David Duguid

The timetable for the Infected Blood Inquiry is a matter for the Chair of the independent statutory Inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff. Sir Brian has publicly recognised the need to achieve a proper balance between speed and the need for thoroughness, and has made clear that the Inquiry will complete its work as quickly as a thorough examination of the facts allows.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero works closely with the Department for Business and Trade and other relevant Government departments to attract investment in offshore wind manufacturing.

The UK remains an attractive market for offshore wind investment. SeAH Wind’s new monopile factory and JDR Cables’ subsea cable facility are expected to complete their construction and begin operations by the end of 2024.

The Department is also delivering the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme (FLOWMIS), worth up to £160 million, to support investment in the port infrastructure needed to deploy large-scale floating offshore wind turbines.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Government does not intend to extend the Renewables Obligation scheme beyond the end dates for support in 2027 and 2037, depending on when the generating station was accredited. However, finding efficient ways to re-use existing stations that otherwise might decommission could be important for reducing methane emissions, as recognised in the Biomass Strategy. The Government is exploring the most appropriate revenue support mechanism for repowering existing stations across all technology types where this delivers value to the consumer.

The Government does not intend to extend the Renewables Obligation scheme beyond the end dates for support in 2027 and 2037, depending on when the generating station was accredited. However, finding efficient ways to re-use existing stations that otherwise might decommission could be important for reducing methane emissions, as recognised in the Biomass Strategy. The Government is exploring the most appropriate revenue support mechanism for repowering existing stations across all technology types where this delivers value to the consumer.

The Government does not intend to extend the Renewables Obligation scheme beyond the end dates for support in 2027 and 2037, depending on when the generating station was accredited. However, finding efficient ways to re-use existing stations that otherwise might decommission could be important for reducing methane emissions, as recognised in the Biomass Strategy. The Government is exploring the most appropriate revenue support mechanism for repowering existing stations across all technology types where this delivers value to the consumer.

We have already announced twelve Project Gigabit contracts, to extend gigabit-capable networks in rural and hard-to-reach areas of the UK. More contracts are set to be awarded in the coming months.

Support is also available through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which provides a subsidy of up to £4,500 for residents and businesses towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband through local community broadband projects.

Through the Shared Rural Network, we are also jointly investing over £1 billion to increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the UK.

The Energy Emergencies Executive Committee (E3C), of which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is a member, is responsible for implementing actions set out in the Storm Arwen Review Final Report. This follows successful practice following previous reviews with cooperation with industry partners, as appropriate.

Oversight by officials of BEIS will be achieved through a newly established Storm Arwen Implementation Steering Group to ensure timely and effective delivery of these actions.

The UK is a world leader in the deployment of offshore wind and development in Scottish waters, as supported through the Contracts for Difference Scheme and the Renewables Obligation Certificate. The Crown Estate Scotland’s recently announced “ScotWind” seabed leasing round, which released almost 25GW of additional capacity in Scottish waters, including 15GW of floating offshore wind. This places Scotland in a good position to continue benefitting from the growth of offshore wind into the 2030s and beyond.

To continue to capitalise on this booming sector, the Government is investing up to £160 million for new large-scale floating offshore wind ports and factories. This funding, boosted by private sector investment, will develop industrial capacity capable of mass-producing floating offshore wind turbines and installing them out at sea, creating thousands of new jobs in the UK’s industrial heartlands. This investment also presents huge opportunities for Scotland’s coastal communities as well as communities up and down the UK, and will build on Scotland's lead as a technology hub for offshore wind.

The Government’s goal is to have a domestic nuclear market that maximises commercial opportunities in all parts of the UK including Scotland. The Government is committed to ensuring that all of the UK supply chain has the opportunity to compete for high-value contracts, that new nuclear developers share supply chain information with industry early, and to creating the right environment for UK companies to prepare to bid for these opportunities including Scotland. Companies from across the UK have an integral role to play in the creation of new nuclear power and the Government is focussed on supporting them to do so. Scotland has an excellent civil nuclear tradition, and the Government wants to see that continue.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has commissioned a post-incident review into Storm Arwen to identify lessons and best practice for system resilience, consumer protection and additional response support. The terms of reference are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storm-arwen-electricity-distribution-disruption-review.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy engaged with the Scottish and Welsh Government throughout Storm Arwen.

The Scottish and Welsh Governments, as members of the Energy Emergencies Executive Committee, will be engaged in the post-incident review of Storm Arwen that has been commissioned by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Ofcom is responsible for measuring 4G coverage and provides data at constituency level. Ofcom’s Connected Nations summer update report, shows that 44% of the Scottish landmass had 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile network operators (MNOs), with 81% from at least one operator. Comparatively, the UK has 69% coverage from all four MNOs, and 92% from at least one operator.

Scotland will benefit significantly from the £1 billion Shared Rural Network which will see 4G geographic coverage from all four operators rise to a minimum of 74% and coverage from at least one operator increase to 91%. On 29 June we released further details of how this world leading programme will benefit both the people who live and work in Scotland, and at a regional level across the UK.

Ofcom is responsible for measuring 4G coverage and it does not currently report on 5G coverage. In Ofcom’s Connected Nations summer update report, published on 9 September 2021, 87% of the Banff and Buchan constituency had 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile network operators, and 99.4% of the constituency had 4G coverage from at least one.

According to data from the latest Ofcom Connected Nations report (Summer 2021), there are 6,753 premises that are unable to access superfast broadband speeds of 30Mbps in the constituency of Banff and Buchan. The latest data from Thinkbroadband shows that 85% of premises in Banff and Buchan can access superfast broadband (>30Mbps), up from 74% in October 2016.

Superfast broadband coverage across Scotland will be extended further through the ‘Reaching 100%’ (R100) programme. The first funding commitment from the UK Government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit was announced in the summer to enable upgrades to gigabit speeds for over 5,000 premises which were within scope for superfast coverage via R100. The government will continue to work with the Scottish Government to extend gigabit coverage as far as possible through Project Gigabit.

Communities and businesses in rural areas not in line for commercial coverage or government-funded projects to provide gigabit coverage are also eligible for immediate help with the costs of installing gigabit through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme as part of Project Gigabit.

Those premises unable to access speeds of at least 10Mbps are likely to be eligible for support via the Universal Service Obligation, which gives every eligible premises the legal right to request a decent, affordable broadband connection, providing download speeds of at least 10 Mbps and upload speeds of 1Mbps.

The government has invested heavily in the Rest of Scotland project area, where the Banff and Buchan constituency sits, with £50 million of central government funding allocated. Superfast coverage in the constituency stands at 84.8%, up from 1.1% in 2012

Today, there is 84.8% 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile network operators in the Banff and Buchan constituency, with 99.3% from at least one mobile network operator.

My officials regularly engage with counterparts in the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government, to discuss policy developments and interactions. Earlier this summer we issued a Call for Evidence relating to the near elimination of biodegradable waste disposal in landfill in England from 2028. As part of this Call for Evidence we included two questions related to the inter-UK disposal of biodegradable waste in landfill.

This issue was discussed with the EU at the Trade Specialised Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, formed as part of the new Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and EU, in September 2021. The conclusion was to hold technical talks on the EU’s prohibition, which are expected to take place during February. Given that our regime already aligns substantially with the EU’s, we will continue to challenge the European Commission to reconsider its position in line with its own regulations.

The Government has taken significant steps to ensure the UK can enforce its fishing rights. These include, with respect to England via the Marine Management Organisation, increasing the number of frontline warranted officers by 50% (35 people) for 2019/2020; putting in place a framework to increase aerial surveillance by a maximum of two surveillance aircraft as risk and intelligence demands; and chartering two additional commercial vessels to enable an increase in routine sea-based inspections to supplement provision from the Royal Navy Fisheries Protection Squadron.

Fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter. As such, it will continue to be for each Devolved Administration to decide how best to control and enforce its waters, and what new arrangements may be needed. We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure a coordinated approach to fisheries control and enforcement across UK waters.

The Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) includes various instruments to protect British agricultural interests. Quotas on products such as beef set a maximum level for tariff-free imports for up to 10 years. Product specific safeguards for beef and lamb allow the UK to impose higher tariffs when imports exceed a certain threshold in years 10 to 15. On lamb, quota and safeguard volumes can be periodically reduced by 25% when fill rates are high. Additionally, a general bilateral safeguard mechanism allows for the temporary withdrawal of tariff preferences which will protect industry.

Our support for exporters is underpinning jobs and economic growth in the agriculture sector at this critical time. In November we launched a refreshed Export Strategy. The strategy is focused on tackling trade barriers, opening new markets, providing the services exporters need to compete in global markets and helping businesses maximise the opportunities generated by new free trade agreements. We support businesses through all stages of their export journey to Australia and other markets, including through our GREAT.gov.uk platform, our Export Academy, our new Export Support Service. We have dedicated agriculture, food and drink trade advisers in the UK and overseas in markets such as Australia to support businesses in taking up these services.

We are pleased that US Department of Agriculture is looking to remove their import restrictions on sheep meat. Restoring access to the US will provide a great opportunity for British producers, including those in Banff and Buchan, to export their high-quality product to a valuable new market that will increase in value as trade becomes more established.

Our communications campaign has been running since April 2022 and Pension Credit applications were up by around 75% in the 12 months to May.

We continue advertising through national TV, newspapers and broadcast radio, on social media and digital information screens in Post Offices and GP surgeries across GB.

There are no plans to add 22q11.2 syndromes to the new-born blood spot screening programme. Proposals to expand screening for new-born blood spot screening must be submitted to the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) for assessment against its criteria to ensure screening is introduced where the benefit clearly outweighs the harm.

The UK NSC runs an annual call for topics in September where members of the pubic and stakeholders can submit new topics to be considered. The UK NSC carried out a review for 22q11.2 Syndrome in 2018 following an annual call submission and recommended that at the time the evidence was insufficient to recommend a screening programme.

We recognise that there are overlaps between the services that support people with Down syndrome and those that support people with other genetic conditions and/or a learning disability. The Down Syndrome Act guidance will focus on the unique support needs of people with Down syndrome. We will, however, highlight where best practice in service delivery would also be applicable to those with another genetic condition and/or a learning disability, including DiGeorge syndrome (22q11.2 deletion syndrome). There will be a full public consultation on the guidance once a draft has been produced.

Since 1988, successive Governments have voluntarily provided ex-gratia financial and non-financial support for people affected by HIV and/or hepatitis C through historic treatment with National Health Service-supplied blood or blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 2017, country specific support schemes were set up in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, responsibility for these is devolved to the four nations.

We are working with our partners in the devolved nations and other relevant Government departments to improve parity of support across the United Kingdom.

The Infected Blood Inquiry chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff (a retired High Court Judge) and sponsored by Cabinet Office has been sitting since September 2018. So far, the inquiry has heard written and oral evidence from hundreds of those ‘infected and affected’.

The next session of the Inquiry will begin in February 2020, when it will hear from its own expert panel on the ‘psycho-social impact’ of infection and what followed for individuals. Evidence from ‘institutional’ witnesses such as from Government and the National Health Service is expected to be sought later this year.

At Spring Statement 2022 in response to fuel prices reaching record levels, the government announced a temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre.

This is the largest cash-terms cut across all fuel duty rates at once, ever, and is only the second time in 20 years that main rates of petrol and diesel have been cut. This cut represents savings for households and businesses worth around £2.4 billion in 2022-23.

All taxes, including fuel duty, remain under review.

The Government has made a comprehensive package of support available, worth billions, to a wide range of businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes extensions to the reduced rate of VAT for tourism and hospitality, the furlough scheme, extensions to the COVID-19 loan schemes, grant support, a business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality, and leisure business properties, mortgage holidays, enhanced Time to Pay for taxes, and VAT deferrals.

As announced at Autumn Budget 2021, the duty rates on beer, cider, wine and spirits will be frozen for another year, saving consumers £3 billion over the next five years and supporting the hospitality industry and its suppliers as they recover from the pandemic. Due to the continued freeze on alcohol duty, Scotch whisky is also facing the lowest real-terms tax rate since 1918.

The Treasury has acted through its unprecedented coronavirus response to support small breweries, including through furlough, grants and allowing breweries to remain open throughout the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Treasury committed to reform Small Brewers Relief (SBR) to ensure it continued to support growth. Our review is ongoing, and we will publish our response to our technical consultation in due course.

As announced at Autumn Budget 2021, the duty rates on alcohol will be frozen for another year, saving consumers £3 billion over the coming years. This will save beer drinkers £900m and consumers 3p off a pint of beer. Since ending the beer duty escalator in 2013, compared to previous planned rises, consumers have saved 21p off a pint of beer.

Freeports will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK attracting new businesses, spreading jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country.

We remain committed to establishing at least one Freeport in Scotland and specific locations will be chosen in a fair, open and transparent allocation process.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) regularly publishes expenditure with UK industry, broken down by both UK region and industry group.

The latest bulletin on MOD regional expenditure can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-regional-expenditure-with-uk-industry-and-supported-employment-202021/mod-regional-expenditure-with-uk-industry-and-commerce-and-supported-employment-202021

The MOD does not report on expenditure data by constituency, as the data is of insufficient quality to produce accurate estimates at this level.

For January 2022, the charge for Defence support to NHS Grampian is estimated to be approximately £180,000. Defence personnel are currently deployed to NHS Grampian where they are providing acute medical support.

Last year the Ministry of Defence invested over £20 billion in industry and commerce across the UK directly and indirectly supporting many thousands of jobs.

From 1 March 2020 to 20 October 2021, there have been 32 military personnel deployments to support the Scottish Health and Scottish Ambulance Services through Military Aid to the Civil Authority (MACA) requests. These MACA tasks ranged from supporting the COVID-19 vaccination and testing programme in Scotland, providing Service personnel to drive ambulances, as well as the use of defence estate and military planners.

The table below shows the number of military deployments broken down by local authority area. The total exceeds 32 as some tasks spanned over several local authority areas.

Since 22 March 2020, the estimated cost of assisting the Scottish Government in support of Op RESCRIPT (MoD's COVID-19 response) is £15 million.

The UK Government is committed to levelling up areas across the UK including north east Scotland. Aberdeen City Council has been awarded £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund. Projects in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have also been allocated funding exceeding £1 million from the UK Community Renewal Fund.