Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 15 March 2016
15 Mar 2016 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Energy Strategy
I thank the minister for advance notice of his statement and welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to producing an energy strategy, although we are disappointed that it has taken so long.
We are also disappointed that the Scottish Government’s budget contained cuts to renewables and energy efficiency—given the failure to meet our first four climate change targets and the fact that the Government will not have eradicated fuel poverty by the November target. However, I agree with the minister about the short-termism of the Tory Government, which has created massive uncertainty and job losses. Its cancellation of carbon capture and storage projects and the fact that it has put renewables into reverse have cut green energy to the bone.
In advance of tomorrow’s budget, will the minister support Labour’s proposal for a new public body to invest in North Sea assets, which are strategically important for getting us through the current difficult times in the industry? Will the minister also tell us now whether fracking will be part of the Scottish Government’s energy policy later this year?
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a statement by Fergus Ewing on Scotland’s energy strategy. The minister will take questions at the end of his statement, and the...
The Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism (Fergus Ewing)
SNP
There are few things as important as secure, affordable and sustainable energy provision that delivers the best outcome for Scotland’s businesses and consume...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The minister will now take questions.
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the minister for advance notice of his statement and welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to producing an energy strategy, although we are di...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I am able to welcome the measure of consensus in what Sarah Boyack said at the beginning of her question. We have worked pretty much together, in many ways, ...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement, although his text was rather long on criticism of others and remarkably short on concrete proposa...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I point out that Keith Anderson is not investing in Beatrice, which is an SSE project, not a Scottish Power project. Scottish Power is, of course, investing ...
Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
The minister mentioned in his speech the vision of local and community involvement. Does he see opportunities for much greater community ownership of and inv...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
Yes, I do. We have reached our target of 500MW by 2020. Let me give you a practical example: The Point and Sandwick wind farm in the Western Isles is the lar...
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The minster will rightly draw on expertise and have public dialogue in formulating the energy strategy, but he failed to reference unions in his statement. W...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
We routinely engage with unions; I did not mention bosses either. I cannot mention absolutely everybody. Of course we engage with trade unions. I can inform...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
I welcome the plans to develop a revised energy strategy, particularly an approach that integrates power—on which good progress has been made by successive A...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I am happy to write to Mr McArthur with details about the expenditure of the £7 million in due course. The announcement has just been made, and I will furnis...
Roderick Campbell (North East Fife) (SNP)
SNP
Will the minister advise me how biomass energy centres, such as the new biomass plant in Guardbridge in my constituency, help the Scottish Government to achi...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I have had the benefit of visiting the Guardbridge development and discussing it with colleagues, including the University of St Andrews. Scottish partnershi...
Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the range of planned energy initiatives mentioned by the minister, particularly those on energy efficiency. Given the possibility that EDF will fac...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I have raised extensively with the UK Government our concerns that its energy policy is putting security of electricity supply in the UK at serious risk. I h...
Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab)
Lab
The minister mentioned grid upgrade, and he may be aware that Scottish Power Energy Networks proposed a pylon network in the style of the Beauly to Denny lin...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I can say only that, in determining any application under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, I have to act in accordance with the procedure that is set ...
Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
SNP
Given the urgent need to better serve Scottish consumers with clean power, and the minister’s welcoming of the deployment of the Hywind floating turbines off...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
Scotland is about to have two world firsts: the first largest tidal stream in the Pentland Firth—by Atlantis and MeyGen—and the first largest floating offsho...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
When I saw that we were going to have a statement on a new energy strategy for Scotland, I assumed—silly me—that we would hear some detail about what would b...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I naively thought that Mr Harvie would welcome the new approach of focusing on how we can use energy more efficiently. I thought that he would welcome the ap...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
Can the minister confirm that it is the Government’s view that the proximity of north-east Scotland—and Peterhead in particular—to emptied oil basins creates...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I have not heard from Mr Osborne any indications, positive or otherwise, but Mr Stevenson is absolutely right about the opportunity to use depleted oil and g...
Patrick Harvie
Green
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I know that there are certain words that we are not expected to use about other members in the chamber, and I certain...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The member is well aware that there was no unparliamentary language used and that any language that is used in the chamber in response to questions is entire...