Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she received representations from Anas Sarwar MSP between 1 July 2025 and 27 November 2025 on the windfall tax on oil and gas companies.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government receives representations from a wide range of stakeholders on the budget, including those from Scottish Labour.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what correspondence she has received from Anas Sarwar MSP between 1 July 2025 and 26 November 2025 on (a) the Budget and (b) the decision to allocate £820 million to the Scottish Government over the Spending review period through the Barnett formula.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government listens to a wide range of representations to help shape the Budget, including those from Scottish Labour.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Budget Statement of 26 November 2025, what was the evidential basis for the decision to allocate £820 million to the Scottish Government over the Spending review period through the Barnett formula.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The additional funding referenced is a result of the operation of the Barnett formula based on the decisions taken at the Autumn Budget.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Oral Statement of 18 November 2025 on Asylum Policy (Official Report, Vol.775, c.509-513), whether equalities impact assessments have been made for the new measures announced.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Specific Equality Impact Assessments will be produced for individual policies in due course. These will be kept under review to ensure that there are no unintended impacts on people with protected characteristics.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Oral Statement of 20 November 2025 on A Fairer Pathway to Settlement (Official Report, Vol.775, c.889-891), whether equalities impact assessments have been made for (a) the decision to extend the standard settlement qualification time from five to ten years and (b) the other measures she announced would go for consultation.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The new earned settlement model outlined in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement has been subject to an equality impact assessment. Equality impact assessments are kept under regular review.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 91352, whether he can cite, excepting DWP research report no.434 "Attitudes to pensions: the 2006 survey", which other "research from 2006", Official Report, Vol. 759, column 168, his predecessor was referencing.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In her Oral Statement of 17 December 2024, the research from 2006 referenced by the former Secretary of State was the "Attitudes to pensions: the 2006 survey" Research Report no. 434. Research Report no.434 was published in 2007 but includes analysis from 2006. No other research from 2006 was referenced in the Oral Statement on 17 December 2024.
In coming to her decision, the former Secretary of State gave the Ombudsman’s report full consideration and looked in detail at the findings, reviewing all the information and advice provided to her at the time by the Department.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his answer of 20 November to Question 91350, whether his predecessor was provided with DWP research report no. 447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts”.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Ministers were informed of the relevance of report no. 447 and then provided with the full report in November 2025. We have decided to retake the decision as this report (no. 447) was not considered at the time of the original decision and was not shared with the previous Secretary of State.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 20 November to Question 91351, when he was first provided with DWP research report no. 447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts”.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Ministers were informed of the relevance of report no. 447 and then provided with the full report in November 2025. We have decided to retake the decision as this report (no. 447) was not considered at the time of the original decision and was not shared with the previous Secretary of State.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his predecessor's Oral Statement of 17 December 2024 on Women's State Pension Age Communication: PHSO Report, Official Report, Vol. 759, column 168, what the research from 2006 was that she was referring to.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
DWP research report no. 434 “Attitudes to pensions: The 2006 survey” was considered as part of the Government’s decision announced in the 17 December 2024 Oral Statement.
DWP research report no. 447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts”, was referenced in the 11 November 2025 Oral Statement and a copy of this report has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
We have decided to retake the decision as it relates to the communication of State Pension age as report no.447 contains relevant information that was not considered at the time of the original decision. In re-taking the decision, we will consider the evidence from report no.447 alongside other relevant evidence and material. The process to re-take the decision has already begun.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his predecessor was first provided with the Department for Work and Pensions Research Report No. 434, entitled "Attitudes to Pensions: the 2006 Survey", published in 2007.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
DWP research report no. 434 “Attitudes to pensions: The 2006 survey” was considered as part of the Government’s decision announced in the 17 December 2024 Oral Statement.
DWP research report no. 447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts”, was referenced in the 11 November 2025 Oral Statement and a copy of this report has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
We have decided to retake the decision as it relates to the communication of State Pension age as report no.447 contains relevant information that was not considered at the time of the original decision. In re-taking the decision, we will consider the evidence from report no.447 alongside other relevant evidence and material. The process to re-take the decision has already begun.