Chamber and committees

I want to address energy market reform. I will go to Dan Alchin first. You have said that the issue will be a prolonged one, to the medium term. Do you think that the situation makes the case for accelerated energy market reform? What needs to be done to make sure that we have a secure, affordable and sustainable energy market? Should the marginal generation technology continue to set the price? Obviously, that is currently gas. What other options are there?

I know that the topic is huge, but we are looking at strategic solutions. Will you set out what needs to be done and when it needs to be done?

Thank you. Those are very valuable and insightful responses. However, I am conscious that colleagues want to ask questions, so we might need to keep our remarks a bit sharper.

My final question is about international comparisons. If you work with other countries or you are aware of how other countries are handling the current crisis, I would like to hear from you about what lessons we can learn. I will go to Chris Birt and then to Frazer Scott on that and then pass back to the convener, if that is okay time-wise.

I ask Frazer Scott the same question. Given that children have already been referred to, he might want to focus on single older people.

My second set of questions relates to wider energy markets and the post-Brexit UK energy market. I should emphasise that energy markets are reserved to the UK Government although, post-Brexit, they remain closely aligned with the European Union energy markets. I put my questions first to Dan Alchin and then Keith Anderson. Can domestic energy market reform happen without wider EU reform? What do you think the EU is likely to do in relation to energy market reform? Will that be accelerated by other resilience issues, such as the security issues in relying on Russian gas and the need for the EU to rapidly embrace renewables? What is your insight on reform and the security of renewables from European countries, including the potential for Scotland to help to provide that impetus?

I come to Alastair Wilcox.

We have heard from Phil Prentice about the various funds that are available, and we know from the examples that have just been given that their success is due to a common alignment between different funding streams, whether they be from Historic Environment Scotland, Creative Scotland or the town centre fund. The common theme is that there is a common vision about the story of the place and what needs to be done.

My question for David Grove, though, is about risk aversion. Many council officers involved in towns have to get a return for the council, which might own the properties and might well be under financial pressure and stretched in many different directions. Is there a danger of risk aversion preventing us from making the step change that we need? It all comes down to people; the capital investment might well be available but, in relation to people, what sort of culture and resource do we need? If we are to take communities and, indeed, the business community, artists and so on with us, we need to remember that, although these people are often the most entrepreneurial, they also run businesses and can get exhausted by the time and effort that they have to put in, constant consultations and so on. How do we make that step change to ensure that people embrace entrepreneurialism and become less risk averse?

Very briefly, Danny, given your previous experience in working for the council and with community groups, what do you think are the key elements culturally to enable people to have that trust and, particularly for local authorities, to pass over power and decision making to local communities?

Thank you. Phil, can you comment on the danger of risk aversion and on the benefit of entrepreneurialism in the public sector as well as working with partners in the private sector? Again, we had better focus on successes rather than on where that has not happened. What are your reflections on good practice that we can follow up on, and on practice that we need to try to move away from?

The Scottish Government has clearly encouraged Creative Scotland to have a more place-based agenda with regard to funding, and Jennifer Hunter has given examples in that respect. How can we enable culture, heritage and a wider arts focus to be taken into account at the start of development, instead of being perceived as “nice to have” at the end of the process? What people resource will be required to get that engine of activity going? After all, freelancers often have to take on other jobs to help with their work, and they need the time to take on such engagements. What is your view on that?

Roddy MacDonald, what is the capacity of the voluntary sector and volunteers to be involved in the big projects that we have heard about?