Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, 18 Sep 2002

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 18, 2002

Official Report 306KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

I inform members who arrived late that we had to skip item 1 because of technical difficulties with the video link to Glasgow. We will now return to that item. The whole purpose of the video link was to save civil service time and the public money. We have perhaps succeeded in one, but not in the other. Can Glasgow hear me now?

Yes, we can hear you clearly.

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Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Scotland) Regulations 2002 (SSI 2002/335)<br />Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Rate of Interest) (Scotland) Order 2002<br />(SSI 2002/336)

Andrew McConnell will answer members' questions on the first two statutory instruments, which are on the late payment of commercial debts. I have one point to make. I note that the Executive has expressed regret for not laying the instruments earlier. As a general point, instruments should be laid on time so that the committee has the opportunity to comment if it wishes. We expect instruments such as these to be laid on time in future. Other than that, does the committee accept the recommendation to note the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.

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Electricity Act 1989 (Requirement of Consent for Offshore Generating Stations) (Scotland) Order 2002 (SSI 2002/407)

The next instrument is the Electricity Act 1989 (Requirement of Consent for Offshore Generating Stations) (Scotland) Order 2002. I invite any points or questions from members.

I would like to have confirmed a point that is made in the explanatory note. It seems clear that, by the order, the Executive will effectively bring all offshore generating station applications, regardless of the station's size, within the planning process. Is that correct?

The order would bring—

Could you speak up, Lesley? We cannot hear you very well.

The order would bring offshore generating stations with a capacity of more than 1MW—which in reality means absolutely all of them—into the remit of the Scottish ministers as under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.

Will that apply to the proposed Robin Rigg development in the Solway firth?

I am sorry, I could not hear the question.

Will that apply to developments currently in process, such as the Robin Rigg development in the Solway firth?

The Robin Rigg development is interesting. Its capacity is more than 50MW, so the order would apply. The existing regulations apply to Robin Rigg now.

Is it in fact possible to have any generating station that would produce 1MW?

Sorry, Miss Goldie?

You will need to say that again.

Yes, say that again. Speak up.

I think that a train journey from Edinburgh to Glasgow would have taken less time. Could you repeat the question, Annabel?

I wanted to follow up David Mundell's question. What is so definitive about 1MW?

For hydroelectric developments, 1MW was already the level that applied in relation to the remit of Scottish ministers. We imagine that even an offshore wind farm with one turbine would be more than likely to produce more than 1MW. Even the smallest development should be covered by the instrument.

As there are no other questions or comments, I take it that the committee accepts the recommendation to note the order.

Members indicated agreement.

I thank the witnesses.