Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help prevent the overdevelopment of electricity infrastructure in rural communities in Scotland.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

Energy infrastructure projects go through the proper planning process, which involves consulting communities.

Every wind turbine, solar panel and pylon built protects us from future energy shocks.

Installing new electricity infrastructure can mean having to make difficult decisions. But we should not lose sight of the fact that it’s the poorest in our society who are paying the price for expensive energy.

We are also looking at options for how communities can benefit from energy developments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the £625 million allocated for compensating Equitable Life with-profits annuity holders has been spent up to and including 2024-25; and how much was originally forecast to be spent on a (a) cash and (b) discounted basis.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Government allocated £1.5 billion to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme. Before it ceased operations in 2016, the Scheme had issued £1.12 billion in tax-free payments to nearly 933,000 policyholders. The remainder of the £1.5 billion has been set aside for future payments to the With-Profits Annuitants. Further information is available in the Final Report on the Scheme. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-final-report).

The total value of payments made by the Scheme stood at £1.35 bn as of 30 May 2025, and the Scheme is on track to pay out the remainder. Annual annuity payments to the over 17,000 eligible WPAs amounted to £20m in 2025.

Found: Apologies were received from John Lamont MP and Sir Jonathan Stephens.

Submit Evidence (by 27 Feb 2026)

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee scrutinises the work and performance of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.