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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.  

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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 19 August 2025
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Displaying 1071 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee

Scottish Government Policy Priorities (Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy)

Meeting date: 10 May 2023

Neil Gray

The honest answer is that we are competing鈥攚e are competing on an international scale. That is why our international network and the work being done by the likes of Scottish Development International and by our office network internationally are so important. They build the relationships, such as the one that we have with Sumitomo Electric, to provide confidence and they outline the opportunities that investing in Scotland gives. We will continue to work with Scottish Development International and our international network to ensure that our investment priorities鈥攚hich, as we have already outlined, are around our net zero commitments and the supply chain鈥攁re communicated to potential investors globally.

If you look at investments that have been made both in the United States and in Europe through the green deal, you can see that we are competing in a highly competitive international market. We cannot afford to allow ourselves to be left behind at a time when our net zero ambitions are very challenging, and when the decisions that are taken over the next couple of years on areas such as offshore wind and hydrogen will be crucial in determining whether we continue to be a world leader in offshore wind and whether we will still have the opportunity to be first to market with green hydrogen. I therefore encourage the UK Government to look at matching some of the investment incentives that have been made by the European Union and the United States, to ensure that we are not left behind on a competitive front with regard to those nations and regions.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Scottish Government Policy Priorities (Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy)

Meeting date: 10 May 2023

Neil Gray

I am happy to do that, and I will ensure that I follow up in writing with the committee.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Scottish Government Policy Priorities (Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy)

Meeting date: 10 May 2023

Neil Gray

Yes, I absolutely take that suggestion from Ms Hyslop and will ensure that it is given due consideration as we examine the consultation responses. I cannot pre-empt that process, obviously, but I expect to go into some of the areas that she has laid out. We will ensure that we have a concrete strategy that ensures that we can realise the potential and have a just transition that does not leave communities behind in the way that they were left behind in the 1980s and 1990s under Thatcher.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Scottish Government Policy Priorities (Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy)

Meeting date: 10 May 2023

Neil Gray

NSET is the guiding light鈥攊t has the metrics and measures to ensure that we are tracking our progress. I do not think that there are tensions. There are areas where we need to ensure that we are delivering well for people and for our planet; the deposit return scheme is one example of that. However, the DRS is also an economic opportunity because, if we can get recycling rates right, that will show that there is a clear business opportunity for dealing with commodities that come through the waste market.

Major opportunities are coming forward. The wellbeing economy elements ensure that we are focused on delivering for people; we are not focused just on the traditional gross domestic product growth elements. Growth is important for the purpose of ensuring that we are delivering better lives for people across Scotland.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Scottish Government Policy Priorities (Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy)

Meeting date: 10 May 2023

Neil Gray

It is fundamental. Grangemouth produces 8 per cent of our carbon emissions. As Ms Hyslop rightly outlines, it is our greatest emitter. Ensuring that there is a just transition means that we need the UK Government to move much faster on delivering Acorn from track 2. It is an absolute priority for us to continue pressing the UK Government for that, and I am sure that it will come up in the discussions with Graham Stuart following my appearance today.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Electricity Infrastructure Inquiry

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Neil Gray

It is very challenging to see an alternative. Carbon capture is critical, and the Acorn project is the most advanced and the most secure project. It can get up and running incredibly quickly, and we will see a massive decarbonisation of our largest carbon emitter at Grangemouth.

I again encourage the UK Government to act as quickly as possible. I heard the committee do that when Mr Bowie was before it a couple of weeks ago. It is really important for Scotland鈥檚 net zero ambitions and if the UK is serious about its net zero ambitions that carbon capture in the Acorn project continues to be progressed and is progressed quickly.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Electricity Infrastructure Inquiry

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Neil Gray

The pumped storage capacity will be important for giving the consistent energy supply from renewables that we are looking for, particularly as we look to replace the fossil fuel baseload that is provided. We will look to ensure that that is done in a holistic way that is the most efficient way and that takes communities with us on the journey. We will make sure that we keep those matters under consideration.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Electricity Infrastructure Inquiry

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Neil Gray

Clearly, targets drive investment and progress. On solar, we have a very strong industry in place already鈥攖here is a large amount of domestic solar production. Tidal is moving forward at pace. One of the first visits that I had in my current role was with the First Minister to Nova Innovation in Leith, which is involved in the domestic production of tidal generators that are currently being deployed in Shetland. The company is looking at the opportunity of deployment elsewhere around the world.

We have a huge opportunity for tidal and other marine production. As I said, we will continue to consider whether targets for those two sectors would be appropriate and whether that would help to continue to drive the growth of those sectors.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Electricity Infrastructure Inquiry

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Neil Gray

We want to continue to encourage better community benefit and community shared ownership models, and that is where community wealth building policies come into play. On the area that we have just discussed, you can really see demonstrable benefit to local communities from particular infrastructure being put in place. We will all have examples of communities that are neighbouring areas where renewable or other energy projects are taking place aiming to get discernible benefits from those projects.

I will happily bring in Ragne Low at this stage, as she has been closer to the issue over a longer period.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Electricity Infrastructure Inquiry

Meeting date: 9 May 2023

Neil Gray

Probably not, deputy convener. You are probably right in your assessment that communities are possibly not aware of the full infrastructure requirements that there will be.

There are a couple of points here. First, we need to understand that undergrounding is, in itself, not necessarily the full answer. To underground high-voltage cabling requires a significant amount of concrete over a long period of time and over a long distance, which has a huge environmental impact of its own. It is also really important that we come forward with a clearer sense of what we are looking to do, for instance with the likes of hydrogen, and how we can utilise energy in the locality rather than transmitting it all.

Taking communities with us is obviously going to be really important, and understanding the scale of the infrastructure will be part of that process. I am more than happy to take that away and look at how we can do more to provide that information.