Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 18 February 2026 [Draft]
18 Feb 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Moray FLOW-Park
I do have the power to make a final assessment. If a final assessment is made that an application is not fit for purpose, that is a different matter. Ministers are not afforded the ability to prevent the submission of prospective applications, and it would be entirely inappropriate for me to make a judgment on a project before an application is processed.
Wide public consultation is for the developer to undertake and demonstrate. Everyone has said that they do not believe that that has been done.
Statutory pre-application consultation provides an early opportunity for interested parties to comment on proposals, with further engagement when licence applications are publicised and consulted on. If that is not done, that will impact the quality of the application.
I have gone over time, but I could say a lot more on the matter. I have not gone through all the different procedures that must take place, but any applicant must be familiar with them. As I said, wide public consultation is for the developer to undertake, and that must be demonstrated.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-20329, in the name of Douglas Ross, on recognising concerns regarding Moray FLOW-Park....
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank all the members who have supported my motion and those who will contribute tonight. By way of background, I note that it has been a bit difficult to ...
The Minister for Business and Employment (Richard Lochhead)
SNP
I thank the member for bringing the debate to the chamber. As the constituency member for Moray, I welcome a number of my constituents to the public gallery ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
I can give you the time back, Mr Ross.
Douglas Ross
Con
I agree with the member on that, but there is an easier way, which is just to abandon the plans completely and walk away from the Moray Firth, which is not s...
Emma Roddick (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
SNP
I am grateful to Douglas Ross for managing to get the debate into the Business Bulletin. As he mentioned, a few of us tried previously, so fair play to him f...
Tim Eagle (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
First, I congratulate Douglas Ross—as both he and Emma Roddick have mentioned, the debate has been a long time coming. We have raised the issue in the Parlia...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
Thank you, Mr Eagle. I was not aware of the bus timetabling issues, but I will try to ensure that the debate does not overrun unduly.18:23
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, congratulate Douglas Ross on securing the debate and pay tribute to the campaigners who have come such a long way to their Parliament to make their c...
Ariane Burgess (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Green
People along the Moray Firth are closely watching this debate not only in the gallery, but in Nairn, Findhorn, Burghead and Buckie, and along the coastline t...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind)
Ind
Of the many reasons that we owe a debt of gratitude to the Roman civilisation, one is that it bequeathed to us the principles of natural justice. One such pr...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
Thank you, Mr Ewing. I remind those in the gallery that this is a meeting in public, not a public meeting, and that participation, either through applause or...
The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy (Gillian Martin)
SNP
I thank Douglas Ross for bringing the debate to the chamber, and I thank everyone who has spoken today. It is very apparent that every party and every repres...
Fergus Ewing
Ind
The minister has said that early consultation is essential. Given that that has not happened, and that the consultation began a year and a half after £2 mill...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
I can give you the time back for that intervention, cabinet secretary.
Gillian Martin
SNP
I have written down a number of issues that I will look into, but I want to continue my response to the debate.Over the past few weeks, I have been made awar...
Tim Eagle
Con
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Gillian Martin
SNP
I will in a second—I am making a point here. Processes must be gone through—indeed, Emma Roddick made the point that there are examples of good public engage...
Tim Eagle
Con
I am not quite sure where the cabinet secretary is going, but I hope that that will be explained in a minute. There was no engagement—we have heard that very...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
Always speak through the chair.
Gillian Martin
SNP
Scottish Enterprise has made the funding available. That is a very important point. There has been no direction from ministers on the matter, and I will not ...
Douglas Ross
Con
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Gillian Martin
SNP
With respect, I have taken many interventions and I am coming to the end of my time.The applicant must successfully go through several processes, and no mini...
Douglas Ross
Con
The cabinet secretary’s point on the environmental impact assessment was the point that I made in my speech. The cabinet secretary has just said that an EIA ...
Gillian Martin
SNP
I do have the power to make a final assessment. If a final assessment is made that an application is not fit for purpose, that is a different matter. Ministe...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
That concludes the debate. I wish those people in the gallery a safe trip back up the road.Meeting closed at 18.45.