Angus MacDonald MP: written questions
688 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Fish FarmingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87679More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is supporting research into potential methods for reducing the environmental impact of fish farm escapes on wild fish populations.
Answer: In line with our membership of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation (NASCO), the UK is committed to minimising adverse interactions between farmed and wild salmon. From 2027 each of the UK’s Governments will report annually to NASCO on the number of esc...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFish FarmingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of interbreeding between escaped farmed fish and wild fish on the genetic integrity of wild populations.
Answer: In line with our membership of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation (NASCO), the UK is committed to minimising adverse interactions between farmed and wild salmon. From 2027 each of the UK’s Governments will report annually to NASCO on the number of esc...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFish FarmingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87677More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the risk of fish escaping from aquaculture sites due to (a) infrastructure failures, (b) human error and (c) severe weather events.
Answer: In line with our membership of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation (NASCO), the UK is committed to minimising adverse interactions between farmed and wild salmon. From 2027 each of the UK’s Governments will report annually to NASCO on the number of esc...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFish FarmingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87676More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) prevalence of fish farm escapes and (b) potential impact of fish farm escapes on wild fish populations.
Answer: In line with our membership of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation (NASCO), the UK is committed to minimising adverse interactions between farmed and wild salmon. From 2027 each of the UK’s Governments will report annually to NASCO on the number of esc...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordUtilities: InfrastructureScotland OfficeTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87675More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the adequacy of utility infrastructure in rural Highland communities.
Answer: I regularly engage with the Scottish Government on a variety of shared priorities, including critical infrastructure development in Scotland's rural areas.My discussions also encompass clean energy transition and infrastructure investment, with a particul...
Answered 10 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordUtilities: InvestmentTreasuryTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87674More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential economic merits of public investment in essential utility infrastructure in remote rural communities.
Answer: The government’s number one priority is driving economic growth to boost living standards in every part of the country. The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy confirmed we will fund at least £725 billion for infrastructure over the next decade. This includes...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordInfrastructure: Rural AreasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87673More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support essential infrastructure in rural communities at risk of depopulation.
Answer: Rural policy is a devolved matter. Defra regularly publishes statistics on a range of social and economic topics including rural population trends, and rural service provision in The Statistical Digest for Rural England. Net internal migration within Engl...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordUtilities: Rural AreasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87672More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the relationship between access to core utilities and population retention in remote rural areas.
Answer: Rural policy is a devolved matter. Defra regularly publishes statistics on a range of social and economic topics including rural population trends, and rural service provision in The Statistical Digest for Rural England. Net internal migration within Engl...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87671More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with Ofgem on ensuring that grid investment strategies take into account the long-term sustainability of remote rural communities.
Answer: The Government works with Ofgem to ensure grid investment supports all communities, including remote rural areas. Ofgem has allocated £22 billion for network upgrades under the current electricity distribution price control (2023–2028). The next price con...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordElectricity: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87670More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a support mechanism for electricity infrastructure projects in rural areas that face high connection costs.
Answer: I recognise that connection costs can be higher in rural areas that are distant from the wider electricity network. Under Ofgem’s price control framework, network companies are investing in new electricity network capacity ahead of need. This should reduc...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Grid: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87669More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of difficulties in connecting remote communities to the national electricity grid on rural depopulation.
Answer: The Government has not made an assessment of any relationship between connecting to the electricity network and changes in rural populations.
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordElectricity: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87668More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support electricity network operators to deliver connection upgrades in remote rural communities.
Answer: The Government works with Ofgem to ensure grid investment supports all communities, including remote rural areas. Ofgem has allocated £22 billion for network upgrades under the current electricity distribution price control (2023–2028). The next price con...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87667More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of regulatory frameworks in ensuring that rural communities have access to electricity grid connections.
Answer: The Government works with Ofgem to ensure grid investment supports all communities, including remote rural areas. Ofgem has allocated £22 billion for network upgrades under the current electricity distribution price control (2023–2028). The next price con...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: ScotlandDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87666More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households not on the national grid for (a) gas and (b) electricity in each constituency in Scotland.
Answer: The department publishes estimates of the number of domestic properties not connected to the gas network in Great Britain by country, English regions, local authority and constituency. For Northern Ireland, data on the total number of gas connections is a...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: ScotlandDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87665More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households not on the national grid for (a) gas and (b) electricity in Scotland.
Answer: The department publishes estimates of the number of domestic properties not connected to the gas network in Great Britain by country, English regions, local authority and constituency. For Northern Ireland, data on the total number of gas connections is a...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87664More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households not on the national grid for (a) gas and (b) electricity in the UK.
Answer: The department publishes estimates of the number of domestic properties not connected to the gas network in Great Britain by country, English regions, local authority and constituency. For Northern Ireland, data on the total number of gas connections is a...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86990More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that gambling harm prevention campaigns reach rural and remote communities.
Answer: The introduction of the new statutory levy on gambling operators, which came into effect in April 2025, guarantees sustainable funding for the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms which is entirely independent of the influence of ...
Answered 21 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: TrainingMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86989More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria need to be met by a company before it receives a contract for military training services.
Answer: All prospective suppliers are to be checked that they are not on the Debarment List before they are invited to tender or awarded a contract. If the procurement is subject to the Procurement Act 2023 (“the Act”), prospective suppliers can be excluded from ...
Answered 14 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordMilitary Aircraft: VandalismMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86988More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the cost of repairs to military aircraft damaged by (a) acts of vandalism and (b) protest activity in 2025.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2025 to the hon. Member for Angus and Perthshire Glens (Dave Doogan) to Question 78509.
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what procedures are in place to ensure that defence contractors comply with international humanitarian law.
Answer: All Ministry of Defence (MOD) procurements must include DEFCON 516 (Equality) in their contracts. This requirement ensures suppliers shall adhere to the UK Equality Act 2010 and shall not unlawfully discriminate either directly or indirectly on the charac...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86986More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether human rights are considered when awarding defence procurement contracts.
Answer: All Ministry of Defence (MOD) procurements must include DEFCON 516 (Equality) in their contracts. This requirement ensures suppliers shall adhere to the UK Equality Act 2010 and shall not unlawfully discriminate either directly or indirectly on the charac...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFamilies: Food PovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86985More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of families with children relying on emergency food parcels.
Answer: We are committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. We are expanding Free School Meals to every pupil whose household is in receipt of Universal Credit, which will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of t...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFireworks: Animal WelfareDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86984More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions she has had with (a) animal welfare charities and (b) other stakeholders on the potential impacts of fireworks use on (i) pets and (ii) livestock.
Answer: Building on the work of my predecessor and to inform any future decisions in relation to the regulation of fireworks, I will engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks on livestock and p...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordReligious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86983More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the protection of freedom of religion or belief in countries identified as priority areas as part of her Department’s freedom of religion
Answer: The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, both in sub-Saharan Africa and across the world. On 8 July, the UK's Special Envoy for Religious Freedom, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework f...
Answered 6 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordConflict Prevention: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86982More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the strength of the link between freedom of religion or belief and conflict prevention in the context of UK foreign policy.
Answer: The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, both in sub-Saharan Africa and across the world. On 8 July, the UK's Special Envoy for Religious Freedom, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework f...
Answered 6 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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