Seòmar agus comataidhean

What does Audit Scotland say about your reserves? Has it offered you any guidance or analysis about the level of reserves that you have?

I understand.

Yesterday’s decision by the United Kingdom Government to grant a licence to the Rosebank oil and gas field is nothing short of a climate catastrophe, condemning us to a future dependent on fossil fuels while the planet around us burns. It shows utter contempt for our environment and the future generations who will live with the consequences. Will the First Minister join me in condemning this decision, and can he say whether the UK Government carried out the necessary climate compatibility assessment before the licence was granted?

I welcome the statement, and the onshore wind sector deal in particular, which, as the minister has alluded to, is at the heart of the Bute house agreement. It looks as though, through that deal, there will be a doubling of onshore wind capacity in Scotland, which means that many of our existing wind farms will need to be repowered or extended. That could provide the opportunity to renegotiate community benefit payments, which for many existing wind farms are at quite a low level—the payments are only around £1,000 a megawatt for many wind farms in my constituency.

Are there opportunities to maximise community benefit payments through renegotiation, so that we can get transformative investment in communities—for example, in housing, as the minister mentioned to Dr Allan—which we really need from renewable energy developments across Scotland?

Transport remains Scotland’s most polluting and highest-emitting sector. An investigation by The Scotsman revealed that more than 1,500 empty or nearly empty commercial passenger flights, which are also known as ghost flights, passed through Scottish airports last year. That must change.

Does the cabinet secretary agree with the Oxfam report’s recommendations on the use of taxation to reduce air travel demand? What is her view on implementing a higher tax for more polluting aircraft, such as private jets?

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations regarding taxation policy in Oxfam GB’s analysis, “Payment Overdue: Fair ways to make polluters across the UK pay for climate justice”. (S6O-02561)

I cannot get that image out of my mind.

Generally, in terms of how you drive innovation and the role of skills and education within that, I am still fishing to see whether there is something that the bill could and should address.

Thank you for that. My last question is whether you think that anything that should be in there is missing from the bill. A number of areas, including direct variable charging for householders, have been consulted on. Are you content with the bill, or could other things be brought into it?

Given all that, and your answers to the convener, what needs to happen in order to enable a scheme to be implemented by 2025? Will you take us through the steps that must happen to ensure interoperability by the target date of 2025?