Official Report 1239KB pdf
Nuclear Energy (Jobs)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Nuclear Industry Association’s reported view that Scotland will miss out on thousands of new jobs due to its stance on nuclear energy. (S6T-02667)
We are focused on supporting growth and creating jobs by capitalising on Scotland’s immense renewable energy capacity, rather than the more expensive new nuclear energy, which takes decades to build and potentially creates a further legacy of radioactive waste, which is costly and difficult to dispose of.
Significant growth in renewable storage, hydrogen, carbon capture and decommissioning are key opportunities for our future energy workforce in Scotland, with independent scenarios from Ernst & Young, or EY, showing that, with the right support, Scotland’s low-carbon and renewable energy sector could support nearly 80,000 jobs by 2050.
There is a fundamental dishonesty towards nuclear from the Scottish National Party. It is quite happy to use nuclear energy from England or France when the wind is not blowing, but it blocks any moves to have that baseload generated in Scotland, thereby closing the door on jobs, investment and opportunities. The Scottish economy is missing out on thousands of well-paid, good jobs. Next week, the United Kingdom and the US are set to sign a multibillion-pound partnership, but that investment in small modular reactors will bypass Scotland due to the SNP’s anti-science dogma towards nuclear energy. Will the SNP Government end the conspiracy against nuclear power, follow science instead and publish its belated energy strategy, with nuclear playing a key role?
I am old enough to remember being in this chamber back in 1999 or 2000 up until 2007, when my party proposed developing Scotland’s renewable energy potential. We were told that our renewable energy targets were unachievable and were pie in the sky, but here we are in 2025, producing enough renewable electricity in our country to meet domestic demand. We achieved Scotland’s ambitions on renewable electricity, and we can achieve much more.
There is a huge prize to be captured for Scotland—a massive economic opportunity in terms of Scotland’s renewable potential. That is what we should focus on. As the member will know, the cost of nuclear power plants is rocketing, and there is a lead-in time of decades for those technologies, whereas we have a prize that we can capture in the coming decade or so, so we should focus on that.
There is no answer on when the energy strategy will be here. We have been waiting almost three years for it now.
We have a brilliant nuclear workforce at Torness and Hunterston who add so much economic value to Scotland, but the SNP Government is turning its back on the workers who have been keeping the lights on for decades. By siting new SMRs at those sites, we could utilise and grow the existing workforce and negate the need for monster pylons and battery storage systems that blight our communities, as our production would be closer to the demand. Once again, I ask: when will the Government finally publish its late energy strategy?
The member talks about the implications for jobs. I should refer to another independent analysis by Ernst & Young that suggests that, with the right support, there could be 2,044 jobs and £383 million of gross value added in nuclear decommissioning in Scotland by 2045. The member is right, in that there are many valuable skills in Scotland’s nuclear sector, and we should put them to good use in the decades ahead. There will be plenty of jobs created in renewables and in nuclear decommissioning in this country.
We will say more about our energy strategy in due course.
As the minister highlighted, nuclear power takes decades to become operational, at an eye-watering cost to the public, with EDF Energy reporting that the costs of Hinkley Point C could spiral to almost £48 billion, which is more than double the original estimate. Does the minister agree that, given the risks and huge costs of nuclear, we are better placed to take advantage of Scotland’s natural abundance of far more affordable and far quicker to deliver renewable power?
Audrey Nicoll lays out very eloquently the case for the Scottish Government’s current energy policy. She is right to talk about the spiralling costs—the eye-watering costs—of the proposed nuclear power stations and those that are under construction in England at the moment, which are into tens of billions of pounds. If we could use Scotland’s share of that to deploy our renewable energy resource in this country, we could create even more thousands of jobs and support supply chains in this country. We should focus on capturing that prize.
I am proud to have set Scotland’s first renewables targets, and I agree that we need a lot more renewable energy.
The SNP opposes new SMRs—and Torness is due to close in spring 2030—even though they are being built across Europe. Torness currently has 550 full-time EDF Energy employees, 180 full-time contract employees and up to 800 employees every time there is a statutory outage. Why is the SNP happy to import nuclear-generated electricity but not to see it continue to be produced at Torness, given the massive annual benefits of around £45 million for the wider local economy?
I welcome Sarah Boyack’s support for our renewable energy targets, which her Administration set before ours came to power. Since 2007, our Government has achieved its targets.
I have indicated that tens of thousands of jobs have already been created in renewable energy in Scotland and there is potential to create tens of thousands more. Regarding those who work in the nuclear industry, I refer to the significant potential for the economy that comes from deploying their skills in nuclear decommissioning. There are many opportunities to create new jobs in Scotland and to sustain those that we currently have.
In response to the original question, the idea that a private sector industry body lobbies for its own self-interest might be the least surprising revelation that I have ever heard. Work by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research shows that, United Kingdom-wide, renewables can generate up to six times as many jobs as nuclear. Does the minister agree that if the Conservative Party was the least bit interested in jobs, low-cost energy and low carbon, it would embrace the net zero opportunities for Scotland in the future instead of trying to drag us back to the technology of the 1960s?
I agree with Patrick Harvie. Scotland has a golden opportunity and a competitive advantage. We have the massive natural resource of all our renewable energy and clean energy sources. It would be crazy not to focus on them and deploy our investment in order to realise that massive potential for Scotland and for our companies. We are bringing about cheap, cleaner energy and all the other benefits that go with that.
Hunterston shut in 2022, Torness is due to close in 2030 and a question mark hangs over the gas station at Peterhead. There is a fundamental question: how do Governments ensure that we avoid blackouts, which nearly occurred on 8 January this year in the UK? Does the minister not accept that, without baseload and back-up, it is impossible to provide synchronicity, inertia and, therefore, grid stability to maintain the national grid at 50 Hz? How can that be done without some baseload and back-up? Will there be a full day’s debate about those really crucial issues in our Parliament?
Fergus Ewing has raised very important principles that should underpin the energy policy of any country in the world. [Interruption.] We must bear in mind that we are talking about new nuclear power stations, which take decades to build. We cannot wait decades to answer some of the challenges that he has outlined, which is why we should continue to deploy Scotland’s massive clean energy and renewable energy resources and capture their benefits.
The golden opportunity surely rests with both energy sources. The question that has still not been answered is, when will the energy strategy be published? Will the Scottish Government undertake to publish it before the end of this parliamentary session?
My colleague Gillian Martin will keep Parliament up to date on that in due course. On the jobs question—which is why, as employment minister, I am here—I emphasise to the Parliament that we have a massive opportunity to create new jobs for Scotland in the energy sector. From independent analysis, we can already see the evidence of the tens of thousands of new energy jobs that this Administration has created. We should surely all work together to capture that prize.
We have a long afternoon. I would be grateful if members would speak when they are called and not otherwise.
Nursing Courses (Decline in Student Numbers)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Nursing’s reported concerns regarding the decline in the number of nursing students, in light of recent Universities and Colleges Admissions Service figures showing that the number of accepted places on nursing courses beginning this autumn in Scotland is 5 per cent lower than last year. (S6T-02665)
Under this Government, nursing and midwifery staffing has increased by almost 19 per cent since 2006. It is important to be clear that the UCAS statistics do not cover all routes into those courses, with part-time, Open University and most postgraduate courses not using the UCAS platform.
However, I absolutely recognise the need to encourage more people into the profession. That is why our nursing and midwifery task force is bringing together partners to drive forward lasting change and to support staff, including by recommending actions to develop alternative routes, such as through our excellent colleges, to widen access into education pathways.
I wish to quote the Royal College of Nursing’s warnings:
“Scotland does not have the number of nurses now that it needs to meet the demand for care in health and social care services. Thousands of registered nurses are missing from health and social care teams across Scotland, impacting on the quality and safety of patient care. This is a desperate negative spiral. The Scottish government must take urgent action now and make investment focused on addressing the nursing workforce shortages.”
Those are the warnings from the profession itself. Does the Government believe that it is currently training enough staff to meet demand?
I thank Carol Mochan for that question, because these are very serious issues. We are working with the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives to ensure that the nursing and midwifery task force takes action to address them, and we are working in collaboration to deliver the task force’s recommended actions. We recognise that widening access to nursing and midwifery programmes is important in order to increase the number of nurses and midwives.
Substantial work to widen access has already begun, including with our higher education institutions. That will involve testing innovations over the next three to four years and collaborating with the college sector to enhance and promote recruitment and retention in rural and island areas. That work will include the delivery of satellite education and the development of work-based learning programmes.
Cabinet secretary, without properly trained staff, nursing places will remain unfilled. Over the past three years, nearly 2,500 fewer nursing students have started university than were planned under the targets that were set by your Government. That means that the gap between the number of registered nurses who are needed and the number who will enter the workforce in the coming year is set to widen even further. There is real concern across the profession. Will the cabinet secretary confirm whether the nursing and midwifery task force’s recommendations, which were published in February, will be funded and fully implemented before the end of the current parliamentary session?
Always speak through the chair, please.
We are already working to implement the recommendations of the nursing and midwifery task force. As Carol Mochan will recognise, the challenges that we face in attracting people into nursing and midwifery courses are not unique to Scotland. Those challenges are also being faced in Labour-run Wales, where there has also been a reduction in the number of student nurses. It is also not just an issue in the United Kingdom—half of the nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are reporting a reduction in the interest of 15-year-olds in nursing education.
We take the issue seriously here. It would make a big difference if we were able to recruit and retain international workers. The reduction in the number of visas for those in the health and care workforce that have been approved by the Home Office over the past year is extremely concerning, because that could have an incredibly damaging impact on our health and social care services. Indeed, in May, the RCN said that new immigration measures could
“accelerate an exodus of internationally educated nurses ... with potentially devastating consequences for health and social care services”.
I am keen to work with Carol Mochan and others to persuade the UK Government of the merits of a proper immigration service that works for the needs of our public services in Scotland.
I remind members that I am a registered nurse.
The UK Labour Government hiked tuition fees in England this year, and the Labour Government in Wales continues to charge tuition fees. That means that nursing and midwifery students are landed with high levels of debt when they qualify. In contrast, in Scotland, under the Scottish National Party, tuition is free and record numbers of Scots are going to university. While Labour burdens nursing students with avoidable debt, will the cabinet secretary set out and reiterate the unique support that is available in Scotland to entice students into the nursing and midwifery profession?
Our package of support for student nurses and midwives in Scotland is currently at its highest level, which is the highest level of support to be provided across the United Kingdom. The annual £10,000 bursary is non-means tested and non-repayable. Eligible students receive free tuition, free uniforms and free disclosure and health checks, as well as the reimbursement of clinical placement expenses. Some students also qualify for additional allowances to their bursaries, such as dependants allowance, childcare allowances and/or single-parent allowances.
That is what we get with the investment from an SNP Government: free tuition, which is always protected, additional bursary support and allowances for childcare. What do people get with Labour? Broken promises, negativity, no ideas and a hefty bill to pay at the end of their studies.
The figures that we have before us follow the reports that I highlighted last week, which show that the number of nursing and midwifery vacancies has risen by 60 per cent in just six months. Those figures were preceded by numerous others, all pointing to the same issue. Scotland’s national health service is not attracting or retaining the staff that it needs in order to care for patients properly or to clear backlogs. That reminds me of when my daughter applied to do midwifery less than 10 years ago. She was one of 43 who were accepted. There were 440 places. Nurses now have to go through clearing to fill those places. Does the cabinet secretary recognise that there is a serious problem here? How do they intend to ensure that we will make the NHS in Scotland a more attractive place to work?
I recognise the question from Brian Whittle, but there are 48,909.6 whole-time equivalent qualified nurses and midwives working in NHS Scotland. That is a 2.7 per cent increase over the past year and a 13 per cent increase in the past decade. As I have already stated to Carol Mochan, the UCAS data does not cover all routes into university for those subjects, with part-time, Open University and most postgraduate courses not using the UCAS platform.
On the vacancy rates, there is increased investment and increased activity to bring down waiting times, and I expect an increased number of places to be available for recruitment. I encourage our boards to ensure that they are utilising the talent that exists here in Scotland among nurses and midwives.
The financial problems in universities are contributing to the loss of important teaching staff, which means that the viability and credibility of departments is under threat. That will store up problems for many years to come unless we can get things right.
What discussions has the cabinet secretary had with his colleague Mr Dey, who is sitting next to him, about the future viability of universities, so that nursing departments are viable for the future?
With relevance to the point that is before us, I point back to the answer that I gave to Carol Mochan on the importance of international students and international workers, not just to our NHS and social care services but to our universities. That is a critical point. Mr Dey and I of course frequently discuss issues with regard to training the next generation of our public sector workers, ensuring that the continued viability of our university sector is, as the member would expect, very high up on the Government’s agenda.
That concludes topical questions.
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