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Written Question
North Sea Oil: Tax Yields
Friday 21st October 2022

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the forecasted geographic share of North Sea Revenue for Scotland is in the next ten financial years from 2023-24.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

The production forecasts produced by the North Sea Transition Authority are for the whole of the UK continental shelf up to 2050; forecasts are not produced for each individual constituent part of the UK. Historical trends show that the share in Scotland’s geographical waters averages around 80% and the UK Government expects this trend to continue over the next ten financial years.


Written Question
DNACPR Decisions: Scotland
Friday 26th March 2021

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, following on from the Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) review by the Care Quality Commission in England, which found 508 cases where decisions had been taken which may have broken the Equality Act 2010, if he will order a similar review into DNACPR decisions in Scotland.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

DHSC has been clear that blanket application of DNACPRs is unacceptable and that standards and quality of care should be maintained even in pressurised circumstances.

It is important that we work across the health and care system, throughout the whole of the UK, to build understanding of the role DNACPR decisions play in high quality personalised care. Any advanced care decisions, including DNACPRs, must be discussed with patients and families, who must be given all the relevant information and any critical decisions must be made on an individual basis.

As Public Health is a devolved matter, I would call on the incoming Scottish Government, following Scottish elections in May, to listen to patients, families and care organisations who have serious concerns about the use of DNACPR orders during the covid pandemic.


Written Question
Fisheries: Scotland
Friday 12th June 2020

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department has taken with other Government Departments to develop UK fishing policy for when the transition period ends.

Answered by David Duguid

Under the devolution settlement, fisheries policy is largely a devolved matter, however, I and my Department are in regular contact with Defra and other government departments to ensure that Scottish fishing interests have been and continue to be clearly represented. The Transition Period will not be extended. At the end of this year, for the first time in 40 years, we will be free to decide who can access our waters and on what terms.


Written Question
Fisheries: Scotland
Friday 12th June 2020

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps officials in his Department have taken with officials in (a) other Government departments and (b) the Scottish Government to ensure that Fisheries Protection Scotland is fully prepared to prevent illegal incursions into UK waters around Scotland after the UK has left the Common Fisheries Policy.

Answered by David Duguid

Fisheries protection and enforcement is a devolved matter in Scotland but the UK Government is very aware that its effectiveness is dependent upon close cooperation between the fisheries protection and other maritime security functions of the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the NI Executive. Officials in the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland have helped facilitate that close cooperation.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Scotland
Friday 12th June 2020

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions his Department has had with the Ministry of Defence on ensuring there is no further reduction of the military footprint in Scotland.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

I and my officials are in regular contact with the Ministry of Defence to discuss the military footprint in Scotland. I am pleased that RAF Lossiemouth and Faslane are collectively receiving around £1.5bn of investment which demonstrates the UK Government’s long term commitment to having a significant military presence in Scotland.


Written Question
Offshore Industry: Scotland
Monday 8th June 2020

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department has taken with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to progress the Oil and Gas Sector Deal.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

My Department works closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a range of issues in support of the oil and gas sector in Scotland.

The oil and gas industry is important to our economy, energy security and jobs. That is reflected in the Conservative Manifesto commitment of 2019 to work with the sector on a transformational sector deal.

Discussions around an offshore oil and gas industry Sector Deal are ongoing and will build on Government’s existing extensive engagement with the sector.

While there is no formal timescale for concluding a sector deal we recognise the challenges facing the sector from the collapse of the oil price and the operational challenges posed by COVID-19. The sector deal has the potential to play an important role in the recovery of the sector.

This is a whole of Government approach and my Department will be appropriately involved in the process.


Written Question
Offshore Industry: Scotland
Monday 8th June 2020

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department has taken with the (a) Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and (b) the oil and gas sector on supporting that sector to recover from the effects of the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

My Department works closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a range of issues in support of the oil and gas sector in Scotland.

Government continue to engage extensively with business across all sectors including oil and gas and are aware of the significant challenges faced by the oil and gas industry and many other sectors during this pandemic. In recognition of those challenges, Government has announced an unprecedented package of support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency.

My Department and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have regular contact with OGUK and the oil and gas industry to understand current challenges and continue to work with them to consider what further support UK Government can provide.


Written Question
UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Scotland
Tuesday 28th January 2020

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on whether funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be available to local authorities in Scotland.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

Officials in my Department meet regularly with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to discuss how the UK Shared Prosperity Fund can be designed to support local communities in Scotland. We have also run 5 stakeholder engagement events in Scotland in order to aid policy development, in partnership with MHCLG. Attendees of these events included representatives from COSLA and individual Scottish Local Authorities, as key beneficiaries of EU Structural Funds.


Written Question
Natural Gas and Oil: Scotland
Tuesday 3rd September 2019

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the Scottish Government on future support for the oil and gas sector.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

I expect to have regular discussions with the Scottish Government on a range of issues of relevance to Scotland, including discussions about the support that this Government has provided to the Oil and Gas Sector.


Written Question
Ports: Scotland
Tuesday 12th September 2017

Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans the Government has to deliver an ultra deep water port on the East Coast of Scotland.

Answered by David Mundell

The Government is committed to supporting the development of a world-leading decommissioning industry. We have already invested in the Oil and Gas Technology Centre through the Aberdeen City Region deal, with the aim of becoming a global centre for solving offshore mature basin, subsea and decommissioning technology challenges.

But whilst a number of UK companies have been successful in winning decommissioning contracts, no UK port currently has the ultra-deep water facilities needed to directly accommodate the fully-loaded heavy lift vessels commonly used for decommissioning large platforms.

The Government intends to take forward scoping work to examine the market failure to deliver these facilities, and potential options for intervention to ensure that the UK is able to effectively compete for forthcoming decommissioning projects. I’d be happy to meet the hon Member to discuss this work further.