The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 1816 contributions
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 19 April 2022
Mark Ruskell
Thank you. Do you have anything to add, Dr Lowes?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 19 April 2022
Mark Ruskell
Dr Hannon, do you have anything to add to that?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 19 April 2022
Mark Ruskell
Planning has been mentioned, particularly planning for onshore wind and solar. Obviously, planning is devolved. I think that there was some reference to planning in the UK energy strategy, in relation to the English planning system, but what more could the Scottish Government do to develop onshore wind and solar not just with planning but with other areas of devolved responsibility?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 19 April 2022
Mark Ruskell
Thank you for that. Did you want to respond, Dr Lowes?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 19 April 2022
Mark Ruskell
I will move on to questions about blue hydrogen. The UK Government and Scottish Government have been bigging up its potential role. That was before the gas price started to peak and before the volatility that we have seen. Where does blue hydrogen sit now? Are the economics of it still sound, given the gas price? Many of the carbon capture and storage projects that are proposed around the UK have blue hydrogen as part of their business case. Does it have a role in heating? Where should we use it or should we use green hydrogen?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 19 April 2022
Mark Ruskell
I certainly do not think that we want an insecurity strategy at the moment.
Finally, do you see gas from fracking as having any bearing on energy supply and the cost of living crisis either now in the short term or in the long term in years to come? Do you have any quick thoughts on that, Tim?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 19 April 2022
Mark Ruskell
Should community benefits be a material consideration in the planning system? At the moment, they are not. Projects must be considered on merits such as what they look like and where they are sited, but wider community benefits are not part of how a project is determined, and it is the planning system that holds everything up.
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 24 March 2022
Mark Ruskell
Sorry—yes.
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 24 March 2022
Mark Ruskell
I would like to ask a bit more about seasonal workers, as we have opened up that topic. Andy Sirel mentioned some of the visa restrictions on such workers, and Graham O’Neill sent a useful briefing to the committee. Could you say a bit more about the plight of seasonal workers, particularly when it comes to housing and the challenges around having no recourse to public funds?
Andy, you spoke about the support and advice that seasonal workers need. What should that look like on the ground? Are there concentrations of seasonal workers around Scotland? Is there a way that we can effectively deliver that support in areas where significant communities of Ukrainian seasonal workers work in the agricultural sector?
Do you think that there is any exploitation of those workers happening in Scotland? That might be a difficult question to answer, but the tied nature of the work concerns me a bit. Could I go to Graham O’Neill first?
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 24 March 2022
Mark Ruskell
That was very powerful. Andy Sirel, do you want to add anything about practical support and advice for people?