Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government welcomes the Just Transition Commission’s report on the future of the Grangemouth industrial cluster. The acting Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Net Zero wrote to the commission’s co-chairs earlier this year to express that.

The Scottish Government considered those proposals in the drafting of the Grangemouth industrial just transition plan, which will be published for consultation in due course. I should note that some of the proposals are far reaching and will require consideration by a wider set of stakeholders regarding practical implementation, particularly across the Grangemouth future industry board. I look forward to further working with the JTC on how that can be achieved.

I hear Ben Macpherson’s concerns, and I think that I may know the area of Edinburgh that he is referring to. As he has mentioned, the Parliament lacks the legislative power to change energy policy in that respect. It is disappointing that the UK Government has not taken quicker action to protect consumers who are reliant on heat networks for heating and hot water. I will raise the issue as a matter of urgency with my counterparts in the UK Government, and will certainly correspond with the member on some of the issues that he raises.

I thank the member for the points that she makes. She rightly says that not all costs that are associated with our transition to a clean future can ever be met entirely by Government. However, I would add that the member and her party often come to the Parliament asking what more Scotland, and our Government, can do to meet our ambitious targets on decarbonising the country. A total of 20 per cent of the carbon emissions from Scotland come from houses, so I hope that she will not oppose every measure that is brought to Parliament to try to address the problem.

Yes—I confirm that it will. The member mentions some themes that came through in the report, which were that the plan must earn the trust of the workers, that it must be the first in a series of just transition plans for different parts of the Scottish economy and that a new intergenerational social contract is needed to ensure that Grangemouth feels the benefit, which must extend to the whole region.

Another point that I wish to make—I appreciate that the member realises this—is that that is all in addition to the more immediate interventions that are taking place in and around Grangemouth, in consultation with the UK Government.

I thank the member for his contribution and his helpful point about Mossmorran. The Government is very much cognisant of the role of Mossmorran and its need to have its own just transition plan and its own specific engagement. That engagement is already under way.

Our recent consultation highlighted the potential of a switch to clean heating and more energy efficient homes to reduce our exposure to the spikes in fossil fuel prices that have driven the recent surge in energy costs. Any bill that we bring forward will be accompanied by a financial memorandum and all other relevant impact assessments, which will consider those issues and impacts in more detail.

Hydrogen is a key part of our net zero journey, and we remain committed to developing a world-leading green hydrogen sector in Scotland. We continue to engage with hydrogen projects across Scotland, working with them to develop their production, offtake and export capabilities. The levers that are available to the United Kingdom Government, in particular with regard to production, regulation and trade, are critical to ensuring that Scottish companies benefit from domestic and global market opportunities. We continue to work with UK counterparts to ensure that the Scottish hydrogen sector is best positioned to take forward that critical work to support meeting our net zero targets.

I am not in a position to talk in detail about future legislation, nor am I in a position to talk knowledgeably about the issue that the member raises, but I will correspond with him.

I echo David Torrance’s concerns for the workforce and families at Grangemouth. We are supportive of the UK Government matching our long-standing commitment to Grangemouth through its recent announcement of £10 million of additional funding for the Falkirk and Grangemouth growth deal. That releases £100 million of combined Government investment over the next 10 years, and it will enhance and protect Grangemouth’s manufacturing and petrochemical cluster to ensure that it continues to be of strategic importance.

Projects such as the Grangemouth sustainable manufacturing campus will aid Grangemouth’s transition to net zero, while the greener Grangemouth programme will deliver activity that is focused on regeneration and community wealth building, alongside skills investment. We are working alongside the UK Government, which has yet to outline the specific focus of its additional funding. We will continue to press it to support fuel security and sustainability.

Can the member clarify whether, any time soon when in Government, the Lib Dems are planning to rejoin the European Union?