- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42660 by Angus Robertson on 13 January 2026, what the reasons are for its Travel Management system not recording the use of frequent flyer or other travel loyalty scheme account numbers for ministerial air travel, and whether it will provide this information to Parliament.
Answer
Frequent flyer mileage or other loyalty schemes are managed by airlines themselves and not by the Scottish Government's travel agent nor its Travel Management systems. Any membership of such schemes, and use of any accrued benefits is a personal matter for the traveller, and in line with the Scottish Government's travel policy, should be used for Scottish Government business travel only, and not for the travellers' personal gain. Air miles may be donated to a charity of the travel operator's choice.
Where a business journey is justified, Scottish Government Ministers and officials are required to travel in the most cost effective and time efficient manner available at the time of travelling.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Public Finance has any role in decisions on funding, financing or financial guarantees for electricity transmission infrastructure projects that are also subject to Electricity Act 1989 consents.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43113 on 27 January 2026. 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: Friday, 16 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether the weighting given to cost considerations in Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions has changed following the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43118 on 27 January 2026. 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: Friday, 16 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how accountability for Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions will be assigned where responsibilities span over more than one ministerial portfolio.
Answer
Paragraph 1.4(d) of the Scottish Ministerial Code makes clear that holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions. This operates alongside the principle of collective responsibility, set out at paragraph 2.1, whereby decisions reached by the Scottish Ministers, individually or collectively, are binding on all members of the Government.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether the remuneration of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy changed following the transfer of responsibility for Electricity Act 1989 consents to the Minister for Public Finance on 18 December 2025 and, if so, in what way.
Answer
The Scottish Parliament is responsible for the payment of salaries for MSPs and members of the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance for consents under the Electricity Act 1989 is intended to be a permanent arrangement.
Answer
The current allocation of responsibility for consents under the Electricity Act 1989 is expected to continue for the remainder of this parliamentary term, unless a future change in portfolio responsibility is made.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to manage any potential conflicts of interest where a single ministerial portfolio has responsibility for both infrastructure financing and infrastructure consent decisions.
Answer
The Scottish Ministerial Code outlines the general principle that Ministers should take particular care to avoid conflicts of interest when dealing with planning matters, including the granting of energy consents.
Mechanisms are available to preserve the integrity of decisions from challenge on grounds of prejudice, whereby the Planning Minister or any other Minister involved in the decision-making process can debar themselves from any involvement in the case.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether the criteria used to assess Electricity Act 1989 consent applications have changed following the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance and, if so, what changes have been made.
Answer
The decision-making process is undertaken in accordance with the Electricity Act 1989, and other applicable regulations pertaining to applications depending on the specific details of each case. Recommendations are made in accordance with regulatory requirements, taking into account all material considerations, including the benefits of the development, the impacts, and accordance with relevant policy.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it made of any implications of assigning Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions to a ministerial portfolio that is primarily responsible for public finance.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43110 on 27 January 2026. 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: Thursday, 15 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considered alternative ministerial portfolios to the Public Finance one when it transferred responsibility for Electricity Act 1989 consents, and if so, which portfolios it considered.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43110 on 27 January 2026. 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