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 1041 contributions
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
You said that you did not think that certain of those landholdings would fit with crofting. Why do you think that that is the case?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
You have kind of covered this, but the Faculty of Advocates suggested that, from the point of view of legal clarity, it may be more helpful to wholly codify small landholdings legislation without leaving elements of the old legislation in force. Do you agree with the approach that is taken in the bill, or do you feel that another approach might have been preferable? Who wants to have a crack at that?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
Good morning. I want to ask about the fit-and-proper-person test. First, can you explain how that test will be applied to the new framework? How is it expected to support more robust environmental regulation?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
One of the things that I am most interested in, and that the general public is interested in, is complaints. If there are complaints, will you apply the fit-and-proper-person test to ensure that nothing has gone askew since the application or since a previous look was taken at whether somebody is a fit and proper person? Beyond that, are there court notifications if folks with permits fall foul of the law in some shape or form?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
Somebody might come to SEPA with environmental concerns, or somebody could say that there might be a financial problem with a permit holder. It could be a number of things. How do you deal with those things?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
At the beginning of the meeting, you talked about the simplification and modernisation of the regulations. Some of today’s evidence does not make it sound as if there is simplification. In fact, some of what you have said sounds a bit complicated, to say the least. If Parliament passes the regulations and they come into play, what is the communications strategy from SEPA to get across the supposed simplification and ensure that the messaging to the general public, in particular, is simplified?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
Obviously, that applies to the new framework, but what about current permit holders? Where do they lie in the change?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
Can I stop you there, Mr Crawford? My question was not about consultation. I get the point about all the consultation that has been going on, but my question was about communication. How will you communicate to the public about the changes if the Parliament passes the framework?
We heard earlier that this is about simplification. I and colleagues round the table have constituents who talk to us about the complications in dealing with SEPA. It was you who talked about simplification, Ms Bunten. What is the comms strategy? In simple terms, how do we get across the changes so that they are meaningful not only to the stakeholders, who know a lot more, but to the general public, who often feel that they are not listened to?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
Tom, can you comment, please?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
I thought that you waved there because you had something to say.