Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of radio signal back up power systems in ensuring radio signals continue working during power cuts.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government understands the importance of access to information when other communications may be disrupted. Radio plays an essential role in providing such access. In order to fulfil DCMS responsibilities as Lead Government Department for Broadcast Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), DCMS works closely with broadcast CNI operators and technical authorities to maintain security and resilience against a wide range of scenarios including power outages.
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 his Department has made of the potential impact of his policies for preventing plastic pollution on beaches in (a) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (b) other coastal areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government funds the Marine Conservation Society to record litter from sections of our coast which helps us monitor the levels and trends of plastic pollution. The monitoring is undertaken in accordance with regionally-agreed protocols, and annual reports are published online: Annual beach litter reports (2023) - ME4168.
Over the past six years, the total median litter count on UK beaches reveals a statistically significant downward trend, decreasing by 18.2 items/100m per year. Significant downward trends continue to be observed in several individual litter items, including those targeted by recent bans and consultations. Single-use plastics are significantly decreasing by 5.8 items/100m per year.
The Department has also recently conducted and published a Post Implementation Review (PIR) on The Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020. The review found these measures have contributed to reducing plastic pollution, with items such as plastic‑stemmed cotton buds moving out of the UK’s top 10 most littered item list in 2021.
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 his Department has made of trends in the level of plastic pollution on beaches in (a) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (b) other areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government funds the Marine Conservation Society to record litter from sections of our coast which helps us monitor the levels and trends of plastic pollution. The monitoring is undertaken in accordance with regionally-agreed protocols, and annual reports are published online: Annual beach litter reports (2023) - ME4168.
Over the past six years, the total median litter count on UK beaches reveals a statistically significant downward trend, decreasing by 18.2 items/100m per year. Significant downward trends continue to be observed in several individual litter items, including those targeted by recent bans and consultations. Single-use plastics are significantly decreasing by 5.8 items/100m per year.
The Department’s recently published Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the 2020 single use plastic bans and restrictions found evidence of reduced plastic litter on UK beaches, with plastic-stemmed cotton buds and straws showing significant declines. Cotton buds have dropped out of the UK’s top 10 most littered items in 2021 and reached their lowest levels in the Great British Beach Clean’s 28-year history.
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 discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Scottish government on tackling plastic pollution affecting beaches in (a) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (b) other areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges that we face today – it litters our beaches, threatens wildlife and contributes towards climate change.
The UK Government works closely with the Scottish Government on plastic pollution and beach litter is monitored across the UK under the UK Marine Strategy. Annual reports on UK beach litter are published online: Annual beach litter reports (2023) - ME4168. Monitoring data is also reported in line with our obligations under the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic and is used in the OSPAR beach litter assessment: Abundance, Composition and Trends of Beach Litter.
UK Government and the Devolved Governments have taken action to address some of the most commonly-found beach litter items – for example, legislation to restrict the supply of certain single-use plastic items has been introduced across UK nations.
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 he is taking to strengthen military and defence cooperation with Belgium.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The United Kingdom maintains a close and constructive defence relationship with Belgium, underpinned by our shared commitment to NATO and European security. We continue to strengthen this cooperation through bilateral engagements, joint training exercises, and collaboration in multinational operations. Recent steps include enhanced interoperability between our armed forces, particularly in areas such as cyber defence, and maritime security. The UK and Belgium also work closely within NATO frameworks, contributing to collective deterrence and defence initiatives.
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 he is taking to strengthen military and defence cooperation with the Czech Republic.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK continues to share a strong Defence relationship with the Czech Republic through which we cooperate on matters of shared interest. Our bilateral collaboration is underpinned by the British Military Advisory Training Team in the Czech Republic. Now in its 25th year, the organisation continues to play a valuable role in offering military training and assistance to NATO and NATO Partnership for Peace countries.
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 he is taking to strengthen military and defence cooperation with Finland.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The defence relationship between the UK and Finland is strong and growing. We cooperate closely bilaterally, in NATO and through the Joint Expeditionary Force. The UK is supporting the development of NATO's Forward Land Forces in Finland through the deployment of three Liaison Officers. In September and October, UK and Finnish personnel took part in TARASSIS, the JEF's largest exercise activity to date.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed amendments to the ECHR on the protection of individual rights.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
This Government is committed to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). However, commitment does not mean complacency, and we need to make sure the Convention evolves to face modern challenges.
We are bringing forward legislation to clarify how Article 8 ECHR (right to a private life) operates domestically in relation to immigration rules to ensure an appropriate balance between the rights of individuals and the national interest. We are also looking at the interpretation of Article 3 ECHR (prohibition against torture and inhuman and degrading treatment) so that varied prison conditions or access to healthcare are not a bar to extradition or deportation.
Our proposals are designed to strike a fair and proportionate balance between individual rights and the national interest. These changes will not weaken protections, but rather ensure that our legal framework remains robust, relevant, and trusted.
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 he is taking to strengthen military and defence cooperation with Estonia.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK and Estonia maintain a strong defence relationship and have a long history of working alongside each other through Baltic Air Policing, the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), Maritime and Land deployments through NATO and our enduring collaboration on NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF). The UK is the Framework Nation for NATO FLF Estonia and maintains a deployment of up to 1,000 UK Armed Forces personnel and saw hundreds of UK personnel rapidly deploy to Estonia earlier this year for Ex HEDGEHOG, which was a full demonstration of Estonia’s National Defence Plan.
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 he is taking to strengthen military and defence cooperation with Denmark.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK and Denmark are close defence partners with shared security interests in the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea. We have a strong history of cooperation - bilaterally, in NATO and through the Joint Expeditionary Force. The Secretary of State for Defence met with the Danish Defence Minister on 15 October to discuss opportunities for further defence co-operation, including support to Ukraine. In September the UK deployed a specialist RAF Regiment counter-drone unit to Denmark to enhance security in response to the drone incursions at their airports.