Chamber and committees

Regulations for hydrogen transport through pipelines and storage are reserved to the UK Government and so Scottish Government officials are in regular and close communication with UK Government counterparts on these matters.

In December 2023, the UK Government published its Hydrogen Transport and Storage Networks Pathway. This set out next steps for the strategic development of hydrogen transport and storage in the UK, and the role of the National Energy System Operator.

The Scottish Government continues to urge the UK Government to consider and cater for geographical variations across the UK, particularly for Scotland, and develop a fit for purpose regulatory regime that will enable us to achieve our shared hydrogen ambitions.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken analysis to ascertain whether there is any presence of natural occurring hydrogen (sometimes called 'gold hydrogen') present in Scotland geology.

A letter was issued by the Chief Planner regarding consents and variations to planning permission for energy generating ancillary uses on 27 August 2020. This letter confirmed that the Scottish Government considers a battery installation to generate electricity and should therefore be treated as a generating station.

No specific assessment on potential impacts to land value in rural areas has been undertaken.

The EY Regional Economic Forecast for 2024 suggests that Scotland will have a similar annualised employment growth rate to several regions and nations of the UK between 2024-2027, including Wales, Northern Ireland, the North East of England and the West Midlands. EY also indicate that Scotland had lower economic inactivity than Northern Ireland, the North East of England, Wales, the North West of England and East Midlands in 2023.

Employment growth is influenced by many factors including job creation and labour supply, with the latter reflecting demographics, migration, and participation in the labour market. Of those factors, Scotland has near record levels of payrolled employees at 2.46 million in February 2024.

The EY report identifies the importance of reducing economic inactivity and supporting people into employment. The Scottish Government is undertaking a range of action to address Scotland’s labour market challenges. For example, the Scottish Government will invest up to £90 million in devolved employability services No One Left Behind in 2024/25, to support those facing structural barriers to entering employment, alongside investment in childcare and support for those experiencing ill-health to remain in the labour market. The Scottish Government will also launch Scotland’s Migration Service during the course of 2024 to support inward investors and Scottish employers to use the immigration system to meet their skills and labour needs.

The Scottish Government is clear that the views of local authorities are an important consideration in the decision-making process for determining energy consents applications.

The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 provides a legal framework for the operation and governance of local authorities in Scotland. While it doesn't specifically address conflicts of interest, it establishes the broader legal context within which local authorities operate and are required to conduct their affairs in accordance with the law.

Local authorities in Scotland are also subject to public procurement regulations, which include requirements to ensure transparency, fairness, and competition in the awarding of contracts. These regulations often include provisions aimed at preventing conflicts of interest in procurement processes.

The Energy Consents Unit consented 14 applications for Battery Energy Storage Systems between 2013 and 2023.

Details of the external costs associated with the production and publication of all the Building a New Scotland papers published to date can be found on the Scottish Government’s website:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-a-new-scotland-papers-costs/

The education and skills system is critical to the delivery of a just transition and the further education sector is actively supporting individuals to gain the skills and knowledge they need to participate in the green economy.

Our forthcoming Just Transition Plans will set out where the Scottish Government, partners in the private sector and educational providers can further support this ambition.

Additionally, the Scottish Funding Council’s Net Zero and Sustainability Framework for Action sets out the long-term plan to support the sector transition to net zero.

Last November, the Scottish Government welcomed the net zero pathfinder report published by Skills Development Scotland which assessed demand and skills issues across a range of sectors including construction. This information can be found here: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/what-we-do/skills-planning/green-skills-research-and-evidence/cesap-pathfinder-wp1-an-evidence-based-approach-to-supporting-the-transition-to-net-zero

Beat has reported that 249 non-GP healthcare professionals have completed “Beyond the Symptoms” training since 2022. A full breakdown by profession is not available, but the training has been completed by professionals including Community Mental Health Teams, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and school nurses.