Chamber and committees

Scottish Government published statutory guidance on compensating for adverse effects from offshore wind in July 2026. The guidance sets out processes for accessing a wider range of compensatory measures, including a requirement to work through a compensation hierarchy. As set out, the guidance should be applied by offshore wind developers when preparing compensation proposals. This includes the developer of the Berwick Bank offshore wind farm.

The Scottish Government is carefully considering Environmental Standards Scotland’s (ESS) report Protecting Scotland’s Seafloor: as assessment of Scottish Ministers’ implementation of the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010, and will work constructively with ESS to seek to agree an appropriate action plan within the timescale suggested in the report.

Officials are currently considering evidence gathered through the 2025 public consultation on the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments and the subsequent stakeholder engagement undertaken in spring 2026 on the Working Paper: Onshore renewable energy - refreshing the good practice principles for community benefits: working paper - gov.scot. Subject to the completion of this work, the Scottish Government plans to publish the refreshed onshore Good Practice Principles before the end of 2026.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00690 on 10 June 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 Marine Directorate Licensing Operations Team has met with SSE Renewables on multiple occasions, both at regular planned meetings and topic specific meetings, to discuss and provide advice and guidance on the requirements for Berwick Bank post consent plans including the Seabird Compensation Plan.

Transport Scotland has not had any discussions regarding funding of the Neilston to Uplawmoor link through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund.

Transport Scotland did not receive an application from East Renfrewshire Council for the proposed Neilston to Uplawmoor link through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) Tier 2 since it started.

In addition, East Renfrewshire Council did not allocate any of its ATIF Tier 1 funding to the proposed Neilston-Uplawmoor link in 2025-26.

To meet the eligibility conditions relating to age for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, someone must have been born on or before 27 June 1960, for winter 2026-27. People born after this date but before 27 September 1960 would have been eligible under the previous State Pension age, by turning 66 before the end of the qualifying week which ends 27 September 2026. The Scottish Government does not hold details of the number of people who would previously have been eligible. However, National Records of Scotland publish forecasts of the number of people expected to be 66 years old at the mid-point of each year, which could help illustrate an approximate number of people turning 66 between the June and September time-period. These forecast scan be found here https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/projected-population-of-scotland-2024-based/.

Developers’ Supply Chain Development Statement updates include ambitions to go beyond committed spend, which suggests an additional potential £10.5bn manufacturing expenditure in key areas such as foundations, turbine components and electrical infrastructure in Scotland as the supply chain matures.

We are working with developers and the supply chain to grow the economic value from our offshore wind sector, and to maximise investment, jobs and supply chain opportunities within Scotland. We are consistently clear: developers must help build the resilience of our domestic supply chain and deliver on their SCDS commitments.

Our strategic investment in offshore wind is supporting market certainty and helping to de-risk supply chain investment. To date our own investment of over £150 million is crowding in a further £70m from UK public finance institutions and leveraging up to £675 million in private investment.

Our enterprise agencies are also providing targeted support to our growing supply chain, connecting suppliers with developers, and enabling them to bid for – and crucially to win – work in offshore wind.

The 2026 ScotWind Supply Chain Development Statement updates show that overall projected supply chain spend in Scotland has increased between 2023 and 2026 by nearly £2.3bn for the 16 projects included in the updates, from an estimated £23.3bn to an estimated £25.6 billion.

The reported total ScotWind portfolio project expenditure for the 16 projects has increased by £23.4bn between 2023 and 2026 to £88.6bn. Average spend in Scotland per project has increased overall, however the relative proportion committed in Scotland has decreased from 36% to 29%. This information can be verified on the Crown Estate Scotland supply chain dashboard [https://crownestatescotland.com/supply-chain-information].

Legislation and regulations relating to electricity networks are reserved to the UK Government, with security of supply being a reserved matter that the National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) is responsible for. While decisions on security of supply are reserved, Scotland continues to play an important role in enabling the infrastructure needed for a secure and resilient electricity system through planning and consenting decisions for renewable energy projects, electricity networks and energy storage developments.

Environmental Standards Scotland's (ESS) report published on 23 June 2026, Protecting Scotland's seafloor: an assessment of Scottish Ministers' implementation of the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010, contains ESS’ findings and recommendations relating to the Scottish Ministers’ implementation of those Regulations, including findings and recommendations regarding the contribution of measures in Part 3 of the UK Marine Strategy towards seafloor integrity objectives and targets.

The Scottish Government is carefully considering the ESS report and will work constructively with ESS to seek to agree an appropriate action plan within the timescale suggested in the report. The Scottish Government's position on the report's findings and recommendations will be set out through that engagement and in its formal response.