Chamber and committees

Thank you.

My questions are mainly about transport but, before I get on to that, in your answers to the last round of questions, you made the very important point that, to get cheaper electricity for customers across Scotland now, the wisest thing that the UK Government could do would be to decouple electricity prices from international gas prices. In its responses to you, has there been any glimmer of hope that the UK Government is considering that?

I have listened to what others have had to say today. I think that it is time for action as well, but the Government has been put in a position whereby the original targets that were made were unattainable, because Parliament pushed them on to the Government. As we move forward, we all require much more detail on how we will reach net zero in a just transition but, quite frankly, we do not have the answers to every single aspect thereof at this moment in time.

I recognise that the cabinet secretary and her officials will do all that they possibly can to get everything absolutely right. However, let us take, for example, the future use of hydrogen. At this moment in time, we do not have answers to what the benefits of that will be. Let us look at the fact that almost all of us want to see the UK Government remove the linkage between international gas prices and electricity. We do not know whether that will happen. If it does, it is likely to be a benefit, with greater electrification quickly; if it does not, that process will not happen.

What annoys me, I must say—I suppose that I can say this now, because I am going—is the fact that there is always bickering over some of those things, but without logicality. The logical thing is for us to agree the subordinate legislation and allow the Government to get on with it, and for us as a Parliament to continue to scrutinise all of that as we go forward. I think that to vote against the legislation today is very unwise, and I will support the cabinet secretary and her motion.

I have a very brief supplementary. Most of the panellists have said that net zero is a positive, that there are opportunities and that it is not so much of a burden. However, people out there are beginning to question our net zero targets. Some politicians are immensely sceptical and are firing up that view. How do we persuade people on the ground that our journey to net zero—our just transition—has positive aspects rather than being a burden?

Could you give us some examples? That would be useful.

All that is fine. I believe in climate change, and I believe that we have to reach these net zero targets. We should take a lead in the world and persuade others. However, none of the things that you have said today is, if you excuse the expression, particularly sexy for the public. We need to change that. We need to give the public the knowledge but also the vision of what net zero means and how it will be good for them.

I am sure he will.

I have one final brief question. I have been involved in trying to develop hydrogen in Aberdeen for many a year, and I want to see greater investment in Scotland in hydrogen. One of the inhibitors to that investment has been the UK Government’s failure to change hydrogen transport and storage regulations. There have been promises galore that that will happen. Is there anything in sight from the UK Government to suggest that those regulations will be changed to make investment more viable?

Thank you for that. I hope that, at some point, there will be a glimmer of hope around that change. I should probably declare an interest, because I live in a mainly granite flat with electric heating. When I tell folk what my bill is, their eyes water, as mine do when I get the email with my bill. I agree that the cost is definitely off-putting.

The Scottish Government has pledged to review its target to reduce car kilometres by 20 per cent by 2030. The Climate Change Committee’s model says that, even with a degree of modal shift, the number of car kilometres will not fall between now and 2035. Is it still worth while having some kind of car reduction target?

On the subject of EV charging, I represent a city centre constituency where it is quite difficult for some householders living in flats and other places to charge their vehicles; they have to rely on public chargers elsewhere. I know that there are currently pilots in certain areas to improve the way in which charging can be accessed in highly built-up areas where folk have no driveways and there are multiple properties.

I know that you likely will not have an answer to that just now, but will the Government—the transport secretary, yourself and others—consider looking at setting out regulations and standards to ensure that we get that right across the country. Some local authorities are doing or allowing certain things while others are not, and that is quite frustrating for many folks who want to make the change to EVs but canna rely on the public charging points and need something quite near their door.