Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame) SNP

The next item of business is a statement by Paul Wheelhouse on the draft Scottish energy strategy. The minister will take questions at the end of his stateme...

The Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy (Paul Wheelhouse) SNP

The success and wellbeing of Scotland’s people, communities, businesses and public services are underpinned by the supply of reliable energy. Affordable ener...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow 20 minutes for questions, after which we must move on to the ne...

Alexander Burnett (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Con

Before I start, I note my registered interests regarding renewable energy. I welcome the new targets to push our renewables ambitions even further. Since th...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

I recognise the importance of tackling fuel poverty and of improving the energy efficiency of our buildings. I hope that we have common ground on that, altho...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab

I declare an interest as the vice-president of Energy Action Scotland. I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement and for much of the conten...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

I have some sympathy with Jackie Baillie’s latter point. The issue is ultimately about helping people to tackle fuel poverty—I think that we are all in agree...

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (Roseanna Cunningham) SNP

That sounded like an offer.

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

It was not a comment directed at Ms Baillie. It was a reference—

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Don’t keep digging, minister.

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

It was a reference to UK ministers rather than to Ms Baillie, whom I have always worked very well with. Laughter. We recognise the need to generate baseloa...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I have 14 people trying to get in, so can everybody be brief and can I ask the minister, with respect, to try to shorten his answers?

Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) SNP

Can the minister give further details of how he believes the proposals in the energy strategy will help to reduce social inequalities and foster inclusive gr...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

We have touched on issues to do with fuel poverty. There is a particular rural dimension and I know that Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Joseph Rown...

Dean Lockhart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

I start by referring to my entry in the register of members’ interests in relation to a smart meter company, which is based elsewhere in the UK. The minist...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Question, please.

Dean Lockhart Con

—we could be—

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Question?

Dean Lockhart Con

—extracting—

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Question?

Dean Lockhart Con

—that gas domestically. Does the minister not recognise the huge benefits that would be available for jobs and the economy in Scotland?

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

With the greatest of respect to Mr Lockhart, that is a matter for the people of Scotland to inform us about through the consultation, which is on track—as pr...

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Meeting these energy transition targets demands political leadership, but if local supply chains are to benefit and if, in turn, we are to generate local job...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

I certainly agree with Richard Leonard. One of the key objectives of the Government—which Richard Leonard obviously shares from what he has said—is to try to...

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP) SNP

I warmly welcome the minister’s ambitious strategy. As he will know, I have been a long-standing supporter of the creation of a publicly owned national energ...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

I recognise Mr Lochhead’s strong commitment to the issue. I well remember having a conversation with him on the subject as long ago as 2014. I reassure him t...

Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Con) Con

We welcome the consultation on the regulation of district heating but, in light of the fact that less than 1 per cent of homes are connected to district heat...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

In fairness, I recognise Maurice Golden’s strong interest in the area. He has raised the issue of district heating a number of times, and I commend him for t...

Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Green

I congratulate the Scottish Government on rising to the challenge that the Greens set in the Parliament last month by setting a target of half of all our ene...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

Mark Ruskell makes the fair point that we cannot rely just on district heating. We do not think that every house will have a district heating solution, so we...