Chamber and committees

In that case, I have two follow-up questions. First, if the refinery closes, what happens to the pipeline that goes from St Fergus into Kinneil?

So the closure of the refinery will have no impact on the gas pipeline.

If you were speaking today to one of the 400 workers at Grangemouth who might lose their jobs over the next 18 months—it might be longer than that, but it might be 18 months—what assurances could you give them that they will be likely to find a job in the green economy in which they will be able to utilise their skill set?

Thank you, cabinet secretary.

Beyond the transition, where will they purchase their refined product from?

Thank you for that clarification. However, do you accept that, even though the Grangemouth refinery is closing, there will still be demand for oil and gas in Scotland? Even with a just transition, that demand will probably exist for decades to come. In effect, we are exporting those jobs. There will still be demand, but the jobs will not be here any more.

Will those new jobs come online quickly enough so that those who might lose their jobs at Grangemouth can benefit from them?

Good morning, gentlemen. I want to ask a couple of questions just to follow up Mr Beattie’s line of questioning and to ensure that I properly understand the situation.

At present, Grangemouth takes crude oil from the North Sea or elsewhere, refines it and then sells the product to markets that are predominantly in the northern part of the United Kingdom. If the refinery closes, what happens to the product that is currently coming from the North Sea? Where will it go to be refined?

My second question, then, is: where will your current customers in the northern part of the UK—the ones who are buying your refined product—source it from?

Okay, but will those products be refined elsewhere and not at Grangemouth?