Committee
Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee 02 March 2011
02 Mar 2011 · S3 · Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee
Item of business
Subordinate Legislation
Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Amendment Order 2011 (Draft)
Will members join me in giving the convener a vote of thanks on behalf of the committee? Applause. Meeting closed at 12:34.
In the same item of business
The Convener
LD
Item 7 is another affirmative order. I invite the minister to introduce his new team and to make opening remarks.
Jim Mather
SNP
I am joined by Nicola Shiels, Neal Rafferty and Sue Kearns. Thank you for this chance to make some opening comments. I am well aware that the committee is fa...
The Convener
LD
Thank you for your opening remarks. The committee has received a written response from Scottish Renewables on the order. It generally welcomes the order, but...
Jim Mather
SNP
Many respondents to our consultation pressed the Government to reconsider its current level of support on tidal power. Specifically, they pressed the Governm...
The Convener
LD
There seems to be a difference between the evidence base suggested by Renewables UK and that suggested in the Ernst & Young report. What assessment has the G...
Jim Mather
SNP
One lesson that I have learned in politics, particularly in my role as minister, is that the more that we lend ourselves to consultation, the more likely it ...
Gavin Brown
Con
I will follow up on the convener’s question. Scottish Renewables has said that ROCs should be the same for tidal stream and wave. What is the Government’s ar...
Jim Mather
SNP
That is a function of timing. We are not approaching the issue from a doctrinaire position; we are showing a willingness to engage and a keen desire to do th...
Neal Rafferty (Scottish Government Directorate for Energy and Climate Change)
When we introduced the higher bands in Scotland to begin with, we did so on the basis of a piece of work that suggested that tidal stream costs were lower th...
Gavin Brown
Con
That is helpful. Thank you.
David Whitton
Lab
What would the impact be if we did not do anything?
Jim Mather
SNP
It would be negative. We have been flexing with the reality of the sector and the technologies, which are evolving. That has won us a lot of friends and has ...
David Whitton
Lab
I am sure that there will be an interesting debate tonight on whether the targets are achievable. Where did the pressure come from to allow phased developmen...
Jim Mather
SNP
It certainly came from the industry, but you will remember that we held a low-carbon finance conference last year, on 28 and 29 September. Another conference...
David Whitton
Lab
Did any local authorities express any reservations about whether their planning departments would be able to cope?
Jim Mather
SNP
In terms of offshore wind?
David Whitton
Lab
Yes.
Jim Mather
SNP
That will be more an issue for Marine Scotland than for local authorities per se.
Neal Rafferty
We did not receive any representations from local authorities through the consultation process.
Christopher Harvie
SNP
Anything that involves a large amount of civil engineering reminds me instantly of the Office of Fair Trading inquiry at, I think, the end of 2006 into the g...
Jim Mather
SNP
The robustness and scrutiny exist. The scrutiny is not only national but global. We have some interesting parties—such as Ronnie Bowie from the Institute and...
The Convener
LD
I am not sure whether the Adam Smith quotation was a condemnation of businessmen or a condemnation of the game of golf.
Jim Mather
SNP
Perhaps it was a condemnation of some of the things that we taught in our business schools in the past, but they are being remedied here in Scotland as I speak.
The Convener
LD
We move on to consideration of motion S3M-7872, on the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Amendment Order 2011.Motion moved,That the Economy, Energy and Touris...
The Convener
LD
This was the minister’s last appearance before this committee—and, possibly, any committee of the Parliament—before his retiral. I wish him the best of healt...
Jim Mather
SNP
Thank you very much indeed. That is much appreciated.
The Convener
LD
That concludes the final meeting of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee 2007 to 2011.
Marilyn Livingstone
Lab
Will members join me in giving the convener a vote of thanks on behalf of the committee? Applause. Meeting closed at 12:34.