- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that it has only delivered approximately one in 20 of the offshore wind jobs that it forecast.
Answer
We are fully committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2045 and transforming Scotland in to a fairer, greener and more prosperous country, that is why we have committed £2 billion in low carbon funding to invest in new measures to end Scotland’s contribution to climate change and create green jobs. Creating, supporting and monitoring green jobs through initiatives like the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray and the Green Jobs Fund will be vital in helping Scotland to secure a truly just transition to net zero, with no person or region left behind.
These statistics, published by ONS annually, relate to what may be considered a narrower definition of direct jobs in the UK low carbon and renewable energy economy, including the offshore wind sector. Work is ongoing within the Scottish Government to establish a broader measure of green jobs. ScotWind puts Scotland at the forefront of the global development of offshore wind and represents a huge step forward in our just transition to net zero. I welcome the commitments from the winning consortia to invest at least £1 billion, on average, in Scotland's supply chain for every gigawatt of capacity generated. This will generate thousands of new jobs and provide opportunities for diversification and skills transfer from existing sectors such as oil and gas.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 11 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to sign up to the Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) for Scotland; if so, (a) for what reason it has yet to and (b) when it will do so, and, if not, what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
The UK Government has not confirmed what the design of the ECO4 scheme will be. Scottish Ministers anticipate that they will be consulted about the new regulations as part of Ministerial write round. The Scottish Government will then assess how effectively the new scheme tackles fuel poverty and supports delivery of our net zero ambitions in Scotland. This will inform our response to the UK Government and any changes that we may propose.
We will also consider the UK Government’s response to any issues raised by Scottish stakeholders about ECO4. For example, we have previously raised our concerns with the UK Government about their failure to respond to stakeholder feedback from remote rural and island communities in Scotland.
Fuel poverty is a devolved matter but relevant powers for these schemes are reserved to the Secretary of State. Nevertheless we remain keen to work in partnership with the UK Government to ensure that changes to the ECO scheme do not cause detriment to Scotland or the rest of the UK.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05508 by Michael Matheson on 4 February 2022, whether it will provide its "internal analysis" that led it to conclude "that in 2030 alone Hinkley could add almost £40/year to a consumer bill".
Answer
Using Contracts for Difference published strike prices, the electricity being generated from offshore wind is currently priced at £39.65 per megawatt hour – compared to £92.50 per megawatt hour for the energy generated from Hinkley nuclear power plant. Using these figures, and UK Government estimates of future wholesale electricity costs, it can be seen that in 2030 alone, Hinkley could add almost £40 a year to a consumer bill, whilst the equivalent offshore wind farm would reduce consumer bills by £8 a year. This is due to the fact that in 2030, using these estimates, offshore wind prices will be lower than future average wholesale prices, whilst nuclear prices will be higher..
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) delivers the levels of renewable energy deployment required to achieve net zero.
Answer
Our draft NPF4 sets out how our approach to planning and development will achieve a net zero, sustainable Scotland by 2045.
Draft NPF4 includes green energy policies which support renewable energy development other than in National Parks and National Scenic Areas, subject to an assessment of their impacts on a case by case basis. Through the draft NPF4, we are also proposing to designate a national development which would establish the need for a large increase in renewable energy generation and substantial reinforcement and expansion of grid infrastructure throughout Scotland.
We laid the draft NPF4 in the Scottish Parliament on 10 November 2021. Alongside Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft, we are running a public consultation, supported by an extensive engagement programme, and comments are invited by 31 March 2022. Following this period, we will consider the responses received and any appropriate amendments to the draft NPF4 before presenting a final draft to the Scottish Parliament for its approval, in advance of adoption by the Scottish Ministers.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its position on North Sea oil and gas exploration and production in relation to the security of Scotland's energy supply.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2022
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 7 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what ministerial discussions have taken place with representatives of Scotland’s renewable energy industry regarding the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4).
Answer
The Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth met with representatives from Scottish Renewables on 21 July 2021 to discuss the renewable energy industry’s vision for NPF4.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 7 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the Onshore Wind Policy Statement is reflected in the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) reforms.
Answer
Our draft NPF4 gives spatial expression to a wide range of Scottish Government plans, programmes and strategies. It sets out a vision for how our places will change in the future and reflects priorities across Scottish Government portfolios, including how our approach to planning and development will achieve a net zero, sustainable Scotland by 2045.
Draft NPF4 includes green energy policies which support renewable energy development other than in National Parks and National Scenic Areas, subject to an assessment of their impacts on a case by case basis. Through the draft NPF4, we are also proposing to designate a national development which would establish the need for a large increase in renewable energy generation and substantial reinforcement and expansion of grid infrastructure throughout Scotland.
We laid the draft NPF4 in the Scottish Parliament on 10 November 2021. Alongside Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft, we are running a public consultation, supported by an extensive engagement programme, and comments are invited by 31 March 2022. Following this period, we will consider the responses received and any appropriate amendments to the draft NPF4 before presenting a final draft to the Scottish Parliament for its approval, in advance of adoption by the Scottish Ministers.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 7 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that climate change and nature recovery will be the primary priorities of the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4).
Answer
Meeting greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and securing positive effects for biodiversity are two of six high level outcomes for the National Planning Framework set out in The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.
The draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) currently subject to Scottish Parliament scrutiny, alongside public consultation, is clear that we must rebalance our planning system so that climate change and nature recovery are the primary guiding principles for all our plans and decisions. Its four overarching themes work together towards net-zero, adaptable places and addressing the nature crisis.
Our radically improved and new policies contained in draft NPF4 include new universal policies addressing the climate emergency and nature crisis, to be applied to all planning decisions. These policies create a requirement to give significant weight to the global climate emergency in plans and decisions. They also aim to deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity from development without the need for overly complex metrics.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05802 by Michael Matheson on 3 February 2022, what the membership is of the (a) Bioenergy Policy Working Group and (b) Bioenergy Expert Panel, and whether it will publish the minutes of the meetings of the Bioenergy Policy Working Group.
Answer
a) The Bioenergy Policy Working Group consists Scottish Government officials from a number of policy areas.
- Agriculture Transformation for Environment and Climate Change
- Bioenergy
- Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)
- Critical Energy Infrastructure & Commercial Projects
- Domestic Climate Change
- Environmental Protection - Air Quality
- Environmental Quality and Circular Economy
- Heat Strategy
- Hydrogen
- Industrial Decarbonisation
- Industrial Strategy and Technologies
- Just Transition
- Land Use Strategy
- Land Use Transformation
- Natural Capital and Land Management
- Office of the Chief Economic Adviser (OCEA)
- Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS)
- Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA)
- Scottish Forestry
- Sustainable Aviation
- Transport -Supply Chains and Alternative Fuels
- Whole Energy System
Minutes from the meetings will be published as soon as practical. However the group are still in the process of developing policy and considering options.
b) The Bioenergy Expert panel has still to be assembled.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has with local government regarding support that it can provide in order to maintain local authority frontline services.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2022
