成人快手

Skip to main content
Loading…

Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

Filter your results Hide all filters

Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 17 August 2025
Select which types of business to include


Select level of detail in results

Displaying 1071 contributions

|

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

To give Mr Lumsden confidence, I am well aware of the need for more information, particularly for those in agriculture and food production. I had a round-table session in the south of Scotland, organised by South of Scotland Enterprise, as part of my summer tour. There is a keenness among those who work the land and who generate income from it to do the right thing. Some of them are already looking to decarbonise their operations and have taken big strides to do so. You are right that they are looking for information. I am well aware and cognisant of that, as is Mairi Gougeon. As Kersti Berge said, we will do what we can to provide as much information as we can as quickly as we can.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

There is constant evaluation on all our funding streams across Government. We will continue to consider how well they are performing to ensure that鈥攁s I have said鈥攚e are targeting our limited resource in a way that adds maximum value to our enterprises that are looking to come forward with decarbonisation measures. We will provide as much support as we can to industry. Mr Lumsden has already referenced a number of sectors. This is not just about one element of the economy that will do the heavy lifting for us to reach net zero鈥攊t will not just be about energy generation or heat in buildings; there will be a raft of areas, and all of us will have to play our part to ensure that we decarbonise and reach net zero by 2045.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

Sorry?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

Our target is 2045. We also have 2030 targets. All the funds that we put forward, which Mr Lumsden has listed, are intended to ensure that we take steps in different parts of the economy to reach those ultimate targets. Some of that is about trying to inspire good behaviour; some of it is to support people in taking difficult but necessary decisions around changing the way that they do their operations. All of it is geared up to ensure that we reach the 2045 target.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

It is certainly not possible, without the devolution of those powers, to take away the potential for a public inquiry that adds a year to the process. That is an important aspect of ensuring that people can have their say on projects. However, you are right that, for us to be able to make full and meaningful progress, there is a need for interaction with the UK Government. Particularly on onshore wind, it would be an understatement to say that we are on different pages as to the importance of that particular element of renewable energy. As we saw from allocation round 5鈥擜R5鈥攋ust this week, the same applies to offshore wind.

We will continue to interact and engage as best we can with the UK Government and try to ensure that there is as much alignment as possible and that it is doing its share to provide as much certainty as possible, because that is an ask not just of the Scottish Government on consenting but of the UK Government on the areas for which it has responsibility.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

No. We have had no information other than what you have seen to be publicly available, Mr Lumsden.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

As I have said, that money will be available when we have the information about the emitters that will be included and when the process will be concluded. At this stage, we do not have that information, so we cannot spend that money. When we have that information, we will spend that money. I cannot be any clearer than that.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

Absolutely. I want those ferries to be delivered as quickly as possible. I was born in an island community, and I continue to have family living in an island community, so I know how critical ferries and lifeline operations are to people living in those communities and for the businesses that operate in those communities. I fully understand and appreciate that. That is why we have been pushing as hard as possible for them to be built as quickly as possible. To be fair, the MCA is a regulator and it would be inappropriate for me to try to intervene in the MCA鈥檚 decision making. Those discussions are for Ferguson Marine and the MCA to carry out so that mitigations in the design of the ferries can be brought up to what the MCA now expects. I hope that that can be completed as quickly as possible, for all the reasons that I have set out.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

Those discussions are on-going, and that proposition is still on the table. Mr Ruskell is right that this is not a conundrum that we face alone; other countries around the world face the very same one. We are looking to show as much leadership as we can and to take our responsibilities as seriously as possible in relation to the decisions that we can take.

We will work collaboratively internationally to ensure that we take those responsibilities seriously. John Kerry was here recently, and the First Minister introduced him for a very important speech. Other discussions on that front are on-going. We take our international responsibilities seriously. We have world-leading targets to achieve, so we will take the decisions that we can take, such as supporting the just transition fund and our energy transition, and we will try to make sure that the decisions that are taken for us are taken in the best way possible to ensure that we have an accelerated just transition.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 12 September 2023

Neil Gray

I will make sure that we follow up on that in writing.