- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not responded to the letter from the Chair of the Just Transition Commission to the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, entitled Further Advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 17 April 2023, in light of its aim to respond within 12 weeks from the date of the publication, as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding, which was published on 24 March 2023.
Answer
In response to the Just Transition Commission’s letter providing further advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan published on 17 April 2023, the Scottish Government issued a reply on the 9 May 2023. The letter acknowledged the Commission’s extensive recommendations and committed to a more detailed response to these, alongside consideration of responses to the formal consultation.
The reply adhered to the 12-week timeframe as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding and can now be found online here: Just Transition: letter to Just Transition Commission 9 May 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how its Climate Change Plan Advisory Group’s policy outcomes will be reported on.
Answer
The Scottish Government will produce an Outcomes Report regarding the policy outputs from the Climate Change Plan Advisory Group after the final meeting in October 2023. Policy outcomes from the group will also be used to inform development of the upcoming draft Climate Change Plan.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in relation to the work of the Climate Change Plan Advisory Group (CCPAG) and what policy outcomes can be reported as a result of the input from the CCPAG.
Answer
The Climate Change Plan Advisory Group has undergone 4 of 7 plenary meetings and has so far elicited wide ranging input from diverse stakeholders into the next draft Climate Change Plan. This input includes on topics such as our vision for the future of Scotland, just transition work and energy use, with a Sub- Group meeting on the topic of heat in buildings planned in September.
The Scottish Government will produce an Outcomes Report regarding the policy outputs from the Climate Change Plan Advisory Group after the final meeting in October 2023. Policy outcomes from the group will be used to inform development of the upcoming draft Climate Change Plan.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) Transport Scotland and (b) ScotRail
Holdings has entered negotiations with Stena Line on increasing the
availability of "Rail and Sail" tickets between Edinburgh, Glasgow
and Belfast.
Answer
This is an operational matter for ScotRail and Stena Line. ScotRail advises that it regularly meets with Stena Line to review potential service changes and ensure tickets are available on rail retail systems. Details of these tickets can be found via Rail & Sail to Ireland | Stena Line , which also provides contact details for Stena Line for further information.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether ScotRail Holdings has any plans to expand the
offering of "Rail and Sail" tickets between Scotland and Northern
Ireland.
Answer
This is an operational matter for ScotRail and Stena Line. ScotRail advises that it regularly meets with Stena Line to review potential service changes and ensure tickets are available on rail retail systems and Stena Line expands the service if demand dictates. Details of these tickets can be found via Rail & Sail to Ireland | Stena Line , which also provides contact details for Stena Line for further information.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether any consultation has taken place regarding
increasing the connectivity between Ayr and Stranraer railway stations and the
Cairnryan ferry terminal, for the purposes of increasing passenger traffic on
journeys between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Answer
Significant public consultation and stakeholder engagement was undertaken as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022. STPR2 will inform the Scottish Government’s transport investment programme in Scotland over the next 20 years (2022-2042) and will help to deliver the vision, priorities and outcomes for transport set out in the National Transport Strategy (NTS2). Within this there is a recommendation for a review of the upgrade or relocation of Stranraer rail station to be undertaken. Stakeholder engagement and public consultation were key elements of this review, including a three-month public consultation on the draft recommendations between January and April 2022. A summary report detailing the outcomes of this exercise was produced alongside an analysis report setting out how responses were used to inform the appraisal process. STPR2 Recommendation 40 includes measures to improve access to Stranraer and ports at Cairnryan; to encourage greater use of public transport and support wider town regeneration proposals, this recommendation also includes a review of the upgrade or relocation of Stranraer rail station.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) Transport Scotland and (b) ScotRail
Holdings has modelled the potential reduction in carbon emissions from a modal
shift on journeys between Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast.
Answer
Transport Scotland has conducted extensive analysis of the carbon benefits of transport modal shift in Scotland. However, there has been no flow-specific analysis on the Edinburgh/Glasgow to Belfast corridor.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 9 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the response from the Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work to the chair of the Just Transition Commission on 28 March 2023, which was published on 14 April 2023, whether it will publish further detail regarding the outstanding work required to deliver decarbonisation of one million homes by 2030, particularly in relation to (a) financing, (b) skills and (c) workforce capacity.
Answer
We are investing £1.8 billion in this Parliamentary term on zero direct emission heating and energy efficiency solutions. Building on this, the Green Heat Finance Taskforce is continuing with its work to explore which financing and funding products offer the greatest potential for development at scale in Scotland to help finance our heating transition, in line with our net zero targets. The Taskforce will shortly publish their Part 1 Report which will focus primarily on options for individual property owners, while a second report later in the year will cover options for communal solutions that can support multiple properties. These reports will inform development of our medium to longer term strategic financing and funding plans for heat.
The pace of the Heat in Buildings transition requires a substantial growth in supply chains, particularly in the availability of skilled heating and energy efficiency installers and we continue to work with the sector to ensure the right mix of skills are in place at the scale needed across Scotland to successfully meet our ambitions. We publish a progress report against our Heat in Buildings Strategy annually – the latest update is available here: Heat in Buildings Strategy: 2022 update - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
Working with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council, Skills Development Scotland is leading two CESAP Pathfinder projects to enable a better understanding of the complex green skills landscape and explore the relationship between future demand and existing provision. One of those projects is focused on the decarbonisation of domestic and commercial heating and the findings will be published once the pathfinder concludes.
We are committed to a fair and managed transition to net zero and are developing Just Transition Plans for key sectors across Scotland. This includes a plan for the Built Environment and Construction, to ensure the economic and social opportunities of the transition to net zero are captured and the risks associated with rapid structural change are mitigated.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it is undertaking to incorporate the 10 demands of offshore oil and gas workers for a just transition, as laid out in the report, Our Power: Offshore workers’ demands for a just energy transition, published in March 2023 by Friends of the Earth Scotland and the Platform collective, and which have reportedly been backed by over 90% of over 1,000 workers surveyed.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the report detailing offshore workers’ demands for a just energy transition and agrees that listening to and acting on recommendations from workers is critical to ensure a Just Transition.
We must ensure a fair and just transition for our skilled offshore workers and that is why we have provided £100,000 in funding to the STUC to ensure workers’ voices are at the heart of our just transition planning.
The recommendations provided within this report are being carefully considered as part of the work to finalise the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP).
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to remove any barriers that make it harder for oil and gas workers to move into the renewables industry, including in relation to how to effectively communicate with local communities that may not be familiar with concepts used in policy-making, such as just transition or climate justice.
Answer
We are committed to a just transition that supports those employed in oil and gas and will continue to work with the sector to remove barriers and seize opportunities offered by the renewable sectors – with no person or region left behind. The Just Transition Fund has already supported an £11 million package of skills projects. In addition, through the Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund in the North East and Moray, which has already supported 45 community projects, and the Pilot Community Climate Assembly project, communities and individuals in the region are being actively engaged in discussions on climate action, and empowered to explore what a just transition means for them. Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan was developed through extensive engagement with industry, trade unions, communities and workers and we will continue to engage with local communities on the importance of a just and fair transition.
