Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reform the grid connections queue in order to remove "zombie scheme" energy applications.

Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is working closely with the National Energy System Operator, Ofgem and the network companies to deliver fundamental reform of the grid connections process. The reforms will prioritise connections for viable and strategically aligned projects needed for clean power, helping unlock £40 billion of mainly private investment a year in clean energy and infrastructure. They will ensure only projects that are ready and needed are offered a connection, by requiring evidence of land access and permission to build, as well as how a project strategically aligns with the Clean Power Action Plan.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how many "shovel-ready" energy applications have secured grid connections in Scotland since 2021, broken down by local authority area.

Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Department does not hold this data however, through reforms to the connections process, only projects that are ready and needed will be offered a connection, by requiring evidence of land access and permission to build, as well as how a project aligns with the Clean Power Action Plan.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to discourage energy companies from lodging speculative "zombie scheme" energy applications.

Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is working closely with the National Energy System Operator, Ofgem and the network companies to deliver fundamental reform of the grid connections process. The reforms will prioritise connections for viable and strategically aligned projects needed for clean power, helping unlock £40 billion of mainly private investment a year in clean energy and infrastructure. They will ensure only projects that are ready and needed are offered a connection, by requiring evidence of land access and permission to build, as well as how a project strategically aligns with the Clean Power Action Plan.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how many "zombie scheme" energy applications have secured grid connection offers in Scotland since 2021, broken down by local authority area.

Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Department does not hold this data however, through reforms to the connections process, only projects that are ready and needed will be offered a connection, by requiring evidence of land access and permission to build, as well as how a project aligns with the Clean Power Action Plan.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who received a seasonal worker visa stayed in the UK beyond the six-month limit for horticultural work in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Seasonal Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar.’

The information requested regarding work placements in Scotland and overstayers in the horticultural and poultry industries is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who received a seasonal worker visa stayed in the UK beyond the two-month limit for poultry work in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Seasonal Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar.’

The information requested regarding work placements in Scotland and overstayers in the horticultural and poultry industries is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people applied for a seasonal worker visa in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025, broken down by how many applications were (a) accepted, and (b) rejected.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Seasonal Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar.’

The information requested regarding work placements in Scotland and overstayers in the horticultural and poultry industries is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who received a seasonal worker visa completed their work placement in Scotland in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Seasonal Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar.’

The information requested regarding work placements in Scotland and overstayers in the horticultural and poultry industries is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the (1) Secretary of State for Scotland, and (2) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland have had with (a) South Ayrshire Council, (b) Scottish Borders Council, (c) East Lothian Council, (d) Perth and Kinross Council, and (e) South Lanarkshire Council, regarding their proposal to establish a remote betting and gaming duty and the potential impact on horseracing at the racetracks located in each local authority area.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As part of the consultation process, the UK Government has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders and continues to work with representatives of horseracing to identify any potential unintended consequences for the sector, and how they might be mitigated.

The Government’s consultation on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system by merging the three current taxes that cover remote (including online) gambling closed on 21 July 2025. Responses are now being analysed and a response to the consultation will be published at Budget 2025.  The consultation relates to the structure of gambling duties, and no decision has yet been made on rates. If any changes are made to gambling duties at Budget following the consultation, legislation will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted any economic analysis of the potential financial impact of their proposed remote betting and gaming duty in Scotland on (1) the horseracing industry, and (2) other businesses supported by horseracing.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As part of the consultation process, the UK Government has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders and continues to work with representatives of horseracing to identify any potential unintended consequences for the sector, and how they might be mitigated.

The Government’s consultation on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system by merging the three current taxes that cover remote (including online) gambling closed on 21 July 2025. Responses are now being analysed and a response to the consultation will be published at Budget 2025.  The consultation relates to the structure of gambling duties, and no decision has yet been made on rates. If any changes are made to gambling duties at Budget following the consultation, legislation will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the (1) Secretary of State for Scotland, and (2) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, have had with Scottish Racing about their proposals to establish a remote betting and gaming duty.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As part of the consultation process, the UK Government has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders and continues to work with representatives of horseracing to identify any potential unintended consequences for the sector, and how they might be mitigated.

The Government’s consultation on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system by merging the three current taxes that cover remote (including online) gambling closed on 21 July 2025. Responses are now being analysed and a response to the consultation will be published at Budget 2025.  The consultation relates to the structure of gambling duties, and no decision has yet been made on rates. If any changes are made to gambling duties at Budget following the consultation, legislation will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Scottish Government regarding reported delays to the delivery of the Reaching 100% programme.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

UK Government has maintained regular engagement with the Scottish Government regarding the delivery of its Reaching 100% (R100) programme and continues to work closely with Scottish counterparts to monitor progress and support delivery.

As the contracting authority for R100 and previous superfast broadband contracts in Scotland, the Scottish Government is responsible for administering any penalties for delays under these contracts.

The UK Government has also managed contracts in Scotland under the Local Full Fibre Networks Programme and the Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme. These contracts were delivered within agreed timescales.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total cost of any penalties issued to Openreach for projects in Scotland in each year since 2016.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

UK Government has maintained regular engagement with the Scottish Government regarding the delivery of its Reaching 100% (R100) programme and continues to work closely with Scottish counterparts to monitor progress and support delivery.

As the contracting authority for R100 and previous superfast broadband contracts in Scotland, the Scottish Government is responsible for administering any penalties for delays under these contracts.

The UK Government has also managed contracts in Scotland under the Local Full Fibre Networks Programme and the Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme. These contracts were delivered within agreed timescales.

Found: Letter dated 23/09/2025 from Lord Katz to Lord Cameron of Lochiel regarding an issue raised during the