Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she will answer Question 110820 relating to Peter Mandelson which was due for answer on the 9th of February.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I apologise for the delay in responding to the Hon Member. The question was answered on 27 February.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the date Peter Mandelson ceased being employed by her Department.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12 February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and Oral Statement on the 23 February which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what legal basis Peter Mandelson was dismissed from his post as Ambassador to the USA.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12 February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and Oral Statement on the 23 February which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with her Ukrainian counterpart on the import of Ukrainian drones to the UK.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Although the Government works closely with the Government of Ukraine to share knowledge and insight around the use of drones, neither I nor the Secretary of State for Business and Trade have had discussions on the import of drones from Ukraine with our counterparts.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with representatives of the Scotch Whisky industry on US tariffs.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We have had extensive and regular discussions with representatives of the Scotch Whisky industry throughout our negotiations with the US, as we do in relation to many other markets around the world. This engagement has helped us secure significant tariffs cuts in our other trade deals like with India.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on treatment for people with pulmonary fibrosis.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department ministers have regular discussions with their counterparts in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on matters of cross border interest. There have been no specific meetings held recently on treatment for people with pulmonary fibrosis.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2025 to question 82343, what steps her Department is taking to help customers in receipt of PIP to transact with the DVLA.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) remains committed to working with the Department for Work and Pensions to review and improve the process for customers who receive the standard rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which entitles them to a 50 per cent reduction in the rate of vehicle excise duty payable. Customers who receive the enhanced rate mobility component of PIP and whose vehicles are licensed in the disabled taxation class can already renew their exemption online.
The DVLA will develop and introduce a digital service for customers in receipt of the standard rate of PIP. This work will not start until after the delivery of electric Vehicle Excise Duty changes in 2028.
In the interim the DVLA is developing a temporary solution for customers in receipt of the standard rate of PIP that will allow them to submit their application through digital means. The technical discovery on this work is expected to start shortly.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential physical and psychological impact for those who faced financial exclusion from the Covid‑19 Business Support schemes during the pandemic.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Module 10, the final module of the Covid Inquiry, will consider impact on mental health and wellbeing. There was however a wide range of support available to businesses during Covid delivered by the Devolved Administrations in their areas. The Covid-19 Business Support Grant Schemes which the Department for Business and Trade was responsible for, were delivered via Local Authorities across England, included discretionary allocations which allowed each authority to consider applications from those businesses which did not fit the eligibility criteria for the mainstream schemes. The Scottish Government were responsible for Covid Business Support in Scotland.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish what assistance UK Embassies have provided to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor since July 2024.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office staff overseas would not normally provide any assistance to non-working Royals on private visits overseas, and we can find no record of any contact between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and our overseas network during the period in question.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) press, (b) media and (c) other communications job posts there are in his Department; and what the salary band is for each post.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The Scotland Office communications team currently has 16 posts, carrying out a wide range of communication functions.
There are currently five press/media posts.
Posts | Civil Service Salary Band (Government Communication Service Bands) |
Head of Communications/ Head of Digital | SCS1 |
Press and Media | Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 7, EO, EO |
Digital | SEO, SEO, EO |
Strategic Engagement/ Visits and Events | Grade 6, SEO, SEO, SEO, HEO, HEO, EO |