Chamber and committees

In November 2023, the previous Conservative-led UK Government agreed to review Scottish consenting in its transmission acceleration action plan, as a response to recommendations from the UK Electricity Networks Commissioner, Nick Winser. Our officials have been working closely with UK Government counterparts on that work since February 2024, albeit with a pause during the election period, to impart a better understanding of the issues that are faced by all relevant stakeholders in Scotland, from developers to communities. During that period, the two Governments have exchanged formal correspondence to acknowledge the on-going work and established clear expectations. Engagement is now progressing in collaboration with the new UK Government.

I am not quite sure whether Alexander Burnett fully appreciates that the Electricity Act 1989 is reserved, UK Government legislation and that changes to the relevant clauses will ultimately be made by the UK Government. Nonetheless, the Scottish Government has been working closely with our UK counterparts and has co-designed the consultation. I am satisfied that many organisations and communities are taking part in it, but I remind Alexander Burnett of the role of the UK Government in it, too.

Rona Mackay points to our twin aims of ensuring that we have a fair process and ensuring that we decarbonise the country. I am satisfied that we are seeking to achieve both those aims. In collaboration with officials and ministers at the UK Government end, we are seeking to ensure not only that we make new projects easier to develop but that we make the process fairer and simpler and, indeed, that we update it in the way that the process has already been updated in England.

Our analysis suggests that, under the latest energy price cap, around 830,000 households, which is 33 per cent of all households, will be in fuel poverty. That represents a slight increase—it is fewer than 10,000 households—since the previous price cap period.

All that said, I know that many households will be feeling the financial strain as energy prices remain high. The Scottish Government is working with industry and others to design a social tariff mechanism, to ensure protection for energy consumers.

However, it is the United Kingdom Government that has the fundamental levers over energy pricing and obligations to fully address the cost pressures on households and, ultimately, the power to enact a social tariff.

As the member rightly suggests, the decision to cut the winter fuel payment has meant a reduction of £147 million in 2024-25 in the block grant adjustment to deliver our intended universal pension age winter heating payment, which is more than 80 per cent of the forecasted cost. That now means that around 900,000 pensioners will not receive support this winter, including many who are eligible for pension credit but who have not yet applied.

We cannot continue to be expected to mitigate the results of UK Government cuts from our devolved budget. What is really needed is reform of the UK energy markets, to rectify the root causes of fuel poverty in Scotland, such as unfair standing charges and high fuel prices.

I am not sure whether the member was listening, but the UK Government’s approach reduces the block grant adjustment of the UK’s winter fuel payment by £147 million in 2024-25, which is more than 80 per cent of the cost of the intended universal benefit.

We will work with the UK Government on a range of fronts around fuel poverty and energy, and we have committed to keeping eligibility under review. Ministers and officials are working at pace on options for investing any consequentials as a result of the household support fund. However, that does not take away from the fact that energy bills have gone up by £150 as a consequence of the actions of a UK Government that promised to bring them down by £300.

On those matters, it is welcome that it seems that Scottish Labour is joining the rest of the Parliament in our condemnation of the actions of the UK Labour Government in cutting the winter fuel payment. However, as the member alluded, it leaves us in the amazing position of seeing Labour in Scotland seeking protection from the actions of its own party. The question is what has changed for Labour in the weeks since it whipped its MSPs to vote to support the UK Government’s actions in cutting the winter fuel payment.

As temperatures fell in Scotland this week, it became clear that Scottish Labour finally realised the damage that its policy of cutting winter fuel payments would do, but, even in its repentance, it seems to have fallen short of advocating for the return of a universal winter payment. We, in the Scottish Government, will continue to do what we can within the limited powers of the Parliament to argue for reform of the energy market and will continue to press the UK Government for the introduction of a social tariff mechanism.

As well as the substantial funding that we provide for individuals and social landlords to install heat pumps, which is helping to grow supply chains, we are supporting business to develop the skills and accreditation that are needed in order to grow our qualified installer base.

Our green heat installer engagement programme, which is delivered by the Energy Saving Trust, provides assistance and support to help installers to participate fully and effectively in the clean heat supply chain. The enterprise agencies also work closely with manufacturers and installers to support their growth in Scotland.

I welcome the opening of Aira’s Scottish hub. Supporting Scotland’s current and future workforce to develop the skills that are needed for the net zero transition is a priority for this Government. Many of Scotland’s colleges and independent training providers offer heat pump training. We have invested in a mobile training centre for heat pump installation to ensure that training is equally available across all geographic areas.

As well as the green heat installer engagement programme that I mentioned, we are funding the clean heat strategic workforce development fund, which is delivered by Scottish Enterprise.

The Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy regularly discusses with ministerial colleagues a range of issues relating to Scotland’s future energy mix, including engaging on the safety and regulatory processes around battery energy storage sites.

When new development proposals come forward, our fourth national planning framework ensures that the impacts of proposals on communities and nature, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision-making process. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continually reviews and develops its operational response to any new and emerging technology to keep communities safe and to ensure the highest level of preparedness.