Chamber and committees

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My voting app would not connect. I would have voted no.

Last week, constituents contacted me because they were worried about the risk of rape and sexual assault in public parks in Edinburgh. They mentioned the lack of lighting that makes our parks unsafe at night, especially in winter. How is the Scottish Government ensuring that our built environment is not contributing to such horrific attacks?

I congratulate Christine Grahame on securing this members’ business debate and giving us all a lesson on making crisp packets into blankets. I especially congratulate St Andrew’s primary school on its commendation for learning for sustainability in the Eco-Schools programme. It is a testament to its outstanding commitment to building a sustainable future and creating global citizens. I also recognise the work of the Eco-Schools team at St Andrew’s primary school, and I am sure that, having received that commendation, they will be happy that their hard work has paid off.

I am lucky enough to represent a region that includes, alongside St Andrew’s in Gorebridge, so many other schools that go above and beyond to protect our environment. Since the younger generation will bear the brunt of climate change, it is our responsibility to equip them with the knowledge and skills to protect and cherish the environment. I saw that in action a few weeks ago, when I joined my colleagues Sarah Boyack and Ash Regan to meet inspiring young people representing more than 30 schools at a Protect Our Future demonstration held outside the Parliament.

Those young people presented us with a paper chain with 6,000 handwritten messages from children across Scotland, demanding that we keep our promises on climate change and deliver for the younger generation. The paper chain is not only a symbol of unity in its demand, but a warning that, if we do not keep our promises on climate change, the chain will break, along with our young people’s futures. I was humbled and moved by that meeting, but I was heartened to see that our young people are so well informed about the biggest issues that we face as a society. It makes me more confident about our future.

I have no doubt that the Eco-Schools programme, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, has played a large role in creating a generation of young people who understand the importance of the natural world. Since the programme’s launch, more than 8,000 green flags have been awarded to Scottish schools. The programme has been expanded to include subjects such as food and global citizenship, and it is now running in schools in 79 countries.

Events are planned for the 30th anniversary, with the eco-schools celebration week being held in June. That will include the one planet picnic, in which schools around the globe will celebrate their achievements in promoting sustainability. It will act as a demonstration of the “act local, think global” mantra that is so important in tackling the climate emergency.

Before that, however, I hope that St Andrew’s RC primary school in Gorebridge will be celebrating its well-deserved achievement in receiving this commendation.

Hydrogen is a key part of our journey to net zero. Although we can decarbonise many parts of our economy through electrification or renewables, hydrogen is necessary in the areas where that is not viable.

The sector has immense potential. The Hydrogen Energy Association has estimated that hydrogen technologies will be worth £700 billion globally by 2050 and will deliver hundreds of thousands of jobs in Scotland alone. Given our existing knowledge in our energy sector, we should be pursuing those opportunities, and I am glad that there is agreement across parties and Governments on that point.

The shortlisting of eight Scottish sites in the second hydrogen allocation round should be welcomed, particularly that of the Selms Muir hydrogen project in Livingston, which could deliver 6 tonnes of hydrogen a day and fuel the Lothian bus fleet. That would be complemented by Grangemouth hydrogen and a pipeline to Forth Ports in Leith, which could enable exports to other countries. All that would build a cluster of hydrogen knowledge in the central belt.

If we want to be successful, we must build up capacity quickly. However, as we have seen in other areas, the planning system is sluggish and inefficient in introducing new energy infrastructure. We have heard from the Improvement Service that understanding of hydrogen among planners and decision makers is limited and can vary between areas. I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government is establishing a planning hub to improve that situation.

We need knowledge to be embedded in all parts of the system—including local development plans—and a clear pipeline of projects so that decision makers can have clarity. In addition, as with all planning, we need to ensure that there are enough planners working to make decisions.

Public engagement is also key. Some industry figures report public unease regarding hydrogen proposals. Much has been said about community input in energy infrastructure. When people hear the word “hydrogen”, many think of the Hindenburg disaster, so ensuring understanding of the safety of such systems should be a priority.

I come back to skills. With our expertise in oil and gas, Scotland is well placed to enable the hydrogen economy. Those sectors include people with transferable technical skills, such as those in engineering and project management, and people with skills in safety, risk and regulatory compliance. Creating a clear pathway from oil and gas to hydrogen should be on the cards to ensure that workers can adapt and to guarantee them a just transition.

However, ClimateXChange found that skills transfer from industry alone will not be sufficient in the long term to meet the objectives of the hydrogen action plan. Therefore, this is a great opportunity to boost apprenticeships and deliver opportunities for young people across all areas of the country.

That brings me to my last point on infrastructure. Hydrogen is a versatile element. It can be transported in liquid or gas form and by pipeline or boat. Infrastructure to ensure that hydrogen can flow cheaply and easily from where it is produced should be delivered at the same time as investment in green generation so that we do not find ourselves playing catch-up in the years to come.

I again welcome the shortlisting of eight Scottish sites in the latest hydrogen allocation round. That reflects the talent and appeal of Scotland in the hydrogen sector. However, we cannot just hope to be a world leader in green hydrogen. The Scottish Government should tackle the planning and skills issues that I have outlined and develop a clear strategy that ensures that green hydrogen can be used in as many areas of our economy as possible in order to hit our net zero target.

I was contacted by a constituent with epilepsy, who is not eligible for a driving licence. For identification, they use the CitizenCard, which is part of the proof of age standards scheme. However, they find themselves refused service from many places that have a blanket policy for ID. Does the First Minister share my concern that my constituent is being unfairly treated due to their condition? Will he direct ministers to improve acceptance of the CitizenCard for those people who do not have a driving licence?

Heavy industry and manufacturing are woven into Scotland’s economic and social history, from shipbuilding in Leith to brewing on the site of this Parliament, and Edinburgh’s history of manufacturing and industry continues today, with life science businesses in the BioQuarter creating life-saving drugs.

The manufacturing sector is vital to Scotland’s economy: each year, it adds more than £15 billion in value, and it employs more than 150,000 people. Those industries are also strategically important, now more than ever given international events. Although I was not able to attend last week’s debate on the international situation, I was able to read some members’ remarks, such as those of my colleague Daniel Johnson regarding globalisation. Donald Trump’s tariffs show that it is clear that the game has changed. I will not go as far as to say that globalisation is dead, but our strategy should reflect the new reality.

That requires taking action to protect manufacturing and industries that are based in Scotland and are creating resilient supply chains for our businesses, which have seen shocks in recent years. In that regard, I welcome the action that the UK Government has taken to protect Grangemouth and to save British Steel at Scunthorpe. It has kept the blast furnaces running, saved skilled jobs and prevented another one of our industries from being moved abroad.

Had that not been done, the UK would have been the only country in the G7 without steel-making capabilities, which, during a time of growing uncertainty in which we are increasing our defence capabilities, would not have been good for our autonomy or for Scotland’s industry.

The UK Labour Government’s investment in Grangemouth and support for project willow also shows how state intervention can protect industries. The £200 million of investment to secure jobs and ensure that Grangemouth is fit for the future should not be scoffed at. That is decisive action to support the industry in the long term, whereas the SNP knew about the issues for years but did nothing. Standing by as all that happened and then turning round, after all the work is done, and calling for nationalisation is simply not serious. With project willow, we have an opportunity to protect jobs, grow new industries and deliver a just transition. Governments should be working together to achieve that, not creating grievance where there was none.

As changes in global trade happen, we need not only to protect our manufacturing and industrial base but to take advantage of changing trade flows in order to expand it. In decades past, businesses offshored their manufacturing to other countries, moving jobs away from Scotland, but times have changed. Previously, it cost £4,500 to ship a 40-foot container from China, but it now costs £18,000. Supply chains are vulnerable to shocks—members will recognise the number of shortages that we have had in recent years.

In the new global trading environment, manufacturing might begin to return to where customers are. A report from Medius shows that 58 per cent of manufacturers have started to reshore their supply chains and move production back to the UK. In addition, a PwC survey of senior manufacturing executives found that 57 per cent said that they would increase investment in the UK in response to a long-term industrial strategy. The Scottish Government should look at how we can take advantage of those trends and reverse the decades-long decline in manufacturing, rather than offshoring ferry contracts to Poland.

Given the global situation, we should be protecting Scottish industry. I am pleased that the UK Labour Government stepped up to that task and secured Grangemouth’s future. I hope that the SNP will work with the UK Government to deliver project willow and take advantage of the global situation by bringing manufacturing to Scotland through a real industrial strategy.

Community energy projects are key for our journey to net zero and putting money back into local economies. Last year, Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative saved the City of Edinburgh Council £1 million in energy costs and its members money on their bills. In the light of that, will the cabinet secretary join me in welcoming the £5 million investment from Great British Energy into community energy in Scotland? Will she provide further details on how that investment will be delivered to projects such as Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative?

To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging the growth of community energy projects. (S6O-04565)

Given the concerning fall in volunteering participation, we must ensure that volunteers are treated well and that standards are upheld. Will the cabinet secretary advise how the Scottish Government is ensuring that funding for third sector organisations supports volunteers’ involvement that is aligned with the principles of the volunteer charter? Will she join me and representatives from volunteer organisations at the next meeting of the Parliament’s cross-party group on volunteering to discuss the issues that the sector faces?

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to promote the benefits of volunteering, in light of the recent research from Volunteer Scotland indicating that regular participation in volunteering can have wellbeing benefits worth approximately £1,000 per person per year. (S6O-04537)