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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased defence industrial collaboration with Ukraine on Scotland's economy.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The Defence Industrial Collaboration underscores our continued commitment to supporting Ukraine and strengthening long-term security in Europe. This strategic partnership offers significant opportunities for UK-Ukraine cooperation, and Scotland is well placed to both contribute to the effort and benefit from this collaboration, leveraging its strengths in defence, advanced manufacturing, digital technology, and the space sectors.
This collaboration will help to advance joint production and integration of UK funding for new R&D. Crucially, this will support Ukraine's resilience while simultaneously sustaining skilled jobs and investment across the Scottish supply chain.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate her Department has made of the administrative cost of processing and submitting VAT returns to to businesses with a turnover under £250,000.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC does not estimate the administrative cost to businesses with a turnover below £250,000 for processing and submitting VAT returns, as the cost can vary between businesses, regardless of their turnover. Administrative costs are largely dependent on their individual business processes and the nature and complexity of their record keeping.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to her Oral Statement on Youth Unemployment, whether her Department has considered the benefits of raising the VAT Threshold to remove the potential barriers to sole traders taking on more work and hiring apprentices.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This means the majority of UK businesses are not in the VAT system at all, reducing administrative burdens and supporting their growth.
The Government’s approach to the VAT registration threshold aims to balance the impacts on small businesses, including their growth and financial sustainability, with the needs of the wider economy and the public finances. Increasing the VAT registration threshold would come at a significant fiscal cost and reduce the revenue available for vital public services.
More than £1.5 billion is being made available over the Spending Review period for investment in employment and skills support. This includes £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy, to help support apprenticeships for young people and fully fund SME apprenticeships for under-25s.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions his Department has had with Highland Council on the use of Cameron Barracks to house Asylum Seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has engaged with Highland Council, as well as other local stakeholders including the Police, NHS, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and others since plans were announced in October 2025.
The department continues to engage regularly with all statutory partners as plans progress. Key information about the plans discussed with local partners can be found on the factsheet Cameron Barracks, Inverness: factsheet - GOV.UK, which will be updated as further information becomes available.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken to support the residents of Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, that are currently stranded in the Middle East.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 March in response to Question 118590.
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 she plans to meet the National Fire Chiefs Council to discuss the Scottish Government’s Strategic Action Plan on Wildfires, published on 5 March 2026.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Wildfire is a devolved issue.
Whilst Defra works closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council there are no plans to meet with them to discuss the Scottish Government’s Strategic Action Plan on Wildfires.
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 assessment his department has made of the potential security implications for British citizens in Cyprus as a result of the delay in sending HMS Dragon to the region.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Department continually assesses a wide range of potential threats to the UK and its citizens, including hostile activity by state actors. We do not comment on specific intelligence for security reasons.
The deployment of HMS Dragon is in addition to the considerable amount of capability positioned into RAF Akrotiri since January, including hundreds of Armed Forces personnel, radar, air defence missiles and F35s to defend our bases, people and interests.
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 assessment his department has made of the potential security implications for UK residents after allowing United States forces to use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia for strikes on Iranian missile sites.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Department continually assesses a wide range of potential threats to the UK, including hostile activity by state actors. Whilst we do not comment on specific intelligence for security reasons, the UK maintains robust, multi layered defences designed to protect the whole of the UK.
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 assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK being directly attacked by Iran on the security of the North of Scotland.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Department continually assesses a wide range of potential threats to the UK, including hostile activity by state actors. Whilst we do not comment on specific intelligence for security reasons, the UK maintains robust, multi layered defences designed to protect the whole of the country, including the North 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 additional security steps he is putting in place to protect the RAF Akrotiri base.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Department cannot comment on the specific security measures in place at individual sites. However, we can confirm that the Ministry of Defence operates a multi-layered approach designed to deter, detect, and respond to any threat to protect our assets.
The deployment of HMS Dragon is in addition to the considerable amount of capability positioned into RAF Akrotiri since January, including hundreds of armed forces personnel, radar, air defence missiles and F35s to defend our bases, people and interests.
We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of security to safeguard our national defence capabilities.