Meeting of the Parliament 06 December 2016
The only issue that we in Scotland have with fracking is that it is completely hypocritical to take a stance on it while importing fracked gas from America, which has a higher carbon emissions count when one considers the shipping costs for bringing it over. The hypocrisy in saying that fracking should not happen and yet still being happy to import fracked gas turns the argument on its head.
I will continue on the subject of heat. The most recent figures, which were published this morning, show that 8 per cent of lofts still have less than the minimum 100mm of insulation or no insulation at all. That figure has remained nearly unchanged for three years. That means that 144,000 homes have inadequate insulation this winter, wasting hard-working families’ income on inefficient heating while the Scottish Government twiddles its thumbs and sits on its hands—no doubt to keep them warm.
The problem is not limited to lofts. Investment in district heating must be a priority for the Scottish Government, and nowhere would it work better than in the Scottish Government’s buildings at Victoria docks. Even from a quick glance at the Scottish Government’s heat map, it is evident that the building is a prime candidate for district heating, yet the Scottish Government has not even looked into the matter. How are companies supposed to take the initiative when the Scottish Government cannot—literally—put its own house in order?
In conclusion, I quote from the recent University of Strathclyde report, which states:
“Doing nothing is simply not an option”.
How many times do we have to tell them?
I move amendment S5M-02919.1, to leave out from “acknowledges” to “hydro storage projects” and insert:
“welcomes the £290 million of annual funding that this will provide for less-established technologies such as offshore wind, wave and tidal; acknowledges the latest round as a potential opportunity for Scottish offshore wind farms to compete for contracts; notes that the UK Government has launched a full consultation on whether island onshore wind projects should be treated differently from those on the mainland; welcomes the UK Government’s support in the Autumn Statement for low-emissions vehicles; recognises the need for a focal point for developing renewable technologies and calls for the creation of a sustainable energy innovation centre; urges the Scottish Government’s forthcoming energy strategy to set out a balanced energy mix, recognising the need to protect bill-payers, reduce emissions and provide security of supply; understands that support mechanisms for energy storage could help lead to a more efficient grid; recognises the potential for growth in the renewable heat sector and calls for the expansion of district heating”.
15:13Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.