Chamber and committees

Cabinet Secretary Gougeon, do you want to add to that?

I thank you both. It is reassuring that there is attention, investment and co-ordination across Government, including the creation of a ScotWind directorate, which is most welcome.

I emphasise the point that I made because some of the feedback from the people who are developing renewables technologies projects is that there has been a delay that has added to inflationary costs. It is a risk for the development of our renewables potential if the consenting process is unnecessarily slow.

However, I also appreciate that it takes time to create expertise and develop capacity through recruitment. I am glad to hear that work is on-going and that you are both focused on the matter.

Scotland has already begun enhancing the circular economy. In recent months, we have considered the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill at stage 1, and the circular economy route map has been published. At this juncture, do you have any reflections on that? I appreciate that the Government will respond to the committee’s stage 1 report in the months ahead, but it is important to reflect on where the waste is that can be tackled—for example, the construction sector is a significant creator of our waste as a nation. Does the cabinet secretary have further reflections? Does she want to share anything ahead of the bill’s next stages?

Now I have lost my train of thought.

Good morning to both cabinet secretaries and to all the officials. I thank you for all the engagement and work that you have put into the budget, particularly in the challenging context of a 10 per cent capital reduction.

As the constituency MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, one of the areas of capital spending that I am pleased to see progressing is the investment in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. It has a 350 year-plus history and has more than 13,500 plant species, many of which are endangered or extinct in their native habitats. The importance of the institution—not only as a major visitor attraction—should not be underestimated.

As part of protecting what the botanic garden holds for the future, the investment in the Edinburgh biomes project is the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s biggest-ever capital infrastructure project and, as many will know, aims to produce a world-leading facility for biodiversity research and for the public to be able to engage with more of what the botanic garden does. Ms Gougeon, will you update the committee on the future of the biomes project and any commitments that the Scottish Government has made to help to secure its future? Will the £17 million allocation in capital funding in the 2024-25 budget enable the project to progress with its full original plans, noting what Audit Scotland said last year?

I have a question for the cabinet secretary who is in the room, if that is okay.

Scotland is rightly well known for its remarkable nature, which is part of its attraction and what makes it a great place to live. We are also increasingly becoming known for having a remarkable renewables industry, growth in net zero technology development and the installation of technologies to produce renewable electricity from onshore wind and offshore wind, as well as other technologies such as tidal energy, which requires development of our ports and a range of other infrastructure projects.

Last week, when I was engaging with the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing, Economy, Fair Work and Energy at committee and in the chamber, we discussed how NatureScot’s and Marine Scotland’s planning and licensing teams need sufficient capacity to support the scale and pace of the Government’s net zero infrastructure ambitions and, indeed, Scotland’s wider ambitions in that space. We need to ensure that renewables are scaled up in harmony with nature and that, where it is appropriate, we deliver the projects that so many of us—developers, the energy industry, the Government and the populace—want.

Will you comment, in budgetary terms, on how you look at the infrastructure ambitions across Government and between your directorates to ensure that we avoid costly consenting and licensing bottlenecks, and to ensure that there is robust consenting, but that decisions are supported by good evidence and made as quickly as possible so that we can realise projects and Scotland’s potential?

I have a brief supplementary question. Heating our buildings in an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way is one of the biggest challenges that we face in meeting our targets. Most people in Scotland live in urban constituencies, such as the one that I represent. I am pleased to see that, although the Government is showing its determination to move as quickly as practically possible, the consultation that is currently live shows an understanding that that will take time.

The biggest challenge that is faced by people in my constituency who live in pre-1919 tenements is that general maintenance and repair are difficult to action and achieve under the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004. There are similar challenges with factored properties under the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011. Parliament has undertaken some work with the tenement maintenance working group, which I initiated and which has been brilliantly taken forward by Graham Simpson and colleagues in recent years. Cabinet secretary, I want to make sure that the issue is on your radar, as well as being considered by Mr Harvie and Mr McLennan.

The Scottish Law Commission is undertaking a project that is considering sinking funds and making owners associations mandatory. If we do not enable the thousands of pre-1919 tenement owners—and I should declare an interest as I am one—we will not meet those targets. This law is crucial. It is hard law and it is rightly being considered in a patient way, but we need to get it right. Do you have any comment on that?

I feel reassured by your answers, because 2024 will be a huge year of opportunity if AR6 is done right and the consenting processes can be improved somewhat. There is huge potential to build on.

Both a few moments ago and earlier in this meeting, you emphasised the huge opportunities for the supply chain across the country from the port of Leith to the north of Scotland. In order to bring the figure to life, can you give more detail about how the almost £70 million for offshore supply chain support will be spent? I know that that money is designed to leverage private investment, which is looking for opportunities to engage with our renewables sector. I appreciate that you will need to give a general figure, but what would you consider to be a good ratio of private to public investment?

On the question about the ratio, do you—

Thank you, cabinet secretary. I think it is important for Parliament to keep in mind that this is a huge opportunity to unlock private investment with public investment. That is, of course, part of the Government’s intention.

Before I allow colleagues to come in, I want to mention that some in the renewables sector have emphasised to me—and, I am sure, to the cabinet secretary—the prominence of the considerations around the Berwick bank offshore wind project. Cabinet secretary, I appreciate that you will not be able to speak about a process that is under consideration by consenting bodies, but do you want to touch on that proposal, given its significance and scale?