of liquefied natural gas made to the vessel in that period.

Question reference: S6W-37236

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Aberdeen City Council remains in compliance with conditions attached to Scottish Government grant funding for the hydrogen-bus project, and what action it can take in the event of non-compliance.

Question reference: S6W-37239

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the MV Glen Sannox, what estimates it has made of the (a) annual consumption of (i) marine diesel and (ii) liquefied natural gas (LNG) and (b) proportion of the vessel’s total propulsion energy that it expects to be provided by LNG in the first full year of scheduled operation.

The Scottish Government has not made any estimates or assumptions around the level of fuel consumption by MV Glen Sannox as this is a matter for CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) as the operator.

CFL have confirmed, however, that total marine diesel consumption is estimated to reach around 1,800m3 per year. The vessel is expected to consume around 1,700 metric tonnes of LNG per year. The proportion of annual propulsion by LNG is expected to be around 70%, but this is under constant review.

Question reference: S6W-37243

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) monitor and (b) publish data on the (i) actual volumes of marine diesel and liquefied natural gas consumed by the MV Glen Sannox once it is in service and (ii) associated fuel-related greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the CHFS (Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service) contract, the Scottish Government monitors fuel consumption by all vessels operating on the CalMac network. However, there are no plans to publish this data at present.

The Scottish Government does not monitor or publish greenhouse gas emissions produced by, or associated with, vessels operating on the CalMac network. However, CalMac have a reporting requirement under UK MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) regulations on total carbon emissions for all vessels in their fleet over 5,000 GT (Gross Tonnage).

Question reference: S6W-37237

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Aberdeen City Council and (b) hydrogen suppliers regarding securing alternative fuel supplies for the hydrogen-bus project while life-extension works are carried out at Kittybrewster and Cove, and what the outcomes were of any such discussions.

Scottish Government and Aberdeen City Council officials undertake regular engagement relating to hydrogen in Aberdeen. This has involved discussions relating to the city’s bus fleet, including in the context of the Energy Transition Fund grant to the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub project over the period 2021-22 to 2024-25. Decisions on hydrogen supply to the fleet are a matter for the Council. The Scottish Government has not engaged in any direct discussions with hydrogen suppliers for that fleet.