Chamber and committees

There are no administrative impacts for external stakeholders which would require guidance for Electricity Act 1989 consents applications to be updated.

The full grounds for Scottish Ministers' decisions are set out in the decision letter which is publicly available online on the Energy Consents Unit portal. There are no plans to change this approach.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43110 on 27 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Internal protocols for members of the Energy Consents Unit now reflect the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance for Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions.

The Scottish Ministerial Code outlines the general principle that Ministers should take particular care to avoid conflicts of interest when dealing with planning matters, including the granting of energy consents.

Mechanisms are available to preserve the integrity of decisions from challenge on grounds of prejudice, whereby the Planning Minister or any other Minister involved in the decision-making process can debar themselves from any involvement in the case.

When determining applications for overhead power lines, made through the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish Ministers must only consider the project outlined within the application documentation. The legislation does not allow for Scottish Ministers to suggest or consider alternatives.

The allocation of ministerial portfolios and responsibilities is a matter for the First Minister and do not follow set criteria. The Minister for Public Finance was considered as the most appropriate in this instance, due to his other ministerial responsibilities for Planning.

The current allocation of responsibility for consents under the Electricity Act 1989 is expected to continue for the remainder of this parliamentary term, unless a future change in portfolio responsibility is made.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43113 on 27 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The decision-making process is undertaken in accordance with the Electricity Act 1989, and other applicable regulations pertaining to applications depending on the specific details of each case. Recommendations are made in accordance with regulatory requirements, taking into account all material considerations, including the benefits of the development, the impacts, and accordance with relevant policy.