Chamber and committees

With Monica Lennon now taking part, do we agree to take items 5 and 6 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Gosh, that was a complicated start and we have not even got into the evidence.

Thank you.

I have one further question in this area. I always think that, when we as parliamentarians are asked to do something, it is because either there is a deficiency or there will be some big improvement. Now, section 40 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 provides a way of prosecuting individuals who cause severe environmental damage, but it has never ever been used. Why do we need something else, if we are not using what we already have?

You do not all have to answer that question, but who would like to go first? By the way, if you all look away at the same time, I will nominate somebody. Ross, you were the slowest, so you can start us off.

Before I leave this point, I have one more question for you, Campbell—and I apologise to any committee member if I am standing on their toes and asking a question that they wanted to ask. If the bill had been introduced 30 years ago, how many times do you think that it would have been used?

We will leave it there at this stage.

Douglas Lumsden has some questions, and then I will go to Monica Lennon for a few questions at the end.

I am sure that it will be delighted that you forgot its name—

Therefore, with regard to the emissions targets—the parts that relate to the transport section of the draft climate change plan, when it is finally laid in the Parliament; we are still waiting for it, but I heard today that it is imminent—we will rely on technology on emissions reduction to reduce aviation emissions, we will continue to be able to use aeroplanes, and the Government has no intention of reducing people’s ability to be connected and to go on holiday by flying.

I am sure that that will make some people very happy, minister. Thank you. On that note, we have reached the end of the evidence session. I thank you and your officials for attending.

The committee will consider and agree a report to the Scottish Parliament on the two LCMs to the UK bill in the near future. If there is to be another supplementary LCM, we will also reflect on that.

Minister, I will just say that I stood up clearly and criticised the UK Government with regard to previous LCMs, but I also made the point that it is for the Scottish Government to let us have LCMs as soon as is reasonably possible—I think that those were my words. I just remind you that I said that and that, if something comes up that the committee should know about, the sooner we get it, the better.

Thank you, convener. I understand why Paul White has lodged the petition. It is a matter of frustration to him and to many constituents that wildfires continue to be a problem. The issue was probably highlighted more than it has been by anything else by the wildfire at Dava, which burned thousands of acres. However, the petition comes on the back of other fires, on the Isle of Arran and in Glen Finglas, where wildfires have happened because of the use of disposable barbecues. I accept the Scottish Government’s comments about the 2020 act. I also accept SPICe’s comments about the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which might provide some scope for a ban to happen That is not something that the petitioner would reasonably expect to be achieved in this session of the Parliament.

When you come to consider closing the petition, which I am sure that you will do, convener, and, probably rightly so, given the time that the committee has left in the parliamentary session, a way forward would be to seek clearer guidance from the Government on when disposable barbecues could be used. It should be automatic that people are told not to use disposable barbecues when the fire risk goes up from moderate to high. There could also be a way of the Scottish Government making announcements so that people are asked to abide by a voluntary ban.

As a result of its slow action in relation to the Cairngorms byelaw, the Scottish Government has slightly provoked this petition. The Cairngorms national park submitted a byelaw for approval to the Government, and it has taken it a huge amount of time to consider it. Even as we speak, I am not sure that the byelaw has been passed by the Scottish Government. I tried to find out, but I have been unable to do so. Therefore, if I might be so bold, I suggest that it might be worth writing to the Scottish Government to say that the committee is closing the petition and that you hope that it would be more proactive in saying when disposable barbecues should not be used and that there would be a speedier response to requests from local authorities for byelaws to ban the use of disposable barbecues. I hope that that is helpful.

Doug McKiernan mentioned Grangemouth. We have been considering the effect that project willow would have and whether Grangemouth is perfectly positioned for SAF production. Do you want to build on what you said in relation to that?