Angus MacDonald MP: written questions
688 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Hares: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65540More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the conservation of mountain hares.
Answer: This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature. We will deliver for nature by taking action to meet our Environment Act targets, working in partnership with civil society, communities and businesses to restore and protect our natural worl...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordOtters: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65539More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on conservation of otters in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.
Answer: We have not held discussions with the Scottish Government regarding the conservation of otters specifically in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency. Nature conservation is mainly a devolved responsibility and the conservation of otters in ...
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordOtters: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65538More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is funding UK-wide research into otter conservation.
Answer: Nature conservation in the UK is mainly a devolved responsibility. We are therefore not currently funding any UK-wide research into otter conservation.
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordOtters: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65537More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on measures to protect otter populations.
Answer: We have not held discussions with the devolved Governments about measures to protect otter populations.
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordOtters: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65536More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support otter conservation.
Answer: This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature. Later this year we will publish a revised Environmental Improvement Plan which will set out how we will meet our ambitious Environment Act targets. These include legally binding biodiversity...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCars: LoansTreasuryTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65533More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that motorists are aware of their rights in relation to mis-sold car finance agreements involving discretionary commission arrangements.
Answer: The government notes that this matter is currently being considered by the Supreme Court and a judgment is expected to be handed down in due course. The Financial Conduct Authority has confirmed that subject to the Supreme Court outcome, if consumers are ...
Answered 14 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordJapanese Knotweed: Weed ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65532More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities in (a) managing and (b) eradicating Japanese knotweed.
Answer: Defra recognises the impacts caused by invasive species, including Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it an offence to cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild. In England G...
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordJapanese Knotweed: Weed ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65531More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support landowners in (a) managing and (b) eradicating Japanese knotweed.
Answer: Defra recognises the impacts caused by invasive species, including Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it an offence to cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild. In England G...
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordJapanese Knotweed: Weed ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65530More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures to control the spread of Japanese knotweed.
Answer: Defra recognises the impacts caused by invasive species, including Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it an offence to cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild. In England G...
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordNature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65529More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support cooperation with devolved Administrations on the protection of irreplaceable habitats.
Answer: Planning is a devolved matter. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied, including policy on the protection of irreplaceable habitat.
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGrasslands: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65528More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the levels of protection for species-rich meadows in devolved Administrations on UK-wide nature recovery objectives.
Answer: As responsibility for the conservation of habitats is a devolved matter Defra continues to be guided by co-ordination and expert advice from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the UK wide Statutory adviser on Nature. The primary mechanism for...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGrasslands: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65527More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the inclusion of species-rich meadows in the list of irreplaceable habitats in Scotland.
Answer: Planning is a devolved matter. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied, including policy on the protection of irreplaceable habitat.
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Mental HealthDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64936More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Scottish Government on improving mental health resources for (a) nurses and (b) other medical care providers.
Answer: The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is very important. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting our hardworking and dedicated healthcare profession...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: ArthritisDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department has provided to help people with arthritis to (a) remain in and (b) return to work.
Answer: Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Disabled people and people with health conditions, including arthritis, are a diverse group so access to the...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: ArthritisDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of Personal Independence Payment claimants with a primary condition of arthritis.
Answer: There were 471,358 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants with a primary medical condition of arthritis in April 2025. This information can be found on Stat Xplore in the ‘PIP Cases with Entitlement from 2019’ table. You can use the ‘Disability’ fi...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64344More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to ensure that community benefit payments from renewable energy developments are spent on (a) housing, (b) reducing levels of fuel poverty and (c) social care.
Answer: The government believes community fund packages will have the most impact if they can be tailored to the community’s preferences and priorities. The process should be community led and decisions on how community benefit funds are spent should rest with th...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64343More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of applying a statutory 2% gross revenue contribution requirement to existing renewable energy projects over 1MW in capacity.
Answer: On 21 May, the government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The paper seeks views on the proposed introduction of a mandatory community benefit scheme in Great Britain, which would re...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64342More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating a proportion of gross revenues from offshore renewable energy projects to local authority infrastructure funds.
Answer: Communities close to clean energy infrastructure should benefit from it. Offshore wind developers have established community benefit packages, and via the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the Government has published guidance on community funds and direc...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64341More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of (a) Denmark’s Promotion of Renewable Energy Act 2008 and (b) other international models for statutory comm
Answer: In developing the government’s policy on community benefits, we have undertaken a review of international best practices to ensure our approach is effective and well-informed. This has included consideration of the Offshore Renewable Energy Support Scheme...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64340More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the total value of community benefit payments made by (a) onshore and (b) offshore renewable energy projects in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Department does not hold data on the value of community benefits payments made by onshore and offshore renewables across Great Britain. Community benefit schemes are administered by the projects themselves and provided voluntarily. We have however, re...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64339More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with renewable energy developers on establishing a statutory framework for community benefit payments based on a proportion of gross revenue.
Answer: On 21 May, the government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The paper seeks views on the proposed introduction of a mandatory community benefit scheme in Great Britain, which would re...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to encourage consistent revenue-based contributions to community benefit schemes by onshore renewable developments.
Answer: On 21 May, the government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The paper seeks views on the proposed introduction of a mandatory community benefit scheme in Great Britain, which would re...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64332More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory minimum revenue contribution from newly consented renewable energy developments to community benefit funds.
Answer: On 21 May, the government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The paper seeks views on the proposed introduction of a mandatory community benefit scheme in Great Britain, which would re...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBill Discount SchemeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64329More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Government’s proposed Bill discount scheme of up to £2,500 over 10 years for those living up to 500m from new and significantly upgra
Answer: The Government’s 'minded to' position of bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years for those living up to 500m from new and significantly upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure aims to ensure communities are recognised for living within proxi...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable Energy: Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shireDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64328More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of community benefit packages from new renewable energy infrastructure projects on Inverness, Skye, and West Ross-shire constit
Answer: At present, the provision of community benefits in Great Britain is voluntary . In Scotland, developers are strongly encouraged to provide community benefits in line with the Scottish Government’s Good Practice Principles. The government is, currently exp...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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