Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-14431, in the name of Kate Forbes, on the programme for government—growing Scotland’s green economy. I in...

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic (Kate Forbes) SNP

I know that the whole Parliament is united in expressing its disappointment at Petroineos’s decision to cease refining at Grangemouth in 2025. It is deeply r...

Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD

Before the Deputy First Minister moves on from our industrial past, would she care to comment on the situation at Liberty Steel? I hear some very concerning ...

Kate Forbes SNP

We are engaging on the basis of all of Scotland’s key industrial sites and key assets. We know that there are challenges across the economy. Our commitment t...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

The Deputy First Minister talks about good, well-paid jobs in Scotland. She may be aware of today’s announcement by Alexander Dennis that it could be sheddin...

Kate Forbes SNP

That is an extremely important issue and it has received the attention of the First Minister as well as the Cabinet Secretary for Transport. We must find way...

Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I appreciate the Deputy First Minister giving way. Industry members have said to me that a very large anchor contract with, for example, the Berwick Bank win...

Kate Forbes SNP

The member is experienced enough to know that that is a live application, so I will not comment on it, but I will comment on the principle. It is absolutely ...

Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

On carbon capture, utilisation and storage, the Scottish Government announced £80 million of funding more than two years ago. We have had clarification that ...

Kate Forbes SNP

When it is required. The member will know that we have been waiting for quite a long time on CCUS, and I am sure that he has an interest in seeing that work ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I call Douglas Lumsden to speak to and move amendment S6M-14431.2. 15:15

Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

I will start by sharing our concerns about the announcement on Grangemouth today; our thoughts are with all the workers and families that we have relied on f...

Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) SNP

While Mr Lumsden is engaged in this period of reflection, does he want to touch on the fact that the UK Government subsidy change, from renewables obligation...

Douglas Lumsden Con

I am sure that mistakes were made in the past as growing industries came forward and that all Governments could look back and want to change how things were ...

Kate Forbes SNP

I appreciate that Douglas Lumsden and his colleagues will probably have to go through excessive negativity about Scotland’s economy, but can he rise to the o...

Douglas Lumsden Con

Of course there are opportunities, and I will come to them, but we need to ensure that we make the transition in the correct way. I have concerns about the i...

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) Green

On a matter of pure fact, the member talked about the investment that the oil and gas industry is making tirelessly in the transition. Does he not acknowledg...

Douglas Lumsden Con

Once again, Patrick Harvie seems to ignore the fact that much of the investment in renewables is coming from profits from oil and gas. If we switch off the o...

Kate Forbes SNP

My intervention is in good faith. A lot of those actions have come out of engagement with local government. For example, when it comes to the planning hub or...

Douglas Lumsden Con

I thank the Deputy First Minister; that is very helpful. There is much in the strategy, but I feel that it is lacking in detail and targets, and it misses s...

Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) SNP

Will the member give way?

Douglas Lumsden Con

Of course.

Kevin Stewart SNP

I agree with Mr Lumsden that hydrogen should not be only for export, but one of the things that was holding back hydrogen production was the inability of the...

Douglas Lumsden Con

Any way that we can improve the market for hydrogen would be a good thing. To go back to my point, if we are producing hydrogen, let us use it in this count...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Mr Lumsden, I appreciate that you have been extremely generous in taking so many interventions, but you need to bring your remarks to a close and move your a...

Douglas Lumsden Con

I will come to a close soon. We support the development of renewable technologies to build Scotland as a powerhouse of renewable energies, but we want to do...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I call Sarah Boyack to speak to and move amendment S6M-14431.3. 15:25

Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

I welcome the publication of the green industrial strategy, but I would have welcomed it more enthusiastically if it had arrived sooner so that I and other c...

Kate Forbes SNP

The member sounds hauntingly like the Conservatives in her negativity, and I am relieved to hear some positivity about the port of Leith and Ardersier. The ...

Sarah Boyack Lab

I am saying not that we have not had investment but that, whenever I meet people in the industry, whether from oil and gas or renewables, supply chains are t...