Chamber and committees

The requirement for consent from the Scottish Parliament as opposed to consultation was a key point in our LCM report. I just want to have reassurance that there is active dialogue with the UK Government on the Energy Bill.

Absolutely what?

Clearly, the UK Energy Bill will be incredibly important for everybody in this area and we want to see progress on it. We have dealt with a number of legislative consent memorandums and the committee has produced a report in which it called for progress to be made. We welcomed the attendance of Andrew Bowie, the UK minister, at a previous evidence session. He indicated that there had been on-going discussions with the UK Government about some of the key amendments that are needed.

Can you give us any indication of how that is progressing? Is there active engagement that would enable the consent of this Parliament to help move along the Energy Bill? Obviously, that legislation is needed for everybody. We set out quite clear concerns about the bill in our report.

Finally, how should the market be designed? What market mechanisms should be used to encourage the deployment of, say, hydrogen electrolysers? Again, I am thinking in terms of Scotland-based manufacturing of such equipment.

You have talked about the opportunity for production. Given my particular interest in the manufacture of hydrogen electrolysers in Scotland, I wonder whether you can tell us what the enterprise agencies or other public or publicly funded bodies are doing to support that.

Inward investment is clearly very welcome, but how do we ensure a Scottish supply chain for industrial manufacturing?

Thank you.

What are the potential impacts of the changes to the rules and operation of the CFD auction system with regard to, for example, price factors and the aim of achieving net zero? The previous cabinet secretaries for energy and for the environment were very keen to pursue net zero, but it might have been argued that the price factors should have been rolled out instead. What are your views on the changes to the CFD auction system?

Good morning, and thank you for joining us, cabinet secretary.

I want to focus on the contracts for difference auctions. Do you support the proposed use of multifactor contracts for difference auctions? What other means are available to promote a sustainable Scottish supply chain for wind energy?

You said that electricity market arrangements are not glamorous, but I agree that they are essential. Will you set out what you see as the key risks to infrastructure investment of the current electricity market arrangements?