Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 28 January 2021
28 Jan 2021 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Budget 2021-22
Once again, we are hearing commitments on a green agenda while the motorways and trunk roads budget goes up, as it has done relentlessly. There is no sign of the promised increase in the energy efficiency budget. The main new measure on public transport is one that the Greens secured a year ago, which the Scottish Government has not yet implemented.
The cabinet secretary seems proud that 37 per cent of our capital spending is low carbon, but as long ago as the 2016-17 budget the Government was criticised on the ground that the figure then was “only” 52 per cent. She is clearly keen to claim that her budget lays the groundwork for a green recovery. However, if that is to be meaningful, we need to do less of what is harmful and not just more of what is not. Can she point to any substantial example of high-carbon infrastructure that will now not go ahead in order to free up resources for greener priorities?
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