Asked by: Martin McCluskey (Labour - Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to establish GB Energy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has taken immediate action towards establishing Great British Energy – a new publicly-owned energy company, headquartered in Scotland.
The Government has now published the launch statement for Great British Energy, announced a chair and Great British Energy’s first major partnership with The Crown Estate. The Government is also introducing the Great British Energy Bill to Parliament, establishing Great British Energy so it can turbocharge investment in clean, home-grown power – boosting energy independence, creating jobs and tackling climate change.
Asked by: Martin McCluskey (Labour - Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to meet with representatives of the Scottish arts and culture sector.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I am looking forward to meeting with local stakeholders, including representatives of the Scottish arts and culture sector when I attend the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
Asked by: Martin McCluskey (Labour - Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of delays in issuing (a) new passports and (b) renewals.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
His Majesty’s Passport Office is exceeding its performance indicator of 98.5% of standard UK passport applications, where no further information is required, being processed within three weeks. We are working to ensure that these performance levels continue.
Performance data can be found in the most recent Transparency Data release at: HM Passport Office data: Q1 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Martin McCluskey (Labour - Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
This government will end the costly chaos in the asylum system by cleaning the previous government’s backlog of claims, in order to end hotel use and save the taxpayer billions. We aim to return to the use of long-standing dispersed accommodation as soon as possible.
Asked by: Martin McCluskey (Labour - Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many people of pensionable age there are in each constituency in Scotland.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
As you may be aware, the current State Pension age is 66 for both men and woman, with the state pension age set to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028. The most recent population data by Scottish constituency, collected on Census Day 20 March 2022, is set out below.
Constituency | Total aged 66 and over | Constituency | Total aged 66 and over |
East Renfrewshire | 19643 | Glasgow East | 12856 |
Na h-Eileanan an Iar | 6541 | Glasgow North | 11530 |
Midlothian | 17187 | Glasgow North East | 13685 |
North Ayrshire & Arran | 21715 | Glasgow South | 13302 |
Orkney & Shetland | 9929 | Glasgow South West | 12633 |
Aberdeen North | 19039 | Glasgow West | 13489 |
Aberdeen South | 16777 | Glenrothes & Mid Fife | 18257 |
Aberdeenshire North & Moray East | 20932 | Gordon & Buchan | 17908 |
Airdrie & Shotts | 15166 | Hamilton & Clyde Valley | 18673 |
Alloa & Grangemouth | 17579 | Inverclyde & Renfrewshire West | 18918 |
Angus & Perthshire Glens | 24265 | Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire | 21123 |
Arbroath & Broughty Ferry | 22136 | Livingston | 16365 |
Argyll, Bute & South Lochaber | 23315 | Lothian East | 19413 |
Bathgate & Linlithgow | 16280 | Mid Dunbartonshire | 22168 |
Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross | 22936 | Moray West, Nairn & Strathspey | 21530 |
Coatbridge & Bellshill | 15343 | Motherwell, Wishaw & Carluke | 16914 |
Cowdenbeath & Kirkcaldy | 19633 | North East Fife | 21192 |
Cumbernauld & Kirkintilloch | 16691 | Paisley & Renfrewshire North | 16629 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 24389 | Paisley & Renfrewshire South | 17158 |
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale | 21473 | Perth & Kinross-shire | 22354 |
Dundee Central | 16396 | Rutherglen | 16976 |
Dunfermline & Dollar | 17223 | Stirling & Strathallan | 20043 |
East Kilbride & Strathaven | 17844 | West Dunbartonshire | 17131 |
Edinburgh East & Musselburgh | 15006 | Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock | 21464 |
Edinburgh North & Leith | 13067 | Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk | 24245 |
Edinburgh South | 16692 | Central Ayrshire | 19687 |
Edinburgh South West | 15448 | Kilmarnock & Loudoun | 18931 |
Edinburgh West | 19583 | West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine | 18983 |
Falkirk | 17612 |
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Asked by: Martin McCluskey (Labour - Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent estimate he has made of the value to the Scottish economy of the renewable energy sector; and what steps he plans to take to support that sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
The renewable energy sector supports economic activity throughout its supply chains and this economic activity supports wage spending across Scotland. According to the Fraser of Allander Institute, a leading think-tank, Scotland’s renewable energy industry and its supply chain supported an estimated 42,000 jobs and contributed over £10.1 billion to the economy in 2021. Scotland's renewables industry continues to contribute significantly to the UK economy, and has a growing role to play as we realise the UK Government’s ambition of becoming a clean energy superpower by 2030. The establishment of GB Energy, publicly owned and headquartered in Scotland, will further support and turbocharge the sector.