Official Report 1066KB pdf
Net Zero and Energy, and Transport
The first item of business this afternoon is portfolio question time, and the portfolio is net zero and energy, and transport. Members who wish to ask a supplementary question should press their request-to-speak buttons during the relevant question.
Transport Scotland (Engagement with RTPs)
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement Transport Scotland has with regional transport partnerships, such as SWestrans, regarding contractual requirements for key local public transport services, including the provision of rural buses. (S6O-03989)
We recognise the importance of public transport for local communities and that ensuring the long-term sustainability of those vital local routes is a collaborative endeavour. Transport Scotland regularly engages with regional transport partnerships on transport matters, including challenges in, and opportunities to increase, the accessibility, availability and affordability of public transport. For example, Transport Scotland attended a meeting of RTP chairs in September to discuss the future of bus services in Scotland. SWestrans attended a related Transport Scotland-held workshop in October, along with other RTPs and stakeholders. However, Transport Scotland has not had any recent, specific engagement with SWestrans on its local bus service contract.
I have been contacted by many constituents who rely on the 500 bus service, which serves communities from Stranraer to Dumfries. Many people use the service to travel to hospital appointments, employment and social events. The journey can take in excess of three hours and there is no toilet on the bus. If there is a toilet, it is often locked, because the transport body, SWestrans, has never included a toilet in the contract. Does the minister agree that that is unacceptable? Could he suggest whether some kind of guidance could be created for regional transport partnerships to ensure that that situation is rectified and that it does not happen in other parts of Scotland?
I agree that the situation that Emma Harper has described does not seem to be providing an adequate, never mind a good, service for people. That is exactly the sort of issue that we need to resolve if we are to encourage more people to travel by bus. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and I have made clear our expectations that Scotland’s transport providers and public services will continually improve their performance and people’s travel experiences. The adequate provision of toilets during journeys is, clearly, a fundamental part of that. I would be very happy to meet the member to discuss solutions to the situation in Dumfries and Galloway.
The most recent report to SWestrans about the bus network said that it faced an existential threat. Services have been axed, passenger numbers have plummeted and fares have rocketed. Why does the Government keep cutting funding to SWestrans year after year in real terms, when more support is needed to prevent the bus network in Dumfries and Galloway from collapsing?
SWestrans, among other services, is funded through the network support grant. We will monitor the situation with SWestrans. I have already said that I will meet with Emma Harper, and we will take it from there.
The chamber has agreed that franchising can be a solution to the problems that have been described. Although the Scottish statutory instrument, the Local Services Franchises (Traffic Commissioner Notices and Panels) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, passed by the skin of its teeth, the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee raised serious concerns about the panel model. What discussions have taken place to address concerns that the process will be undemocratic, unnecessary and inappropriate?
The process is absolutely necessary. We have passed the SSI. The process started in 2019 and we have gone through the entire process. We are where we are.
Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its energy strategy and just transition plan. (S6O-03990)
In the programme for government we committed to publishing the energy strategy and just transition plan shortly, in order to support Scotland’s just transition to a green economy. However, since we published a draft for consultation, there have been significant changes in global and United Kingdom energy markets, including UK-wide policy developments that are now being pursued by the UK Government, which will have a direct impact on Scotland’s energy sector. It is therefore important that we take time to consider those policies.
From written questions, we know that £75 million of just transition funding has been allocated, but the Scottish Government does not hold figures relating to employment outcomes or job creation as a result of the funding. We also know that the net zero technology centre has no certainty of funding after the city region deal term ends in 2026.
Would the cabinet secretary accept that thousands of jobs in the north-east are being put at risk by the Government’s abject failure to have a proper plan in place?
No, I would not accept that at all. I make it clear that we are fully committed to the just transition fund. A couple of months ago, I asked for an analysis of how the just transition fund has been deployed. That analysis relates very much to some of the things that Douglas Lumsden mentioned, such as how many jobs the fund has secured and how much it has increased capacity in the supply chain. I am considering that as we prepare to look at the next tranche of just transition funding, for which we will have a more focused approach to ensure that the funding that is available does the best things possible for a just transition in the north-east.
I welcome the Government’s continued work on that. It is vital that we press ahead with Scotland’s energy transition, replicating the success of projects such as the Aventus Energy and Sumitomo developments.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that to build on the Scottish Government’s progress, the UK Government needs to urgently match our ambition for Scotland, and match the £500 million just transition fund?
We are committed to driving forward Scotland’s energy transition and working with our UK Government counterparts where we need to do so. Our just transition fund has already allocated £75 million to date, supporting projects in communities across the north-east and Moray to create jobs and support innovation.
The fund sends a clear signal of support for the region, but we recognise that it needs to be part of a wider stream of investment from the UK Government and others to deliver a just transition to net zero across Scotland. I urge the UK Government to match the fund to help to ensure that net zero future.
I call Sarah Boyack—briefly, please.
This week, we saw major investment in turbines in Hull. When are we going to get manufacturing transition in Scotland?
Does the cabinet secretary accept that the repeated delay to the energy strategy, never mind the length of the consenting process for projects such as Berwick Bank, means that we are missing out on supply-chain opportunities, and we are not getting the green jobs—
Cabinet secretary.
—because we are so far behind?
Cabinet secretary.
Ms Boyack will be aware that, through our inward investment programmes and Scottish Development International, Sumitomo is building a cable factory at Nigg.
We have also committed, in the onshore wind plan, to a remanufacturing site for turbine blades. That is just the start of the transition, and the start of the ScotWind licensing developments, so I expect that there will be much more of that to come.
Heat Pump Industry
To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with the growing heat pump industry, in light of the potential role that heat pumps can play in helping to achieve net zero. (S6O-03991)
As well as the substantial funding that we provide for individuals and social landlords to install heat pumps, which is helping to grow supply chains, we are supporting business to develop the skills and accreditation that are needed in order to grow our qualified installer base.
Our green heat installer engagement programme, which is delivered by the Energy Saving Trust, provides assistance and support to help installers to participate fully and effectively in the clean heat supply chain. The enterprise agencies also work closely with manufacturers and installers to support their growth in Scotland.
Aira, a Swedish heat pump specialist, recently opened a hub in Stirling and is set to become a big employer in my constituency. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to ensure that opportunities are available for engineers to reskill in order to work in that growing industry?
I welcome the opening of Aira’s Scottish hub. Supporting Scotland’s current and future workforce to develop the skills that are needed for the net zero transition is a priority for this Government. Many of Scotland’s colleges and independent training providers offer heat pump training. We have invested in a mobile training centre for heat pump installation to ensure that training is equally available across all geographic areas.
As well as the green heat installer engagement programme that I mentioned, we are funding the clean heat strategic workforce development fund, which is delivered by Scottish Enterprise.
The Acting Minister for Climate Action must be living on a different planet, because Aira—that very company in Stirling—has condemned the Scottish Government’s programme. Aira says that it has to fill in a 38-page application form, that it takes 50 days to get an answer, and that it is two months before the company gets its money. Aira says that the Government’s funding scheme is the biggest blockage to making such progress happen.
The Government is committed to working with that company and other companies. On skills, the Scottish Government is continuing to work in partnership with that company and other companies to ensure that there are opportunities for individuals to reskill or to find the skills that they need. We are working closely with colleges and apprentices to achieve that. We are very happy to work with companies that have any suggestions as to how the process may be changed in the future.
Nuclear Industry Investment
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position regarding investment in the future of Scotland’s nuclear industry. (S6O-03992)
The Scottish Government does not support the building of new nuclear power stations in Scotland under current technologies. We recognise the significant value that Torness and its workforce has contributed to Scotland’s economy over many decades and we support extending the operating lifespan of Scotland’s last remaining nuclear power station if strict environmental and safety criteria continue to be met.
Decommissioning Scotland’s nuclear sites will also take decades and will require the retention of a highly skilled workforce. National planning framework 4 supports the redevelopment of the Hunterston and Chapelcross sites and notes the opportunities to repurpose existing assets to create greener jobs.
I think that the minister should keep up with Brussels, because the European Council agreed months ago that nuclear power is a strategic technology for EU decarbonisation. She needs to read the EU renewable energy directive. It is astonishing that the SNP keeps peddling this blatant anti-science misinformation. What assessment has the minister made of how much carbon could be removed from our energy production if we used nuclear energy?
I have stated my Government’s view on nuclear energy. Regardless of what has been said in the EU, lots of EU member states are ceasing to use nuclear energy and want to phase it out. I give the example of Germany. I also point Stephen Kerr to the words of some academics from across the United Kingdom, France and Japan—Professor Steve Thomas, Dr Paul Dorfman, Professor MV Ramana and Professor Amory Lovins—who said in a statement that,
“After more than 60 years of commercial history, nuclear is getting further from, not nearer to, being able to survive without massive public subsidies.”
They also said that, constructing new plants takes considerably longer than renewable equivalents, according to the UK Government’s regulated asset-based model. Scotland is rich in renewable resources that will be able to be deployed far more quickly than any new nuclear plants.
Earlier this year, EDF Energy reported that, in the worst case scenario, Hinkley Point C could cost £47.9 billion to complete, compared to the 2016 estimate of £18 billion. Does the cabinet secretary agree, given that the public finances are so constricted by the Tories’ £22 billion black hole legacy, that we would be better placed to focus on Scotland’s natural abundance in the form of renewable power development, which is cheap and quicker to build?
I absolutely agree with that point, which Gordon MacDonald makes very well. It takes 17 years to put a new nuclear plant in place, and he has mentioned the cost that is associated with such developments. We cannot afford to waste time and money on that approach. While renewables have become cheaper in recent decades, new nuclear plants have only become costlier. In Scotland, we are lucky enough to have abundant natural resources and a highly skilled workforce that enables us to take advantage of those opportunities. Significant growth in renewables, hydrogen and carbon storage and capture provide the best pathway to net zero by 2045.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (Fire Risk)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding mitigating fire risk from battery energy storage systems, in light of the role that battery storage can play in the future energy mix of Scotland. (S6O-03993)
The Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy regularly discusses with ministerial colleagues a range of issues relating to Scotland’s future energy mix, including engaging on the safety and regulatory processes around battery energy storage sites.
When new development proposals come forward, our fourth national planning framework ensures that the impacts of proposals on communities and nature, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision-making process. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continually reviews and develops its operational response to any new and emerging technology to keep communities safe and to ensure the highest level of preparedness.
Residents and community councils are voicing their concerns over plans for battery energy storage systems, due to emergency crews not having the right equipment to deal with potential fires. I recently met a developer regarding that matter and I have raised issues over fire safety. A lot of those developments are in close proximity to residential areas, leaving many communities, including those in my region, very concerned.
To reassure residents and communities, there needs to be clear guidance on fire safety to improve the policy and procedures of battery energy storage systems. The guidance is dated, so will the minister commit to looking at existing legislation and guidance to improve fire safety standards for those particular types of energy storage development?
The Government listens closely to all stakeholders—not least the Fire and Rescue Service, as I mentioned—on that matter. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments. The cumulative impacts that I mentioned are relevant, because the cumulative impact of energy development proposals must also be considered through statutory environmental impact assessment processes.
In short, I take seriously the issues that the member has raised. The Government makes sure that communities are engaged at an early stage and can meaningfully influence all such proposals.
Expanding energy storage comes hand in hand with increasing renewable energy technology, and both will play a vital role in Scotland’s future energy mix. Will the minister say more about how the safety of those developments is assessed and planned so that we can deliver a secure net zero future for our communities?
As I mentioned, all applications are subject to those assessments, and the impacts of energy development proposals also require to be considered closely. That includes statutory elements around environmental impact assessment processes.
Scottish ministers have an expectation that communities are involved in the process and are listened to. Where there is a need for co-ordination among applicants who are proposing developments in the same area, all parties are expected to work together to co-ordinate the development and minimise any impacts on the communities and the environment.
When determining applications under the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish ministers are required to seek advice from planning authorities to ensure that decision making is co-ordinated in that way.
Question 6 has been withdrawn.
Concessionary Bus Travel (Cost)
To as the Scottish Government how much the individual bus fare concessionary schemes have cost in 2024. (S6O-03995)
Presiding Officer, with your permission, I would like to correct my earlier response to Colin Smyth. It is the bus operators in the south-west that are funded by the network support grant. SWestrans funding is dealt with separately and will be addressed in the budget.
To answer Edward Mountain’s question, the total cost of the national concessionary travel schemes for the period 1 January 2024 to 13 October 2024 equated to £154.6 million for the older and disabled persons scheme, and £140.1 million for the young persons free bus travel scheme. It should be noted that costs incurred beyond 13 October 2024 are not yet finalised and, as such, have not been included.
Last year, £165 million was spent on giving under-22-year-olds unlimited bus travel. No such scheme is available to islanders who are under 22. They are allowed just two trips, and they use their ferries like we use our buses. Will the Government introduce a scheme for islanders who are under 22, so that they have parity with those on the mainland?
Mr Mountain is talking about the ferry concession. The islands connectivity plan will address that issue.
One of the less obvious groups that benefit from free bus travel in Scotland is disabled folk. Where they need support, free travel is also available for their companion or carer. How many disabled people and their companions or carers have enjoyed free bus travel in the past year, thanks to the Scottish National Party Government?
I very much welcome the opportunity to—[Interruption.] Pardon?
Continue, minister.
I very much welcome the opportunity to highlight how the SNP Government’s investment in concessionary travel is benefiting people who otherwise might not be able to afford to get around their community and Scotland.
In the 12 months to 31 October 2024, 24,068,991 journeys were made by people who have a national entitlement card because of disability or sight impairment, which also permits a companion to travel for free; that figure includes companions who accompanied the cardholder. A further 7,112,004 journeys were made by people with a card that provides the individual with free bus travel. As of 1 November 2024, 129,324 disabled or sight-impaired cardholders can have a companion travel with them for free, and a further 40,866 cardholders have access to free bus travel.
Apache North Sea Operations
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding any implications for its energy strategy and just transition plan, to the reported announcement by Apache that it will cease all operations in the North Sea by the end of 2029. (S6O-03996)
We are aware of reports of that disappointing commercial decision by Apache. As we finalise the energy strategy and just transition plan, we are committed to working in partnership with industry to deliver a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector that recognises the declining nature of the North Sea basin but is also in line with our climate commitments.
As part of that, we continue to call on the United Kingdom Government, which holds key levers around the fiscal and regulatory regimes, to listen very carefully to the concerns that have been expressed by business on risks to jobs and investment in that transition.
Many North Sea firms now feel existentially threatened by the damaging anti-industry narratives of both Scotland’s Governments. Scottish ministers promised us an energy strategy in spring 2022 and then summer 2024, yet we still have no date for publication. Will the minister give us a clear publication date for the strategy, and will she promise industry that the demonising mantra of “presumption against” will not feature in it?
In my view, as long as there is demand for fossil fuels in the United Kingdom, we should be meeting as much as possible of that demand from our domestic supply in the North Sea. It is up to us to reduce our demand.
It is notable that Apache singled out the energy profits levy—EPL—as a reason for its departure. That is a UK policy that was brought in by the former Conservative Government.
As far as I am concerned, we have to make sure that our energy strategy and just transition plan are as robust as possible. We are committed to publishing them as soon as we can. However, as Liam Kerr will know, there is a discussion to be had with the UK Government, which intends to consult on future approaches to new licensing for oil and gas, potentially refining the position. We want to play our part in that discussion. We believe that we have a nuanced and sensible approach, which looks at licensing on a case-by-case basis, includes robust climate compatibility assessment and considers energy security.
We have shown our commitment to the industry by assisting it in reducing its production emissions through the innovation and targeted oil and gas—INTOG—round of licensing for floating offshore wind.
The UK Government’s energy plans are causing an energy exodus from the north-east. Labour’s flagship project GB energy will now receive only £100 million of funding over its first two years—that is nothing like the £8 billion that was pledged.
Can the cabinet secretary provide an update on what engagement it has had with the UK Government on the concerns that businesses are expressing about risks to jobs and investment in the transition because of the changes to the energy profits levy and the allowances regime?
Scottish ministers engaged with UK counterparts on a number of matters in the run-up to the autumn budget. For example, the Acting Minister for Climate Action, who is sitting beside me, met the under-secretary of state for energy in Aberdeen on 17 September. We continue to urge the UK Government to listen carefully to businesses on the ground about the impacts of the EPL on jobs and investment during the transition.
The UK Government also needs to work with industry to set out a stable, long-term fiscal regime to give the sector the much-needed certainty and stability that it deserves.
Thank you, cabinet secretary. That concludes portfolio questions on net zero and energy, and transport. There will be a brief pause to allow a change of members on the front benches before we move on to the next item of business.
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