Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 05 June 2024
05 Jun 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Oil and Gas Industry
During the most recent debate on oil and gas in the chamber, I stood here and said that the Scottish Conservatives were the only party that is committed to ensuring the future of the oil and gas industry in Scotland. A couple of months on, and that position has only been strengthened.
During this election campaign and in the television debate on Monday night, it was abundantly clear that Labour and the Scottish National Party will sell our industry down the river. Neither party will protect the jobs and investment in the north-east of Scotland; neither party will commit to issuing new licences; and neither party will stand up for communities and residents in the north-east. They are doubling down on their positions of destroying the energy industry for future generations, with one promising crippling taxes and refusing to issue licences, and the other failing to scrap its damaging presumption against new oil and gas. The industry condemns both parties for their records in that area.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-13482, in the name of Douglas Lumsden, on recognising the contribution of Scotland’s oil and gas industry...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
During the most recent debate on oil and gas in the chamber, I stood here and said that the Scottish Conservatives were the only party that is committed to e...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member take an intervention?
Douglas Lumsden
Con
Is there any time, Presiding Officer?
The Presiding Officer
NPA
There is the time that has been allocated; we have no extra time.
Douglas Lumsden
Con
I am sorry, Mr Johnson. I will continue my speech. I want to spend some time today in considering the recent report from the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber o...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
Will Mr Lumsden take an intervention on that point?
Douglas Lumsden
Con
I am sure that we will hear from Mr Stewart later. There is also huge distrust that the industry will be given the opportunity to expand, because of a backw...
The Minister for Climate Action (Gillian Martin)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Douglas Lumsden
Con
We will hear from you later as well.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Mr Lumsden, please speak through the chair.
Douglas Lumsden
Con
I apologise, Presiding Officer. Indeed, the report shows that the political environment is now the biggest concern for those who are involved in the industr...
Gillian Martin
SNP
Will Mr Lumsden take an intervention on that very point?
Douglas Lumsden
Con
I am sure that we will hear from the minister later. In fact, when asked, those who responded to the survey went even further. They were asked to rate the i...
The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy (Màiri McAllan)
SNP
I begin this important debate on points of indisputable fact. First, Scotland’s highly skilled oil and gas workforce is hugely important to us now and will c...
Douglas Lumsden
Con
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Màiri McAllan
SNP
Absolutely not, when you did not take a single one.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Through the chair, always.
Màiri McAllan
SNP
Apologies. Those indisputable facts combined mean that a serious, responsible Government—one that cares deeply about Scotland’s offshore energy industries, ...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Last year, the cabinet secretary said that she was consulting on a more robust climate compatibility checkpoint, including for oil and gas fields that are al...
Màiri McAllan
SNP
I am very happy to do so. Labour’s position, whether it has intended this or not, is an outright ban. The approach that the SNP has always articulated and wh...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Màiri McAllan
SNP
I am afraid that I do not have time. Our position puts us squarely between the London parties. On the one hand, we have the Tories, who are wilfully ignorin...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Màiri McAllan
SNP
I will not. I do not have time, I am afraid. However, we object to the London parties extending and increasing that levy, focusing disproportionately on Sco...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I must ask you to conclude at this point, cabinet secretary.
Màiri McAllan
SNP
I will conclude by saying that we know that the task is difficult, but the opportunity and the prize are enormous, and we are already working to build the tr...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
This debate should be about how we ensure that we have the energy to power our homes and industry, how we deliver climate leadership, how we secure the econo...
Gillian Martin
SNP
Will the member give way?
Sarah Boyack
Lab
Not just now, thank you. Last month, there was another failed SNP deadline, with no draft just transition plan for Grangemouth being published despite a com...