Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 26 June 2024
26 Jun 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Climate Emergency
It is quite clear that there is no climate change plan from this Government. It was meant to be here over a year ago, but we have no sign of it whatsoever. We have no idea when it will be here.
It is vital that, in our deliberations and decision making on climate change, we listen to experts and follow the science. We know that nuclear is a viable, safe and desirable alternative to carbon-based fuels, but the Scottish Government has discounted it without looking at the science.
Scotland is at risk of being left behind globally in the move to smaller, more locally based nuclear power. The Scottish Government should look again at the issue and listen to science and experts in the field. The contribution of nuclear to our energy mix is vital, but it is currently being run down, with no plans to replace it. That must be looked at again to ensure that we have a stable energy mix.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on S6M-13759, in the name of Gillian Martin, on Scottish Government priorities: tackling the climate emergency. I invit...
The Minister for Climate Action (Gillian Martin)
SNP
The First Minister has confirmed that tackling the climate crisis is one of his top priorities for the Government, alongside eradicating child poverty, growi...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
It is not possible to get solar panel funding in Scotland, although it still is possible south of the border, so ours is not the most generous system. Do you...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Please speak through the chair.
Gillian Martin
SNP
Ms Boyack and I recently had an exchange on that very point and why we are focusing the funding that is available to us on encouraging the switch from emitti...
Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Will the minister give way on that point?
Gillian Martin
SNP
I will do so in a second. The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, which will shortly complete its parliamentary process, will support Scotland’s transition to...
Edward Mountain
Con
I had to intervene on the issue of tree planting. Of course, we have hardly met our tree-planting targets in the past six years, so we are about 20,000 hecta...
Gillian Martin
SNP
Key to our delivering on the ambitious targets that we put in place is having the capital funding that allows us to fund all those programmes. I said that to...
Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister give way briefly on that point?
Gillian Martin
SNP
No—I have taken too many interventions already. Scotland’s economy grew by 67 per cent in real terms between 1990 and 2022, at the same time as we cut in ha...
Alex Rowley (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Certainly, the free fares for under-22s are welcome, but the reality is that someone might have a bus pass but cannot get a bus. Bus services in a lot of our...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Speak through the chair, please.
Gillian Martin
SNP
Hundreds of millions of pounds have been put into the bus network; however, I am a rural MSP, and I absolutely recognise that, in constituencies such as mine...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Minister, will you please bring your remarks to a close?
Gillian Martin
SNP
I hope that Parliament recognises the urgency of tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, as the science and the imperative to be pa...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I must admit that I am a bit perplexed about why the Scottish National Party has decided to bring to the chamber a debate on the subject of the climate emerg...
Gillian Martin
SNP
Would Douglas Lumsden call £500 million of investment in the supply chain for ScotWind and £500 million of investment in a just transition plan “abandonment ...
Douglas Lumsden
Con
We could look at how much the budget was cut for the just transition fund this year—I think that that was 75 per cent. Let me go back to the Climate Change ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy (Màiri McAllan)
SNP
I am proud of the progress that we have made, but it is clear that targets have been missed. What contribution to those targets being missed would Douglas Lu...
Douglas Lumsden
Con
Once again, we see the Scottish Government taking no responsibility. As far as I am aware, the Conservative Party has not blocked anything that is coming thr...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
I am delighted to hear Douglas Lumsden talk about renewable energy and the need to invest in it. Does he acknowledge that it is critical to build the transmi...
Douglas Lumsden
Con
That is because the infrastructure will have to be done with communities, not to communities—it cannot be done by riding roughshod over them. There needs to ...
Gillian Martin
SNP
I would be really interested to know what Douglas Lumsden’s plan is for transforming and decarbonising Scotland’s sectors, given that he has said that we are...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
I can give Douglas Lumsden that time back.
Douglas Lumsden
Con
On electricity infrastructure, I have already said that we would work with communities to put in place infrastructure that works for those communities.
Gillian Martin
SNP
There is no plan then.
Douglas Lumsden
Con
It is quite clear that there is no climate change plan from this Government. It was meant to be here over a year ago, but we have no sign of it whatsoever. W...
Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP)
SNP
Made a request to intervene.
Douglas Lumsden
Con
Is there time for more interventions, Deputy Presiding Officer?