Official Report 1060KB pdf
Climate Action and Energy, and Transport
The first item of business this afternoon is portfolio question time, and the portfolio is climate action and energy, and transport. There is quite a bit of interest in asking supplementary questions, so I make my usual plea for brevity in questions and responses.
CalMac Ferries (New Vessels)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the CalMac vessels being constructed in Turkey are delivered on schedule and on budget. (S6O-05283)
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and the Cemre shipyard are working hard to fully commission and deliver the MV Isle of Islay as soon as possible, and the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee was updated on the December target on 28 November. I can assure the Parliament of CMAL’s, CalMac’s and the shipyard’s combined strong focus during the final stages of vessel delivery.
I meet CMAL regularly and have spoken of the possibility of delivering the remaining three vessels earlier than at the six-month intervals currently indicated. CMAL is discussing all options with the shipyard to deliver the vessels as soon as practicable, and further updates will be provided. I am pleased to report that the costs for all four vessels remain on budget. When the MV Isle of Islay is delivered, the communities of Islay and Jura can look forward to a more resilient and modern ferry service.
Last week, it was announced that the MV Isle of Islay is going to be delayed. Considering that that is the first of our four vessels that are being built in Turkey, will the cabinet secretary say, in detail, what actions she is undertaking to ensure that the remaining three vessels will be delivered on schedule? How is she working with CMAL to ensure that the vessels can enter service more quickly and that they will not require immediate repairs on their arrival in Scotland?
The CMAL and other testing—the sea trials and so on—for the first vessel will help to identify whether anything needs to be done, before the other three vessels begin sea trials. That is a very practical aspect. I regularly meet CMAL representatives to ensure accountability with regard to how the vessels are progressing. CMAL staff are regularly at the Cemre yard to ensure that progress is being made.
The four ferries being built in Turkey deliver precisely zero social or industrial value to the Scottish shipbuilding industry, and CMAL has confirmed that the tender scoring for the new northern isles freight flex vessels is weighted 70 per cent to quality and 30 per cent to cost, and only 3 per cent of the quality element score relates to community benefits. Yet again, that fails to meet the key recommendation of the national shipbuilding strategy that a minimum 10 per cent social value weighting should be applied to evaluations in new competitions, in line with Treasury green book guidance and the Cabinet Office social value model, so that a 30-year cross-Government shipbuilding pipeline encourages participation from the United Kingdom supply chain. Will the Scottish Government move to enforce the minimum 10 per cent social value weightings for new competitions from now on?
We continue to have community opportunity and benefit across Transport Scotland contracts—a community benefit figure that is comparable. However, the member might be aware that there was only international interest, particularly in relation to the northern isles freighters that are being replaced—[Interruption.]
Mr Sweeney. Cabinet secretary, please continue.
In terms of—[Interruption.]
Please continue, cabinet secretary.
With regard to international yards and shipbuilding competitive tenders, and what can be enforced internationally, the member must understand the challenges of trying to enforce something in another jurisdiction.
Ferry Services (Island Communities)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect and improve ferry services to Scotland’s island communities. (S6O-05284)
We set out our long-term vessels and ports plan in May. The first of six major vessels, the MV Glen Sannox, was delivered into service earlier this year, and we expect the first of the Islay class vessels to be delivered soon. We have commissioned seven electric vessels for routes across the west coast. Taken together, those measures mean that the Government has invested in renewing more than a third of CalMac’s entire fleet. We have also awarded the new Clyde and Hebrides ferry service contract and CMAL is progressing the procurement of two freight vessels for the northern isles routes that serve Orkney and Shetland.
Islanders on Cumbrae are concerned about CalMac proposals for scheduled maintenance windows, which could lead to a direct cut to the island’s vital lifeline ferry services, and believe that CalMac and Transport Scotland must drop the proposals, which could mean that services are withdrawn for either six hours per week or one 24-hour period per month. Will the cabinet secretary provide reassurance that there will be no reduction in service and capacity next year, and that the 2026 summer timetable will match this year’s one?
The Largs to Cumbrae service will benefit from the cascade and redeployment of existing younger vessels for that route, and a new slipway and shoreside facilities for Cumbrae are currently being built, following the awarding of more than £10 million of Scottish Government funding.
On the maintenance proposals, one of the points of the new direct award contract is that there is engagement, particularly on things such as maintenance. Maintenance is important, and I was keen to ensure that maintenance was in the contract as a regular part of the servicing of our vessels. That is the correct thing to do, but it has to be done with communities. That is why it is a proposal that can be engaged with. I have had representations from people in Cumbrae and others, including from Mr Gibson, who is the constituency MSP. I encourage all communities, when they are looking at the maintenance schedules, to engage directly, and I have asked CalMac to ensure that it is engaging.
There is no justification for the reduction in service to Cumbrae, which has been excellent for many years, and people wish it to continue that way. I commend the cabinet secretary and CMAL for the £13.5 million, which is the total level of investment, going into Cumbrae for the new slipway and associated works. Will the cabinet secretary give an update on phase 1 of the small vessel ferry replacement programme and how Cumbrae, in my constituency, will benefit from the cascading of vessels?
The small vessel ferry replacement programme is progressing well. The seven new vessels in phase 1 will help to improve connectivity and the resilience of island communities with their electric operation, which will help to reduce carbon emissions. Progress is demonstrated by the steel cutting for the first vessel, which took place in September this year, two months ahead of the original schedule. Further construction milestones will take place soon, as the build programme gathers pace. As I have indicated, the Largs to Cumbrae service will benefit from the cascade and redeployment of existing younger vessels for the route, which, again, is an improvement on top of the investment for the slipway and shoreside facilities that Kenneth Gibson mentions.
Shared cabins were removed on the northern isles ferry service without consultation. No thought was given by the Scottish Government to the impact that that decision would have on the concessionary voucher entitlement, which has in essence been halved. The cabinet secretary wrote to me saying that entitlements could not be restored as it would be unaffordable and would exacerbate capacity challenges, but there is no recognition of the connection between those issues and the loss of the shared cabins policy. Will the cabinet secretary agree to meet me so that we can discuss the issue in full again?
I have previously met Beatrice Wishart in her constituency, and she knows, as I explained then, that the decision on shared cabins was the operator’s. The Scottish Government did not introduce that directly, but, in supporting the operator’s responsibilities, I understand why it did that, and I think that Beatrice Wishart does as well. On how we can benefit the community, the new contract, in which I am sure Beatrice Wishart will have an active interest, is being developed. My colleague Jim Fairlie is leading on that for the Government. These are the sorts of issues that can and should be raised as part of the preparation for the new contract as it is developed.
Net Zero Policies (Cost)
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish further details of the estimated true cost of its net zero policies for households in Scotland. (S6O-05285)
The draft climate change plan, which was published on 6 November, is the first climate change plan in the United Kingdom to set out an assessment of the costs and benefits of the policies within it. Most of those financial benefits are expected to accrue to households and businesses. The draft plan includes the net cost, which is financial costs minus financial benefits, of delivering its policies. That is in line with the approach that is used by the Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Climate Change Committee. That cost to the Scottish economy from 2026 to 2040 is estimated at £4.8 billion.
We are seeking views on the presentation of costs and benefits during the plan’s consultation period and will consider those for the final publication.
The much-delayed climate change plan that the cabinet secretary mentions revealed that the Scottish National Party’s net zero plan will cost the Scottish economy £4.8 billion by 2040, as she has said. The plan also admits that many of the proposals have not been fully costed. There is a lack of detail on how those costs will be split between households, businesses and the public sector. Will the cabinet secretary commit to publishing more detail on those proposals, including how much the average Scottish household will be left out of pocket by the plan?
It is a 15-year plan. Uncertainty around United Kingdom Government action, technological advancements and market decisions make the distribution of costs extremely challenging to estimate. We have set out the costs in line with the legislation. We know that the scale of change that will be needed for the next part of our net zero journey is significant, and that delivering our net zero target by 2045 will require the transformation of our economy and society, underpinned by sustained investment, both public and private. I end by quoting Professor Graeme Roy, the chair of the Scottish Fiscal Commission, who said:
“Doing nothing, not responding to the challenge of climate change, will be far more expensive and damaging to the public finances than investing in net zero … it is simply not an option.”
I agree whole-heartedly with Professor Roy.
We have a number of supplementaries, which I hope will be brief.
It is vital that we ensure that Scotland’s buildings become warmer, greener and cheaper. However, the high cost of energy continues to be prohibitive to many energy-efficient heating upgrades. Do you agree that we need substantial reform of the energy system to achieve affordable climate goals? Can you give any more detail on the Scottish Government’s work?
Members should speak through the chair.
Bill Kidd is absolutely right that, in an energy-rich nation such as Scotland, no household should be struggling to heat their home. Measures that were announced by the chancellor will reduce average bills by only £12 a month, while significantly scaling back investment in energy efficiency and clean heating, when those are the actions that would cut bills permanently. Most powers in this area are reserved to the UK Government, so it is important that it uses its full powers and the levers at its disposal to make clean heating more affordable. It is vital that the electricity and gas markets are further reformed.
On the Scottish Government’s work towards energy efficiency, we recently consulted on proposals for homes in the domestic private rented centre to meet new energy performance certificate heat retention rating band C by the end of 2033. The requirement will apply to new tenancies from 2028. We also recently introduced new regulations on energy performance certificates, which will bring an improved EPC rating system into force. We are taking steps to ensure that poor energy efficiency is no longer a driver of fuel poverty, which will positively contribute to the eradication of child poverty.
We will need brevity in both questions and responses.
I very much agree that the lack of action there has a cost. It is really important to look at it at a local level. Will the cabinet secretary comment on why we are not getting the same focus on the homes that are vulnerable to flooding? At the moment, the figure for that is 284,000 homes, and the Scottish Government’s website says that another 100,000 will be vulnerable to flooding over the next few decades. What will be done to ramp up support for households that are currently at risk?
If the member does not mind my saying so, that is a bit of a tangential question about flooding, although it is an important issue. Most of the flood protection schemes are in the hands of local authorities, which are given substantial funding to put them into action. Given that the initial question was not about flooding, I might have to write to Sarah Boyack to give her more detail.
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests. This week, I met local home owners and constituents in Glasgow who spoke passionately about the co-operative retrofit model. The model works in communities to share information about options for retrofitting for all income groups. Is the cabinet secretary aware of the co-operative work in that space? What support could she provide to help communities and local industry to replicate and adapt the co-operative retrofit model for their areas, including community organising, peer support, specialist consultancy, and start-up grants?
I am always keen to hear about action that is happening on the ground that can be replicated throughout the country. Certainly, I will take an interest in that particular scheme, and I will pass on the comments to Màiri McAllan, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, whose portfolio might have appropriate levers in place.
Road Safety Management (Safe System Capacity Building Programme)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the road safety management safe system capacity building programme in Scotland being awarded a Prince Michael international road safety award. (S6O-05286)
I am delighted that Transport Scotland has received that prestigious award. The Government recognises that, in order to really embed the safe system approach to road safety, leadership and co-ordination need to be set out from the top, and that is why we invested in that programme for the people of Scotland.
It is critically important that we continue to change the road safety culture in our country. The programme consisted of publishing the world’s first safe system manual for practitioners and a cultural maturity playbook, and providing bespoke training for more than 500 of our partners. The success of the project solidifies Scotland’s position as a world leader in safe system delivery. It is vital that we continue to work with partners at all levels to reach our vision of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030.
The award is welcome recognition for Scotland, but we must never lose sight of the fact that one life lost on our roads is one too many. As the Government continues to work towards realising its long-term vision of no one being killed or seriously injured on Scotland’s roads by 2050, how will the Scottish Government build on the work that it has already undertaken?
Any life lost on our roads is one too many. We are committed to that vision zero ambition, and we need to build on those foundations. That is why we have invested record levels of funding in road safety—£48 million for this year. That includes measures to reduce casualties across the trunk road network. The money also helps local authorities through the road safety improvement fund and is helping with 20-mile-per-hour roll-outs, targeting safety cameras and delivering national driver behaviour change campaigns.
We are engaged in a mid-term review to assess where we go next. Yesterday, I chaired the national road safety partnership, in which Police Scotland, local authorities and a variety of other partners, including Public Health Scotland, come together to help to drive that improvement. I have taken a keen interest in that approach, and I think that the leadership that the partnership provides will start to bring about the necessary change.
Energy Profits Levy (North-east Impact)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the energy profits levy on energy jobs and the energy supply chain in the north-east. (S6O-05287)
The United Kingdom Government’s retention of the energy profits levy in its current form will continue to hit jobs and investment across Scotland’s energy sector. Those reserved policy decisions are driving an accelerated decline of North Sea oil and gas before renewable alternatives are sufficiently developed, placing a just energy transition at risk.
The Scottish Government continues to monitor and consider a range of evidence in relation to Scotland’s energy sector. As part of that approach, we review reports on employment from industry, trade unions and other bodies. Analysis that was set out in a recent joint letter from Offshore Energies UK and Scottish Renewables found that replacing the energy profits levy with a fairer fiscal regime could unlock £40 billion in investment and safeguard 160,000 jobs across the UK.
The energy profits levy threatens jobs and investment in the north-east, particularly in my constituency of Banffshire and Buchan Coast, yet Scotland produces a vast surplus of low-cost energy. Does the cabinet secretary agree that it should be unthinkable for an energy-rich Scotland to have anything other than energy-rich Scots, and that Westminster UK Government control is what stands in the way of that?
I absolutely agree with Karen Adam’s assessment of the situation. In an energy-rich nation such as Scotland, no household should be struggling to heat its home and no business should be struggling to pay its bills and keep its head above water. The UK Labour Government promised that it would reduce bills by £300 when it came to office, but choices made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to significantly scale back investment in energy efficiency and clean heating will not permanently cut bills.
The UK Government’s damaging approach to the energy profits levy means that Scotland’s energy industry is facing an existential threat. When he met the Prime Minister at the British-Irish Council on 5 December, the First Minister made it clear that the decision to extend the EPL to 2030 threatens tens of thousands of jobs across the UK energy sector and places the entire energy transition at risk.
I agree that the energy profits levy is a disaster and threatens jobs, but so does the Scottish Government’s presumption against new oil and gas. The cabinet secretary does not want to debate the energy strategy next week, so can she tell me when the Scottish Government will bring forward that energy strategy? Will it remove the disastrous presumption against new oil and gas?
The judgments and issues in the energy strategy and the just transition plan are informed and influenced by a range of on-going developments in the UK Government’s energy policy and recent court decisions. Those include, but are not limited to, the announcement by the UK Government about the North Sea future plan, of which we have had no advance sight. We are taking sufficient time to analyse and reflect on those developments and their impact on Scotland—a point that I have made many times before to Douglas Lumsden.
Since its introduction, the energy profits levy has raised more than £11 billion for the public purse and is forecast to raise a further £11 billion by 2030, redistributing excessive profits from energy giants to those struggling in fuel poverty, including in the north-east region.
Does the minister not agree with Great British Energy’s founding premise that
“the ... people should have a right to own and benefit from our natural resources”?
Will she not join me in welcoming the launch of GB Energy’s £1 billion supply chain initiative—which is called energy, engineered in the UK—to grow the domestic supply chain and create jobs in Scotland?
Mercedes Villalba might be a cheerleader for GB Energy. Fair play to her—if she wants to get behind what GB Energy is doing, that is absolutely her right. However, would it not be great if the £11 billion that has gone to the Exchequer as a result of the EPL was ring fenced for decarbonising our gas supply? Would it not be great if that went into just transition? Would it not be great if it brought forward a great deal of investment in low-carbon opportunities, which would help the just transition? Frankly, I do not know where that £11 billion is going. Until we have details on that, maybe we are all a bit in the dark about what the EPL is actually doing, other than destroying jobs in the north-east, because it is a tax on the people and the sector in the north-east of Scotland.
Pedestrian Safety Improvements
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on pedestrian safety improvements. (S6O-05288)
The Scottish Government is committed to enhancing safety across Scotland’s road network. “Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030” set out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030. The framework contains mode and user-specific targets that focus on our priority areas, including pedestrians.
In the 2025-26 financial year, the Scottish Government has invested a record £48 million in road safety, alongside significant investment in sustainable and active travel programmes to promote pedestrian safety.
A dedicated stakeholder group has also been established to monitor risks, identify emerging trends and develop targeted measures for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. Those actions demonstrate our on-going commitment to making Scotland’s roads safer for everyone.
Community councils and local groups along the A77 in Ballantrae, Girvan, Kirkoswald and Minishant in my constituency have worked tirelessly with me to press for pedestrian safety improvements. I welcome the mitigations that Transport Scotland is now putting in place.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that that kind of community-led campaign work is to be commended and that even greater progress can be achieved when national and local governments work together, hand in hand with our communities?
Yes, I commend those communities for their campaigning for road safety improvements. With regard to working together to identify individual issues, Transport Scotland is working with local campaign groups and local authorities and is systematically going through some of the issues.
I have heard directly about the benefits that will come to Ballantrae and some of the issues around Kirkoswald. Those issues can also be supported through the road safety improvement fund, a £14.5 million fund that delivers targeted road safety schemes. Sometimes, that is about junctions and sometimes it is about pedestrian aspects.
The road safety framework includes local partnership forums, which help with best practice and partnership working. Communities that live in those areas know best and have that experience. I am certainly pleased to see progress being made on the A77.
Road Improvement Projects (Environmental Impact)
To ask the Scottish Government what research or assessments it has carried out in the south-west of Scotland to understand the environmental impact of recent or planned road improvement projects. (S6O-05289)
All trunk road maintenance and improvement projects, including those in the south-west, undergo environmental assessment to identify potential impacts and ensure that appropriate mitigation is implemented. Environmental considerations are central to the design and assessment process of all our road projects. Where projects meet the criteria, they are subject to screening to determine whether statutory environmental impact assessment is required. If further assessment is required, the findings are published in a report and subjected to statutory consultation before Scottish ministers make a decision on whether the project should proceed.
A strategic and economic impact report that was published by three local authorities makes it crystal clear that dualling the A75 and A77 could result in 95 million tonnes of carbon dioxide savings and unlock £5 billion in benefits, slashing haulage costs and cutting journey times. Yet, after years of promises, the Scottish Government has produced little or no timetable, no budget and no plan. Only last week, ferry and haulage bodies said that nothing less than a dualled bypass for Springholm and Crocketford is acceptable.
Why is the Government content with endless reviews while businesses, communities and climate targets pay the price? Will the cabinet secretary replace spin with spades and commit to a funded and time-bound programme with clear milestones and road improvement plans for the A77 and A75, and report back to Parliament?
Since 2007, we have invested in the A75 and the A77—£50 million for the A75 and £64 million for the A77. The A75 schemes include overtaking opportunities at Newton Stewart and Barfil to Bettyknowes—[Interruption.]
Cabinet secretary, please resume your seat. There have been a number of occasions when questions have been asked and questioners, with some others, have joined in and heckled throughout the answers. We are going to listen to the questions and the responses with courtesy.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I think that, when the chamber is a bit empty, people perhaps do not realise how their voices carry.
The A77 schemes include the Haggstone climbing lane, the Glen App wide single carriageway, Park End to Bennane, Symington to Bogend and, of course, the Maybole bypass. The member talked about Springholm to Crocketford, where the Scottish Government is leading on the design work. We are consulting locals on that, and looking at different aspects, including where there might be dual carriageway potential, or whether it should be a single carriageway, and associated issues. There are also initial immediate safety measures to be taken around Springholm and Crocketford, which I think the member asked about and wants to see.
Things are happening. I absolutely recognise the economic importance of the A75, not just to the local area, but primarily through its having been identified as a union connectivity route to Northern Ireland and onward to Ireland for exports. I absolutely understand that.
The member made the point about road improvements and the use of certain routes helping to save fuel. I understand those issues. Economic issues as well as environmental assessments have an impact on the business plans, and I have given a flavour of what has been happening in the south-west.
We have run over time, but we have a bit of time in hand this afternoon, so I call Craig Hoy.
Battery Energy Storage Systems
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the long-term impact of battery energy storage systems on biodiversity and fire safety, and the long-term landscape and visual impact. (S6O-05290)
With new development proposals, potential impacts on communities, nature, landscape and visual amenity, including cumulative effects, are important considerations in the decision-making process. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments.
The Scottish Government has commissioned a scoping study on the potential environmental impacts of operating battery storage, with work expected to complete early next year. However, health and safety law is reserved to the United Kingdom Government and regulated by the Health and Safety Executive.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continually reviews its operational response to emerging technology, including battery storage, to keep communities safe.
Yet more and more developments are being approved. In Dumfriesshire, concern is mounting over battery storage developments, including the Belridding battery energy storage system near Torthorwald and at Milton farm near Beattock. Residents are rightly concerned that those developments are in the wrong location; for example, Milton farm is close to the A74, which would be severely impacted by smoke in the event of a fire.
What is the minister doing to give communities a greater say when it comes to such large-scale energy projects? Why will the Government not support my call for an immediate moratorium on further onshore large-scale renewables in areas that now feel battered, bruised and at risk as a result of the onward march of battery storage, turbines and megapylons?
I will not comment on any applications, whether potential or already in the system. A submission by officials on 15 May set out a proposed approach to improving the policy understanding of BESS through internal research to inform our thinking on potential policy positions on the technology, partly in response to community and political concerns about the framework that underpins BESS development.
Officials have proposed the publication of an initial statement and a call for evidence early next year to inform future policy statements on the technology.
To maximise the benefit of Scotland’s renewable energy resources and reach net zero, it is vital that we invest in storage capacity. Will the cabinet secretary say more about the role that storage systems play in our renewables mix and about how the Scottish Government is working to make sure that our local communities see the benefit of local infrastructure?
Paul McLennan is right that storage plays an important role in managing the variability and intermittency of renewable energy sources, balancing the grid, enhancing security of supply and ensuring that we can store energy instead of paying operators to turn off the generation. There is currently just over a gigawatt of operational storage in Scotland, mainly from pumped-storage hydroelectricity. To achieve our net zero targets, we will need more. I am confident that we can achieve that—there is currently a strong pipeline of projects not only in BESS but in other areas of storage.
Communities should share directly in the benefits of energy projects, including those relating to storage. Around £30 million was offered in community benefits last year across different energy projects. We are refreshing the national guidance on that—the good practice principles—to ensure sustainable and meaningful outcomes from Scotland’s energy transition.
That concludes portfolio question time. Before we move to the next item of business, there will be a brief pause to allow front-bench teams to change.