Chamber and committees

Thank you very much, cabinet secretary. In a paper that the Scottish Police Federation submitted to the committee ahead of today’s meeting, it outlined its position and made a number of comments on the proposed constitution of the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland in the Scottish statutory instrument. Have you had the opportunity to see that paper and, if so, do you have any comments on the points that the Scottish Police Federation set out?

On that note, the SPF made a number of comments, and my understanding is that there is no scope to incorporate them in the SSI at the moment. If you are not aware of them, we will perhaps come back to this question, given that we are looking at the SSI in its current form.

Good morning, and welcome to the 18th meeting in 2023 of the Criminal Justice Committee. We have received apologies from Pauline McNeill, and Katy Clark is joining us online.

Our main item of business is consideration of a draft affirmative instrument: the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (Constitution, Arbitration and Qualifying Cases) Regulations 2023. I am pleased to welcome to the meeting the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Angela Constance, and her Scottish Government officials. We are joined by Peter Jamieson and Graham Thomson, from the police division, and Louise Miller, from the legal directorate.

I refer members to paper 1 and annex B in our briefing paper, and I thank the Scottish Police Federation for its comments.

I invite the cabinet secretary to speak to the regulations.

I understand that sentencing guidelines make it clear that a prison sentence remains an option for the court when it comes to heinous crimes such as rape and murder. Will the cabinet secretary provide figures for the number of rape convictions that have resulted in a custodial penalty since 2018?

—the Government’s amendment this afternoon.

—Scottish Government’s £500 million just transition contribution to the vital work of the sector.

To conclude, I fully support—

For over half a century, our offshore energy sector has been an essential part of our economic and environmental prosperity. It has also ensured secure energy supplies across the UK.

However, in its “Just Transition Review of the Energy Sector”, EY forecast a marked and continued decline in North Sea oil and gas production, with around 80 per cent of production coming from already sanctioned fields and less than 20 per cent from new developments. New discoveries will be smaller and harder to extract.

EY also reports that the industry supports 57,000 jobs in Scotland and is responsible for £16 billion of gross value added or 9 per cent of total Scottish gross domestic product. That contribution will reduce as the decline continues.

The term “just transition” refers to a fair distribution of burden and benefits of the transition to a low-carbon economy. It tends to be used in the context of workers. The 2021 “UK Offshore Energy Workforce Transferability Review” by Robert Gordon University highlights that “around 200,000 skilled people” are likely to be required to support activities in the UK offshore energy sector, and

“Over 90 per cent of the ... oil and gas workforce have medium to high skills transferability and are well positioned to work in adjacent energy sectors”.

Around 50 per cent of the jobs in the sector in 2030

“are projected to be filled by people transferring from ... oil and gas jobs to offshore renewables roles, new graduates and new recruitment from outside the existing UK offshore energy sector”.

I commend the Scottish Government’s support of the development of the skills passport that is proposed in the report.

The “Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan” sets out the future energy pathway for Scotland, including offshore wind. Earlier this week, I visited the Seagreen offshore wind farm, a joint venture that will deliver the world’s deepest fixed offshore wind farm later this year. In the 10 or so minutes that we were alongside a turbine being assembled, the nacelle—or cog—was lifted from the Wind Orca jack-up vessel on to the tower, demonstrating the pace of progress while, crucially, using not only a blended workforce but also recycled assets, including the Seagreen operations base, which had formerly been home to an oil and gas company in Aberdeen.

Of course, there is still much to do. The RGU Energy Transition Institute report “Making the Switch” highlights that to grow the industry in the north-east will require rapid, targeted investment. Getting that right has the potential to secure the region’s economy as a global energy hub. However, if we move too slowly, we risk a hard-hitting economic decline. I hear that concern on a regular basis in my engagement with the sector, and I agree that that must be avoided at all costs.

There is absolutely no doubt about the Scottish Government’s commitment to net zero. I was pleased to hear the detail on that in the cabinet secretary’s contribution earlier in the debate; however, I still seek reassurance on timescales, as I set out earlier.

A debate on oil and gas cannot pass without reference to the hundreds of billions of pounds that have flowed from the sector to the UK Treasury. It is deeply disappointing that, in the light of that enormous contribution, the UK Government chooses not to match the—

Can the cabinet secretary reflect on the success of the Scottish Council on Global Affairs, which has fulfilled the programme for government pledge to co-ordinate Scottish expertise and research on global issues and their impact on Scotland?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I ask for your guidance on comments that were made by Murdo Fraser a few moments ago. I am probably one of the oldest MSPs in the chamber. In my 40-year working career, which has included 31 years as a police officer, I can honestly say that I have never heard such a display of inappropriate behaviour and entitlement. Therefore, I ask for your guidance on any appropriate action.