Chamber and committees

Oil and gas exploration and production, including licensing and climate compatibility, remains reserved to the UK Government.

Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, published in January, sets out clearly that the North Sea basin is mature and production will inevitably decline. I have been clear about our intention to move away from a policy of unlimited extraction, even if the North Sea was not a declining resource. We need a new plan for Scotland’s energy system, the ESJTP seeks to do this.

Independent analysis on the energy system and just transition, published this month, includes a detailed assessment of oil and gas production in Scotland. Our forthcoming Climate Change Plan for Scotland, a draft of which is due in November, will set out our pathway to meeting our emissions reductions targets to 2040 alongside the costs and benefits of policies within the plan.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. The recruitment and deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable.

Policing is and will continue to be a priority for the Scottish Government. Scotland has a higher number of officers than at any time during the last administration – and more per head of population than England and Wales (30 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland, compared to 24 officers per 10,000 population in England and Wales). Local police divisions have a core complement of officers who may be supported by specialist expertise and resources at a regional and national level.

The Scottish Government maintains regular contact with Circularity Scotland Ltd (CSL) at both Ministerial and official levels.

Business can continue to register with CSL. If they are concerned about being able to meet their obligations, including those who have concerns about the producer agreements or other matters related to the registration process, should contact CSL for advice and guidance as soon as possible. They can do so via their dedicated helpline or through their website.

The initial approach for the Single Building Assessment pilot involved giving grants to homeowners through a property factor. Sixteen Single Building Assessments were commissioned through this approach, which is referred to as Pathway 1. In May I confirmed to Parliament that the Scottish Government would move to directly procuring Single Building Assessments, an approach termed Pathway 2. Eight Single Building assessments have been, or are in the process of being, commissioned through the Pathway 2 route. In addition three Single Building Assessments are being commissioned in partnership with developers. Fourteen Single Building Assessment reports have been submitted to the Scottish Government and remediation has started on one building.

I provided an update on progress on cladding remediation to Parliament on 2 March and remain committed to arranging a more detailed technical briefing and making a full statement to Parliament at the appropriate time. Information on the Single Building Assessment programme has been provided to Parliament through responses to Parliamentary Questions. Data on spend and information on the numbers of buildings in the Single Building Assessment Pilot is published on the Scottish Government website Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Scottish Government continues to work with the Department for Health and Social Care in relation to supply challenges with HRT medication.

The UK Government appointed Madelaine McTernan as its HRT tsar and her taskforce put together a set of three core recommendations to help mitigate HRT supply issues. These are:

 I urge producers to begin their registration for the scheme if they haven’t already and contact the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland, for advice and guidance.

CSL has recently run a series of information workshops across the country to enable business affected by DRS to learn more about the scheme and an online webinar is available for those who could not attend. CSL also has a trained team of advisers who can support individual businesses in getting registered and ready for DRS.

Currently consented oil and gas extraction is a reserved matter and, therefore, associated impact assessments would be the purview of UK Government.

It is disappointing that the Climate Compatibility Test proposed by the UK Government is limited to new exploration. That is why we are consulting on what factors should be considered in assessing the impact of new oil and gas production and if this test should be applied to fields that are already consented but not yet in production as well as new exploration (if exploration continues) in the context of the global goals of the Paris Agreement.

Furthermore, the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan outlines actions to accelerate the transition and is out for consultation until 9 th May. Our final Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will take account of the consultation response and be published in due course.

Independent analysis on the energy system and just transition, published this month, includes a detailed assessment of oil and gas production in Scotland. Our forthcoming Climate Change Plan for Scotland, a draft of which is due in November, will set out our pathway to meeting our emissions reductions targets to 2040 alongside the costs and benefits of policies within the plan.

We are working to ensure that the important role of our ocean in mitigating and adapting to climate change is recognised. Scotland’s Indicative Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement sets out our commitment to developing the evidence base to support inclusion of two blue carbon habitats, saltmarsh and seagrass, in the UK Greenhouse Gas emissions inventory as soon as it is appropriate to do so. We are working with the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum and UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership to identify and address key evidence gaps and develop a road map to inclusion. However, while we are considering how the next Climate Change Plan can include current and future policies on wider issues, it is unlikely that either habitat will be included in the UK inventory ahead of the next Climate Change Plan and therefore will not contribute directly to delivery of Scotland’s statutory emissions reduction targets which the Plan is designed to meet. We are also seeking to better understand the risks to blue carbon habitats and how to protect and enhance them within marine planning, marine protection and enhancement policies.

The Cladding Stakeholder Group is an official level meeting. Issues raised by stakeholders are fed back to Ministers and considered as part of the Cladding Remediation Programme.