Chamber and committees

Specifically, is the optimal way forward the introduction of a licensing scheme?

My short supplementary is about training and education. Professor Newton, you described the complexity of muirburn, with small patches being burned and the fire being managed to make sure that it does not get out of control. Should the issuing of licences be correlated with a requirement to provide education and training for our gamekeepers and land managers?

Good morning. It is interesting to hear that this is not just about the management of grouse. The convener has brought up the issue of medicated grit, and we have heard about raptors. I want to confirm whether the introduction of a licensing scheme would be the optimal way to manage grouse moors, track what is happening and collect data. I am looking at Professor Newton because that is what he has said: this is the only way forward for being able to manage or trace what is happening, rather than just having a voluntary code of practice.

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that rural communities, including Dumfries and Galloway, benefit from current and future renewable energy projects. (S6O-02363)

Many areas across Scotland benefit from renewable energy projects and some of those projects can lead to the regeneration of derelict areas as well as bringing training opportunities in highly skilled and highly paid jobs to the area for local people.

There is the potential for an offshore development near Luce Bay in the Solway Firth, called SW1. However, one of the challenges in attracting investment in the project is in engaging people regarding the potential benefits for Stranraer and Wigtownshire. Can the minister indicate whether the Scottish Government is doing any work to inform communities about how they could benefit from such energy projects?

I understand that the Scottish Government is at a very early stage of developing its proposals for highly protected marine areas and I welcome the commitment from the First Minister that no HPMAs will be imposed on communities that vehemently oppose them. However, I want to ensure that the voices of fishers in Dumfries and Galloway are listened to and that their concerns are taken into account. Can the cabinet secretary indicate how communities can make their voices known and ensure that any concerns or objections are made clear, as the Scottish Government develops its proposals?

To ask the Scottish Government through which means rural communities can object to any of its proposed policies that would have a direct impact on their local sources of employment, culture or natural environment. (S6O-02350)

I am sorry, but I am really short on time, so I will not take any interventions. These wee debates with four-minute speeches dinnae really give us enough time to do so.

Two weeks ago, at a Parliament drop-in, I heard that 40 per cent of homes in Dumfries and Galloway are off grid, so assisting in a just transition to renewable energy for heating houses is extremely important.

As we have heard, a just transition does not entirely eradicate the need for fossil fuels and petrochemicals. Eighty-seven per cent of our oil and gas is currently used for transport, electricity and heating, and only 40 per cent is used for plastic production. However, plastics are essential, and they include essential items such as heart valves and joint replacement components that are used in total hip and knee replacements. We need to be careful about how we manufacture our language when we talk about the just transition for other products.

That made me think about personal protective equipment—masks, aprons and gloves—that was used during the pandemic. That comes from our petrochemical industry’s manufacturing, as well. I ask the minister to reaffirm in closing that the Scottish Government recognises the diversity of oil and gas products, and that that recognition will continue to be part of the Scottish Government’s approach.

Scotland is an energy-rich nation with significant renewable energy resources, a highly skilled workforce and innovative businesses across a globally renowned supply chain. Analysis shows that the number of low-carbon production jobs is estimated to rise from 19,000 in 2019 to 77,000 by 2050 as a result of the just energy transition. That means that there will be more jobs in energy production in 2050 than there are now. By continuing to make the most of our vast renewable energy resources, we can deliver a net zero energy system that also delivers a net gain in jobs in Scotland’s energy production sector.

There is huge potential for Dumfries and Galloway to benefit from renewable energy investment, including through the potential of fixed or floating offshore wind technology at a site known as SW1 in the Solway Firth. The community development trust in Eyemouth in the east part of my region has visibly benefited from offshore wind development. The community saw £50 million of investment before a turbine was even placed on the seabed, and many highly skilled jobs were created.

I am interested in how the benefits that have been witnessed in Eyemouth could be replicated in Stranraer. Fifty million quid could potentially come to the community, and people could choose which projects could be developed before any fixed or floating turbines are even in the water. However, part of the issue is engaging with the communities to see how that can be achieved. The option of a potential framework for community engagement could be considered. I have had conversations with South of Scotland Enterprise and it is interested, as I am, in whether such a framework is worth pursuing.

According to research that was published earlier this year, Scotland’s domestic abuse legislation better reflects victims’ experiences. Will the cabinet secretary outline how the Scottish Government is building on that work to ensure that victims are at the heart of Scotland’s justice system?

Folk might be asking themselves why a South Scotland MSP is speaking in a debate about oil and gas, but it is relevant to highlight and make it clear that—[Interruption.] This is really serious. When we talk about a just transition, we should be clear that the north-east is not the only place that will be affected. I have constituents and friends in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders who work in the oil and gas sector, so a just transition must include the south of Scotland, too.

More than that, a just transition means expanding renewable energy generation in other parts of Scotland, including in Dumfries and Galloway, which is already playing its part in that regard through onshore wind, solar, hydroelectric power from the Drax hydro scheme in Galloway, for example, and micro hydro schemes, including the one at Penpont.