- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on the local authorities.
Answer
Local Authorities are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.
The ‘Verity House Agreement’ and the ‘New Deal for Business’ have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.
The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Historic Environment Scotland.
Answer
Historic Environment Scotland are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.
The ‘Verity House Agreement’ and the ‘New Deal for Business’ have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.
The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Scottish Water.
Answer
Scottish Water are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.
The ‘Verity House Agreement’ and the ‘New Deal for Business’ have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.
The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed changes to the public inquiry process, as part of the proposed reforms to energy infrastructure consenting, will ensure that all relevant issues are thoroughly examined.
Answer
The process proposed in the consultation is based on procedures already in place under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and which is provided for in the Town and Country Planning (Appeals) (Scotland) Regulations 2013.
It suggests ministers appoint an independent reporter to make an examination into the application, giving them powers to determine what form that examination takes, in a proportionate and efficient way which is tailored to the case under consideration.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to local authorities to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.
Answer
Through the consultation, Scottish Government is keen to understand what further support mechanisms, and practical measures, could be explored within a collaborative framework to reduce the time needed to provide consultation responses.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that the proposed electricity infrastructure consenting reforms will not lead to a reduction in the overall quality of decision-making in the consenting process.
Answer
The proposed reforms are about making the consideration and determination process more efficient, not making it easier for projects to get consent or to reduce the overall quality of decision-making in the consenting process.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed reforms to energy infrastructure consenting will address any risk of increased legal challenges due to perceived inadequacies in the consultation process.
Answer
The proposed reforms provide additional community and stakeholder consultation at pre application stage and do not reduce the level of consultation currently required when an application is submitted.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload the energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Transport Scotland.
Answer
Transport Scotland are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.
The ‘Verity House Agreement’ and the ‘New Deal for Business’ have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.
The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Answer
Scottish Environment Protection Agency are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.
The ‘Verity House Agreement’ and the ‘New Deal for Business’ have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.
The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Water to discuss the impact of the energy infrastructure consenting reforms.
Answer
Through the consultation, Scottish Government is keen to understand what further support mechanisms, and practical measures, could be explored within a collaborative framework to reduce the time needed to provide consultation responses.