Chamber and committees

The member raises important points. We are working to ensure that we have the workforce that we need for the future. The PwC green jobs barometer has been clear that Scotland’s skills base is providing a clear advantage to Scotland, capitalising on green jobs and green skills and identifying applicable skills in other sectors for people who wish to transfer into a new career.

Improving planning skills and capacity is a key commitment and priority for the Scottish Government. Together with the Improvement Service, we offer planning authorities training on appeals processes including public local inquiries. We have also been working closely with the United Kingdom Government on its review of Scottish consenting, which included a recent public consultation on potential reforms to the UK Electricity Act 1989. Those reforms are intended to mandate early engagement with statutory consultees to increase application quality and reduce the need for public local inquiries.

I suggest that the language and rhetoric that has been overstated is that which we heard in the question. I state again that the judgment and issues in the strategy will be informed and influenced by recent developments in UK Government energy policy and by court decisions. Any responsible Government would be expected to do that.

Where new development proposals come forward, our fourth national planning framework, which was published and adopted in 2023, ensures that the impacts of proposals on communities and nature are important considerations in the decision-making process.

On 5 November, the National Energy System Operator published advice to the United Kingdom Government on how to achieve clean power by 2030. At the same time, NESO also published a consultation on connections queue reform, and the UK Government is due to publish a clean power action plan. The outputs of that work will be considered in due course.

It is important to say that there is a statutory structure that must be followed in all decision making in the planning system. Section 25 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 requires that decisions must be made in accordance with the development plan.

I understand the point that the member makes about cumulative impacts. The cumulative impacts of development, including landscape, visual and amenity impacts, are important considerations in the determination of applications, where such impacts are identified.

The regulation of electricity networks is reserved to the United Kingdom Government. Scottish ministers have devolved responsibility for determining applications for consent under the Electricity Act 1989. Given that, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual infrastructure projects that may come forward as I may not interfere with or prejudice any decisions that may come before the Scottish ministers for determination.

In general, however, the Scottish Government recognises that the expansion of the electricity grid will play a crucial role in delivering on our energy ambitions and maximising the economic opportunities of Scotland’s abundant renewable resources.

The national planning framework makes it clear that potential impacts on communities—the member alluded to them, although, as I said, I cannot comment on the specific case—and on nature and heritage, including the cumulative effects of developments, are important considerations in the decision-making process. She will forgive me: if I read the question correctly and there was an invitation in it, the ministerial code prevents me from commenting. However, I thank her for her question.

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.