Chamber and committees

The deputy convener has one follow-up question, after which I will ask a final question.

Thank you. If there are no other comments, on that basis, I propose that we invite Màiri McAllan to come to the meeting next week and give a short bit of evidence to explain the situation. I will also ask the clerks to write on behalf of the committee to the regulatory authorities to ask whether they would like to submit any evidence. That evidence might be difficult to gather in the timescale, but I will give them the deadline of Monday morning next week, so that we have time to consider it before the meeting on Tuesday. That is a logical way to deal with this so that we can fully understand it. If everyone is agreed on that, that is what I will progress to do.

Members indicated agreement.

We come to Collette Stevenson for the next lot of questions. [Interruption.] Tom Quinn, I would love to let you in, but my problem is that I am short of time. I would certainly appreciate your input but I cannot stop a committee member getting in, because I will have to live with them in future sessions.

I call Collette Stevenson.

Stuart Haszeldine, you made a comment that I could let slip by about the Beauly to Denny power line and the time that it took. Could it have been speeded up if we had thought about undergrounding it? I will declare that I was involved in it from an environmental point of view.

Most of the upgraded power lines will follow the best route, which is where the 132kVs are. Those will not be dismantled until the next ones are put up, but the companies will want to keep the old ones up as well. A solution is to underground them. That is just an observation.

I am sorry to come in just as you are moving on to your next question—I do not like to stop you mid-flow—but Collette Stevenson is quite keen to come in on one of the points that has been raised. I am happy to bring her in and then I will come straight back to you.

Item 3 is consideration of a type 1 consent notification sent by the Scottish Government relating to a proposed United Kingdom statutory instrument, the REACH (Amendment) Regulations 2023. The UK Government is seeking the Scottish Government’s consent to legislate in this area. The committee’s role in relation to type 1 notifications is to decide whether it agrees with the Scottish Government’s proposal to consent to the UK Government making regulations within devolved competence and in the manner that the UK Government has indicated to the Scottish Government. Are there any comments?

I always think that it is difficult to justify payments for doing nothing, and I think that the public find that difficult, too.

The next questions are from the deputy convener, Fiona Hyslop.

We have one more item, which is the consideration of a negative instrument. This instrument is laid under the negative procedure, which means that its provisions will come into force unless the Parliament agrees to annul them. No motions to annul have been lodged. Do members have any comments on the instrument?

I have one question. I assume that this is done each year. It would be useful to know whether all the money that is levied is collected and whether there is a difference between the levy amount and what is passed to—I assume—Scottish Water. If the committee is happy, we could just write to the minister to ask for that information, so that we can understand what it is. If there are no other comments, is the committee happy to agree that it does not want to make any specific recommendations in relation to this instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Good morning, and welcome to the 10th meeting in 2023 of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. We have apologies from Ash Regan. I welcome Collette Stevenson, who is joining us as a substitute member.

The first item on the agenda is to decide whether to take items 5 and 6 in private. Under item 5, we will consider evidence that we will hear today as part of our inquiry into Scotland’s electricity infrastructure. Under item 6, we will consider correspondence relating to appointments to the board of Environmental Standards Scotland. Do members agree to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.