Chamber and committees

What does the support that is available from SEPA and the Scottish Government look like? Kenny Bisset said that SEPA sits on the delivery group but, beyond that, what does that support look like? Is it adequate?

I attended the Arctic Circle assembly in Reykjavík last year on behalf of the Scottish Parliament, and there were a lot of conversations between Governments, academia, business and non-governmental organisations in the west Nordic region. We met representatives from Parliaments that are part of the west Nordic region.

How does ministerial co-operation happen in that region? Is there room for others who are more on the periphery to be involved? We had representatives of Orkney Islands Council at the assembly, who were very keen to take part in the discussion on some of the topics.

I noted a focus on wind energy. We had a delegation from the Icelandic Parliament’s Environment and Communications Committee at our Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. We had a very good conversation about wind energy planning and the role of that technology. Is wind energy planning a particular focus for learning beyond the Nordic region?

So, there has been no weakening of rights for LGBTQ people across the Nordic region.

It is excellent to see you in front of the committee this morning, ambassador. I want to ask you about the green transition priority during the Icelandic presidency, and in particular the conversation about the transition away from oil and gas. I am aware that the Danish climate minister, Dan Jørgensen, has established the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance. I recognise that the Nordic countries are at very different starting points when it comes to their access to energy resources, but to what extent is the transition away from oil and gas, and where the solutions may lie, now a Nordic conversation?

I was reading the introduction and the comments of Katrín Jakobsdóttir. She says:

“We will also greatly emphasise working together against the setback, which has occurred in the struggle for the rights of LGBTQ people”.

Can you say a bit more about what she means by that? What was the setback?

Katrín Jakobsdóttir, in the foreword to the “The Nordic Region—A Force for Peace”.

Is the Nordic Council of Ministers able to discuss the transition away from oil and gas, or are there difficulties there?

You also conclude that a phasing out of greyhound racing would be desirable. How do you think that would work, and what is the difference between phasing it out and an outright ban?

Thanks.