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 270 contributions
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 27 June 2023
Ash Regan
Thank you. I will move on to the Scottish Government’s policy on highly protected marine areas, which is a topic on which the cabinet secretary and I have exchanged letters. The Government says that its policy will be evidence driven and evidence led. However, if we think of the Lamlash bay area as a trial, it would seem to me and to others that that is quite a small area and clearly there is not sufficient data coming out of there—very little at all. Would it not be prudent to cover a larger trial area, or even a number of trial areas, ahead of the policy being implemented, in order to collect more data on which the Government could then base its policy decisions?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 27 June 2023
Ash Regan
I have one final short question, if the convener will allow me.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 27 June 2023
Ash Regan
There has been much criticism of the plans that the Government has set out. I note that the Government said that it met 20 stakeholder group representatives from marine industries and other users. However, that was prior to the consultation, which includes the organisations that are now most critical of the proposals. Will the Government provide an update on the schedule for meeting people now that the proposals are a little bit clearer? How does it intend to work with stakeholders and local communities? I note that it feels as though we have now got ourselves into quite a confrontational situation with them. How does the Government intend to move forward from that and work with communities in a way that the communities themselves would consider to be meaningful?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 27 June 2023
Ash Regan
In its progress report for Scotland at the end of last year, the UK Climate Change Committee said that it did not see evidence of sufficient action to meet the stated ambitions. How, therefore, can the Scottish Government’s monitoring report find that more than twice as many policy indicators are on track than off track? Are those indicators fit for purpose?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 27 June 2023
Ash Regan
Has the Scottish Government taken into account the criticism of the selection criteria?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 27 June 2023
Ash Regan
A while ago, the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee produced a report on the implementation of regional marine planning. The Scottish Government undertook to provide a response to the report, but we have still not received it. Will you give us an update on the timescale for that response?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 27 June 2023
Ash Regan
Good morning. Given that the annual emissions reduction target for 2021 was missed, and that Scotland has now missed eight out of 12 annual targets for emissions reduction, how confident are you that the 2030 interim target can still be achieved?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 27 June 2023
Ash Regan
It did—thank you.
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 15 June 2023
Ash Regan
Antony Visocchi is indicating that he would like to come in.
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 15 June 2023
Ash Regan
If no one else wants to come in on those points, I will move on.
Should funding have been provided for other measures? Antony Visocchi, you were saying that the electric motors were not as helpful as they might have been. Were there other measures that might have improved the rate of recovery of services? Looking to the future, on funding for support for reform, are there other types of funding available or are there other issues that need to be funded in order to move things forward?