Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 24 January 2024
24 Jan 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Green Economy
Let us look at the budget that Michelle Thomson is asking me about.
If we look at the Scottish Parliament information centre report, which is available for all members to see, and we look at the resource and capital budget together, we can actually see a 2.8 per cent real increase. It is where this Government has chosen to make political decisions that we see the cuts coming though.
All those areas contribute to achieving greener economic growth, and all of them have been cut, which shows that the priorities of this Government lie not in the wellbeing and prosperity of the Scottish people but in ensuring the wellbeing of its coalition party in Government.
Being from the north-east, I know how important the oil and gas industry is to the economic wellbeing of the whole of Scotland. The whole industry wants to be greener and wants to transition but to do so in a way that protects jobs, communities and the economy of the north-east.
However, the SNP-Green Government is driving energy businesses away, just at the very time that we need it to invest in our energy transition.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-11945, in the name of Neil Gray, on investing in Scotland’s green economy. I invite members who wish to s...
The Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy (Neil Gray)
SNP
The transition to net zero will transform the global economy. For us, in Scotland, it presents enormous economic opportunities together with benefits for our...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP)
SNP
I agree with all that the cabinet secretary has said. Does he agree that, in order to maximise the efficacy of the opportunities in the green economy, we mus...
Neil Gray
SNP
I agree with much of that. The traditional oil and gas energy companies will be putting private investment, which we need, into the renewables sector. I abso...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Neil Gray
SNP
I am mindful of the time, but I will take one further intervention.
Douglas Lumsden
Con
Does the cabinet secretary agree that cutting the just transition fund by 75 per cent is detrimental to reaching net zero?
Neil Gray
SNP
The investments and the choices that we have had to make in the budget are a direct consequence of the choices and underinvestment that have come from UK Gov...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Neil Gray
SNP
I will come back to Mr Whittle later if time allows. That strategic public investment in offshore wind will catalyse private investment in the infrastructur...
Michelle Thomson (Falkirk East) (SNP)
SNP
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention on that point?
Neil Gray
SNP
I will come back to the member later if time allows. We need urgent action from the UK Government to buy in to meeting our net zero targets and securing the...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
This is an important debate to shine a light on our move towards a more green economy and on how the Scottish Government should be doing more to support the ...
The Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights (Patrick Harvie)
Green
Douglas Lumsden knows—or at least he should do—that Greens, like the whole Scottish Government, are extremely enthusiastic about the potential for green hydr...
Douglas Lumsden
Con
I will come back later in my speech to the commitment on hydrogen and to how much the Scottish Government is cutting that. Regarding nuclear, the costs have...
Jim Fairlie (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
SNP
Will Douglas Lumsden take an intervention?
Douglas Lumsden
Con
I will make some progress first. Cuts are being made to vital industries that are leading in the areas of green economic growth, and the budget also makes S...
Neil Gray
SNP
Will Douglas Lumsden give way?
Douglas Lumsden
Con
I will continue a little further. Those cuts will affect our ability to grow the economy and make the transition to a greener future more difficult because,...
Michelle Thomson
SNP
Will Douglas Lumsden take an intervention?
Douglas Lumsden
Con
I will give way to Michelle Thomson.
Michelle Thomson
SNP
I remind Douglas Lumsden that, with regard to capital expenditure, the Scottish Fiscal Commission projects a 20 per cent cut from the UK Government to the Sc...
Douglas Lumsden
Con
Let us look at the budget that Michelle Thomson is asking me about. If we look at the Scottish Parliament information centre report, which is available for ...
Neil Gray
SNP
Absolute nonsense.
Douglas Lumsden
Con
I hear “nonsense” from the cabinet secretary, but today’s issue of The Press and Journal reported that “Big names” are due to join the “North Sea exodus thi...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I wanted to be constructive when crafting my amendment, but then I saw a news article this morning that summarised the attacks on Labour that the cabinet sec...
Neil Gray
SNP
Sarah Boyack says, quite rightly, that we need clarity and confidence. I was heavily critical of the current UK Government in its flip-flopping and reneging ...
Sarah Boyack
Lab
I felt that it might not be appropriate to ask members to vote Labour, so I thought that it would be better to ask them to note our policy, then I would go t...
Neil Gray
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Sarah Boyack
Lab
No, I will not. There has been a 48.5 per cent cut to the climate change budget; a 75 per cent cut to the just transition fund; a nearly 40 per cent cut to ...