Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for offshore windfarm operations in international waters.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Health and safety standards for workers employed on offshore windfarms on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) are regulated in Great Britain by the Health and Safety Executive.
The Energy Act 2004 vests rights to The Crown Estate to license the generation of renewable energy on the UKCS within the Renewable Energy Zone out to 200 nautical miles. In Scotland, Crown Estate Scotland is the body which leases seabed, whilst Marine Scotland oversees licensing.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people and what proportion of the total population of Scotland are in receipt of a state pension; and what the total value was of state pension paid to those pensioners living in Scotland in the 2020-21 financial year.
Answered by Guy Opperman
In the quarter from November 2020 to February 2021 there were 979,217 individuals in receipt of State Pension in Scotland. This information can be accessed here:
We cannot provide the information on what proportion of the total population of Scotland are in receipt of state pension as we only hold information on customers.
The Scottish Government published a forecast of State Pension expenditure in Scotland for 2020/21 of £8,517m. This can be found here:
Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland 2020-21 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations she has had from the Scottish Government on further devolution of social security benefits in Scotland.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The timescale for the introduction of the Scottish Government’s replacement disability benefits is a matter for the Scottish Government. The Department is in regular discussions at ministerial, policy and operational level with their Scottish Government counterparts to ensure a safe and secure transition to the Scottish Government’s replacement benefits when they are introduced. There have been no formal representations received on the further devolution of social security in Scotland. This Government’s priority is ensuring the successful transfer of the social security benefits already devolved to Scotland under the Scotland Act 2016.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on the transfer of responsibility for personal independence payments.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The timescale for the introduction of the Scottish Government’s replacement disability benefits is a matter for the Scottish Government. The Department is in regular discussions at ministerial, policy and operational level with their Scottish Government counterparts to ensure a safe and secure transition to the Scottish Government’s replacement benefits when they are introduced. There have been no formal representations received on the further devolution of social security in Scotland. This Government’s priority is ensuring the successful transfer of the social security benefits already devolved to Scotland under the Scotland Act 2016.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timescale is for replacing personal independence payments in Scotland with the Scottish Government's disability assistance benefit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The timescale for the introduction of the Scottish Government’s replacement disability benefits is a matter for the Scottish Government. The Department is in regular discussions at ministerial, policy and operational level with their Scottish Government counterparts to ensure a safe and secure transition to the Scottish Government’s replacement benefits when they are introduced. There have been no formal representations received on the further devolution of social security in Scotland. This Government’s priority is ensuring the successful transfer of the social security benefits already devolved to Scotland under the Scotland Act 2016.