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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 26 April 2025
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Displaying 1499 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (Grangemouth Area)

Meeting date: 10 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

I suspect that the minister has got the gist about Acorn. The point was probably well made.

After the 26th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP26—there was a great deal of optimism among investors. However, in giving evidence to this inquiry, the Association of British Insurers noted that there was still a shortage of packages that its investors could crowdfund. That speaks to risk, appetite, packages and so on. Are you able to give a bit more flavour on that? There is clearly a huge appetite for it, but we need things that people can invest in. Will you tell us more about your thinking on that, because we are not getting to the scale that we need to, at the moment?

11:30  

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (Grangemouth Area)

Meeting date: 10 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

Good morning. The questions are somewhat loosely connected, but I hope that you will be able to pick up Ms Chapman’s question, too.

I want to probe the issue of capital requirements. Globally, hundreds of trillions of dollars of investment are required to meet what we need to do. My colleague Gordon MacDonald touched earlier on the withdrawal of National Grid and Shell from the east coast cluster. That will have been noted by international investors, and a view will have been reached on whether that was about competence or other reasons. However, it will have influenced the appetite for investment. In general terms, what specific risks do you have in your risk register for attracting international investors? What risks do you have that you are therefore seeking to mitigate to get to the scale of investment that we need?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (Grangemouth Area)

Meeting date: 10 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

I will finish with one final point. If you ask what is in international companies’ risk registers in terms of investing in the UK, it is going straight after the Acorn carbon capture and storage project, which represents the most commoditisable investment for those companies. I am therefore rather surprised that that is not on your risk register.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Effective Scottish Government Decision Making

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

I expect that Professor Martin will also have a view on that. Following my question to Professor Flinders about culture and behaviours, I want to ask about the relationship between complexity and risk and, therefore, any limitations on innovation. Based on your experience, how does the appetite for or attitude towards risk, linked to complexity, inadvertently limit innovation in the public sector in general terms?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Financial Memorandum

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

We are all pleased to hear about the updated FM. I am sure that we all agree on the worthiness of the bill, but this committee’s specific focus will always be on the money and the spend. You have indicated that there is uncertainty about the original estimates. I want to explore how you see the scale of the challenge going forward. We know that multiple areas of various sections are excluded from the original FM—those areas have no estimates at all. In addition to that, there is the group that you mentioned—I am sorry, but I have forgotten its name.

How will you assure yourself, first, that all costs are included, albeit in estimate form, and secondly, that the costs have taken account of what is now a high inflationary cost environment? Critically, I suppose that the question that I am probing is, to what extent will the FM be given the full weight it deserves, alongside the undoubted enthusiasm for what are some very strong policies?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Effective Scottish Government Decision Making

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

Leading on from that, your submission also alludes to complexity—

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Effective Scottish Government Decision Making

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

Thank you. I would like to finish off with Professor Flinders, since he was cut off in his prime, as it were. Throughout this whole conversation is the theme of maturity, whether it is about how we deal with risk, innovation, complexity or power. Do you have any final thoughts or reflections on what you have heard thus far? This is the academic side of decision making.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Effective Scottish Government Decision Making

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

Do you have any bright ideas on that?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Effective Scottish Government Decision Making

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

Thank you for that. I am laughing slightly, given that we are operating in a political environment.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Financial Memorandum

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Michelle Thomson

I do not disagree about any of the principles, but the devil will be in the detail. What I am looking for are your assurances that the multi-agency meetings will put an equivalent level of attention on the costs and the savings, which you have outlined, as they will on driving forward the policy. The last thing that you, as a new minister in post—and I appreciate that you are talking about something on which you have had no say—would want is for this to be subject to considerable cost overruns because the things that are missing from the FM are missing because they are complex and difficult and you do not have policy detail.

I suppose that I am looking for assurances, because some people think that the funding is quite dull compared with the policy; however, if you think that, you are taking a risk, and I would not want to see you do that. I am simply looking for your assurances that you will pass that on to the people who are supporting you.