Meeting of the Parliament 26 February 2026 [Draft]
This is the second time that a Conservative MSP has made misleading comments about my article in The National this week, in which I was responding to the anti-net zero rhetoric that has been weaponised. Indeed, I was referring to Reform UK, which said that it would dismantle the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Frankly, it is desperate for the Tories to misrepresent my words and claim that they refer to constituents who have legitimate concerns about the siting of developments, which I completely and utterly understand.
On the ways in which constituents can get in touch about energy developments, as I said in my previous answers, we are trying to make it easier for people to get in touch and put forward their views. Training is available on that. I have mentioned the work of the planning hub and the new powers that are available to us through the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. We are doing all that we can, but developers are best placed to engage with communities, as they should be respecting the views of communities when they put their plans forward.