Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Official Report 751KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (Revocation and Savings) Order 2018 (SI 2018/841)

Agenda item 5 is subordinate legislation. More details on the negative instrument can be found in paper 4. Do members have any comments on it?

I have a quick comment. Any simplification, which I understand is what the order does, is to be welcomed. People and organisations are more likely to support something if they can understand it more easily.

I have a question about how the order impacts on the climate change levy. If the carbon reduction commitment goes—I welcome the fact that it will go, as that will lead to greater simplification—and is transferred into the CCL and the rates increase, what will be the impact of that? Will Scotland get Barnett consequentials as a result? Will the climate change levy, at the increased level after incorporating the CRC, result in more spend coming back to Scotland?

I also have a point for the record about why the climate change levy does not allow an exemption for renewables, given that renewable energy is part of the solution to climate change. In my opinion, renewable energy should not be taxed on its climate impact, because it does not have a climate impact.

The committee can write to the Government on those questions.

That would be good, unless there is an obvious answer that I have missed somewhere.

We will look into that and, if there is not an obvious answer, we will ask for one.

Does the committee agree that it does not want to make any recommendations in relation to the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Our next meeting is on 18 September, when the committee will consider the Scottish Crown Estate Bill at stage 2. I remind members that the final deadline for submission of amendments is today, at 12 noon.

As agreed earlier, the committee will now move into private session. I request that the public gallery be vacated, as the public part of the meeting is now closed.

11:25 Meeting continued in private until 11:49.