Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government fully appreciates the hard work and dedication of partners in Scotland around delivering employability services which support a reduction in child poverty levels and support those facing structural barriers to enter into and sustain employment. Discussions are continuing to finalise allocations, with funding being released as decisions are taken to ensure activities in agreed areas can proceed as soon as possible.

Policy and regulation of energy networks in the UK, including their operation, maintenance and resilience, are reserved to the UK Government.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with stakeholders, including network companies, across the energy industry. The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy and I last met with SSEN, alongside SPEN and ESO, on 21 March to discuss the ESO’s ‘Beyond 2030’ network recommendations for connection and delivery of clean power to homes and businesses across GB, where we stressed the need for meaningful and early engagement with communities.

Scotland has a regime of statutory salmon conservation orders in place which are refreshed annually. Salmon caught in rivers in poor conservation status, classified as category 3, are not allowed to be retained, thus ensuring the protection of the species where it is at greatest risk.

SSEN have shared with the Scottish Government that they estimate that a volume of approximately 1700 cubic metres of peat has been disturbed. SSEN have suggested that the loss was generally the surface layer of peat in the area. SSEN have confirmed to the Scottish Government that they are working with key stakeholders and environmental specialists to put in place a plan for safe restoration and reinstatement.

SSEN have informed the Scottish Government that the landslide is not connected to the construction of the Viking Wind Farm but took place at SSEN Transmission’s Kergord Substation, which is currently under construction. We understand that there is no impact to the nearby Viking Wind Farm or the Shetland HVDC link.

As was the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government continue to listen carefully to the World Health Organization’s advice.

Furthermore, although it is the statutory duty of Local Authorities to manage their school estate, we would be happy to work in partnership with them on this matter.

Although the “Reducing the risks of COVID-19 in schools” guidance has been stood down and there are no current plans to revise it, we recognise the benefits of clean air in preventing COVID-19.

It is the statutory duty of Local Authorities to manage their school estate and it would, therefore, be for them to consider local circumstances and determine if it would be appropriate to allow parents to donate HEPA filters to their schools.

When the Ferguson Marine shipyard was threatened with closure in 2019 the Scottish Government stepped forward and saved the business. Taking the yard into public ownership preserved commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde, rescued more than 300 jobs and ensured that the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa vessels – vital for our island communities – will be delivered.

We want to see the yard prosper, be competitive and continue the proud shipbuilding traditions on the Clyde. We are continuing to work with the business to understand its forward plans and to review proposals for investment.

Subsidies can make an invaluable contribution to businesses. However, if they are misused or overused, it can lead to undesirable outcomes. This is why Scottish Government subsidies are allocated in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The OECD themselves highlight this in their analysis, Measuring Industrial Subsidies, from January 2024 as an important key message; “while subsidies can be helpful in addressing emergencies or market failures, they can also undermine fair competition and lead other countries to respond in kind, to the detriment of consumers, taxpayers and governments with fewer resources, and ultimately undermining public support for an integrated global economy”.

It is unhelpful to compare subsidies in the Scottish economy with that in China, which operates a post-communist, state-driven model which is very different than most other economies, with high levels of state intervention in the economy, and currently facing its own significant economic challenges, including high levels of debt in its state-owned enterprises.

The First Minister and I have been clear in our message to businesses in Scotland and potential investors; Scotland is open for business and open for investment and we will do everything we can to ensure that is the case.

We have allocated over £307 million to our enterprise agencies in 2024-25. Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise have a key role to play in unlocking the full economic potential of their regions and providing support to businesses - through advice and information, investment and access to business premises. The Scottish National Investment Bank provides long-term investments for businesses, projects and communities, including both debt and equity, and on 20 May I announced a £5 million package of support measures for start-up tech businesses that will create conditions to encourage more investment into Scotland. These measures will form the next step in providing one of the most comprehensive government-backed support networks in Europe.

While good progress has been made on the due diligence related to a Teckal compliant direct award to CalMac and we have clarity on the remaining issues to be finalised, it is clear that we cannot conclude these by 30 September 2024, which is the end date of the current contract. We therefore propose to implement a contract extension of up to 12 months to enable this work and the assurance processes, to be concluded prior to a final decision. I will provide a further update to Parliament later this year.

The Scottish Government set out the 2024-25 public sector pay metrics today in a new Framework for a multi-year Pay Policy covering 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27. The cumulative impact of the pay metrics across the 3-year period is 9.3% compared with forecast CPI inflation of 5.7% over the same period. Employers are encouraged to continue our established progressive pay approach, which may include additional protections for the lowest paid.

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836013686