Chamber and committees

I understand that energy is part of your portfolio, cabinet secretary. That is why I will ask you this question. You have inherited a strategy that will refuse to countenance new nuclear energy, as the Scottish Government has said that it will use the planning system, which it has power over, to ensure that there is no new nuclear energy. Again, cabinet secretary, what is your view? If the Scottish Government intends to continue with a presumption against new nuclear generation, why is that the case?

When will the response be published, cabinet secretary?

The current climate change plan commits to a 20 per cent reduction in car kilometres by 2030, but the Climate Change Committee says:

“the current plans lack a full strategy with sufficient levers to deter car use.”

Given that we have known that for a while—the CCC has said that for a while—what measures has the Government been looking at to meet that specific target and reduce transport-related emissions?

You have not, cabinet secretary. I asked for your view on whether there should be no new exploration and production in the North Sea. As the new cabinet secretary, the committee is interested in where you intend to take the portfolio.

Good morning. As the cabinet secretary said, this is all about targets; it is not about lowering the ambition. However, the CCC stated:

“Key milestones are ambitious, but a clear delivery plan on how they will be achieved is still missing and there is no quantification of how policies combine to give the emissions reduction required to meet Scotland’s targets.”

What work has been done to address those concerns of the Climate Change Committee and to ensure that, even though previous targets have been missed, the new ones might be achieved?

On solar energy, the committee heard from Solar Energy UK that it wants, I believe, a 6GW target for solar energy, which it says would be important and game changing. I hear what you say about the energy strategy, but you are the cabinet secretary. What is your view? Should that target be put in place?

On that exact point, oil and gas and nuclear energy currently provide a constant base-load and a significant amount of it. Where will that base-load come from once Torness closes and you have wound down North Sea production? When will your renewables be in a position to take up that base-load?

If the minister does not mind, I will press him on Jackie Dunbar’s question. Part of what we are looking at is the establishment of an advisory board. The purpose of the instrument that we are looking at is to establish that board. Regulation 5 of the instrument provides that

“Scottish Ministers may pay members of the Board ... remuneration”.

From your answer to Jackie Dunbar, I am hearing that the questions whether remuneration will be paid and what that amount will be were not considered prior to the instrument that sets up the board being laid. Is that right?

My final question at this stage is on something that Jeremy Allen just brought up. You mention the capacity market in the context of storage. As I understand it, the UK Government proposes changes to the capacity market that would include or better incentivise what we might call flexible technologies to better allow them to compete in capacity market auctions. The committee has heard that small and medium-sized enterprises that produce batteries might find it difficult to enter that market. Will the proposed changes to the capacity market assist in that entry, and if so, how?

Yes. Thank you, convener.

I will be very brief. I thought that the deputy convener’s points with regard to concerns about grid connections were well made, and I want to follow up on—or clarify—a point in relation to that. On grid connections and the ability to get into the grid, you answered the deputy convener by referring to a review by Nick Winser. It has been suggested to the committee that the larger generation companies could, in theory, make a speculative application for grid capacity and then almost bank that connection. Do you recognise that as being possible or, indeed, as happening? In any event, what will the UK Government do to ensure that SMEs or the more innovative companies looking for such connections can definitely get access?