Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Scotland Office:
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.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
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 particular focus on projects in the Highlands. For example, we are working together to ensure that Project Gigabit, the UK Government’s programme to enable remote and rural communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband, benefits the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what procedures are in place to ensure that defence contractors comply with international humanitarian law.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
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 characteristics outlined in the Act. Any supplier or prospective supplier in breach of this can result in their exclusion from a tender process or give grounds to termination of a contract. The inclusion of this DEFCON also covers equivalent legislation in the country where the Contract is being performed if it is being performed overseas.
All MOD procurements must also assess the potential risks of modern slavery throughout the supply chain in new and existing procurements. This assessment helps inform whether prospective suppliers are in breach of any mandatory and discretionary grounds under the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023), during the supplier selection stage, if there is any evidence of modern slavery offences having been committed.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether human rights are considered when awarding defence procurement contracts.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
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 characteristics outlined in the Act. Any supplier or prospective supplier in breach of this can result in their exclusion from a tender process or give grounds to termination of a contract. The inclusion of this DEFCON also covers equivalent legislation in the country where the Contract is being performed if it is being performed overseas.
All MOD procurements must also assess the potential risks of modern slavery throughout the supply chain in new and existing procurements. This assessment helps inform whether prospective suppliers are in breach of any mandatory and discretionary grounds under the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023), during the supplier selection stage, if there is any evidence of modern slavery offences having been committed.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
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.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
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.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
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.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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 escapes from salmon farms and their impact on wild salmon populations. This reporting will include information about the monitoring of genetic introgression from farmed salmon. NASCO also provides best practice guidance on salmon aquaculture practices. This guidance is due to be reviewed during 2026/2027, and the UK government intends to put forward a representative to contribute to this review work.
Aquaculture policy and regulation is a devolved matter and there is no marine salmon farming in England. The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) authorises all aquaculture production businesses in England, under the Aquatic Animal Health (England & Wales) Regulations 2009. This includes setting conditions to ensure fish do not escape. The FHI assesses each farm for compliance annually and investigates farmed fish escapes.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
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.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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 escapes from salmon farms and their impact on wild salmon populations. This reporting will include information about the monitoring of genetic introgression from farmed salmon. NASCO also provides best practice guidance on salmon aquaculture practices. This guidance is due to be reviewed during 2026/2027, and the UK government intends to put forward a representative to contribute to this review work.
Aquaculture policy and regulation is a devolved matter and there is no marine salmon farming in England. The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) authorises all aquaculture production businesses in England, under the Aquatic Animal Health (England & Wales) Regulations 2009. This includes setting conditions to ensure fish do not escape. The FHI assesses each farm for compliance annually and investigates farmed fish escapes.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
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.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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 escapes from salmon farms and their impact on wild salmon populations. This reporting will include information about the monitoring of genetic introgression from farmed salmon. NASCO also provides best practice guidance on salmon aquaculture practices. This guidance is due to be reviewed during 2026/2027, and the UK government intends to put forward a representative to contribute to this review work.
Aquaculture policy and regulation is a devolved matter and there is no marine salmon farming in England. The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) authorises all aquaculture production businesses in England, under the Aquatic Animal Health (England & Wales) Regulations 2009. This includes setting conditions to ensure fish do not escape. The FHI assesses each farm for compliance annually and investigates farmed fish escapes.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
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.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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 escapes from salmon farms and their impact on wild salmon populations. This reporting will include information about the monitoring of genetic introgression from farmed salmon. NASCO also provides best practice guidance on salmon aquaculture practices. This guidance is due to be reviewed during 2026/2027, and the UK government intends to put forward a representative to contribute to this review work.
Aquaculture policy and regulation is a devolved matter and there is no marine salmon farming in England. The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) authorises all aquaculture production businesses in England, under the Aquatic Animal Health (England & Wales) Regulations 2009. This includes setting conditions to ensure fish do not escape. The FHI assesses each farm for compliance annually and investigates farmed fish escapes.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
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.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
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 pets.
The insights from these discussions, as well as from animal welfare campaigns and correspondence helped to inform the public campaign on fireworks safety that I have launched for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign features new guidance for those running community fireworks events, as well as social media materials that encourage the public to consider the welfare of animals when using fireworks.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking in cooperation with Ukraine to develop or invest in low-cost missile interceptor technology.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Under project OCTOPUS, part of a new UK and Ukraine technology sharing agreement, we have agreed arrangements for the development of an advanced air defence interceptor drone.
This system, designed by Ukraine with support from UK scientists and technicians, has demonstrated effectiveness on the battlefield. Plans are in place for initial mass production in the UK, with a target to produce thousands a month.
In addition, the UK has purchased and provided other (non-OCTOPUS) air defence interceptor drones to Ukraine, including from Ukrainian industry.