Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to encouraging and promoting Solar in Scotland. We recognise that energy from solar, as part of a diverse energy mix, can contribute to our renewable targets, and support the future decarbonisation of Scotland’s energy market.

The investment conditions for new renewable developments have changed considerably as a result of precipitate changes by UK Ministers in the removal of financial support to solar projects but, for our part, we are committed to continuing our support by working with industry to provide as supportive a policy framework to aid the deployment of the technology.

While financial incentives are reserved to the UK Government, meaning we are not able to intervene directly to stimulate the take up of technology via any market interventions such as the Feed-in Tariff scheme or other instruments, the Scottish Government currently provides funding through a number of schemes that support renewable projects to facilitate the decarbonisation of our energy system:

- The Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) provides advice and funding support to community groups, organisations and rural small to medium enterprises (SME) looking to develop renewable energy projects. A total of £35 million has been made available to applicants since the scheme’s inception.

- The Resource Efficient Scotland programme offers loans up to the value of £100,000 for SMEs to undertake the installation of resource saving projects (which includes solar technologies). We have made up to £3 million available to eligible applicants throughout 2018-19.

- The Home Energy Scotland loan scheme, which helps home owners gain access to funds to allow them to undertake a range of home improvements. Applicants can apply for up to £17,500 worth of funding to install solar PV and solar water heating systems – helping to ensure there is also a domestic demand for the industry.

Grid constraints arise when electricity supplied by generators exceeds the capacity of the network to which they are connected. Constraints are often more pronounced at times when supply is high, but demand is low – for example during periods of high wind in summer months.

There are a number of ways in which grid constraints can be addressed, including through co-locating renewable technologies and storage which allows renewable energy to be stored for use when network capacity is available. The Scottish Government actively supports innovative projects which help to maximise the output and value of renewable generation in areas where the grid is constrained. For example, the Surf ‘n’ Turf project in Orkney converts and stores excess tidal and wind energy as hydrogen that can then be used locally to provide clean energy for power, heat and transport.

Energy policy is largely reserved, and is regulated at a GB level by Ofgem. In its Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan of July 2017, Ofgem recognises the need to help realise the opportunities afforded by advancements in technology, such as battery storage, as we move to a smarter, more flexible electricity system. In June 2018, it published guidance to clarify when storage can co-locate alongside renewable generation without putting at risk agreements under the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) and other renewables incentive schemes.

The Scottish Government is currently developing a Networks Vision statement, as committed to in Scotland's Energy St rategy in December 2017, and is working closely with UK Government, Ofgem, renewable generators, and the network owners and operators in Scotland to ensure that the legal and regulatory framework that applies across the UK supports the co-location of renewables and storage, as part of a balanced and secure electricity system.

The valuation of any premises, which is a matter for the Assessors, involves attributing to a property an accurate rateable value based upon the notional rental value that that property could be expected to attract if it were vacant and to let. The Scottish Government has no locus to intervene in that process.

We have accepted the Barclay Review of non-domestic rates recommendation to undertake a review of Plant and Machinery valuations focusing on renewable energy sector valuations and statutory improvements to property including sprinkler systems. The intention is that the conclusions of that Review will be implemented in time for the next non-domestic rates revaluation.

Scotland provides the most competitive non-domestic rates relief package in the UK, worth a record £730 million up from £660 million in 2017-18, this includes a number of measures aimed at directly supporting the renewable energy sector. The Scottish Government delivers the most generous Hydro Relief in the UK, which reduces the rates bills of schemes with a rateable value of less than £5 million by 60%. The Renewable Energy Relief is also available to eligible premises that are used for the purpose of the generation of renewable heat or power where the scheme provides community organisations with at least 15% of their annual profit, or annual profits as is attributable to at least 500 kw of the total installed capacity of the project.

Permitted development rights apply to solar photovoltaic panels on non-domestic properties in Scotland where the output does not exceed 50kW, subject to certain conditions. Installations with a greater output will need an application for planning permission, which is required to be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

The Scottish Government consulted on changes to permitted development rights for non-domestic solar panels in 2015, including on proposals to increase the 50kW threshold. However, some comments received raised aviation safety concerns and consequently such a change was not progressed at that time.

Since then, responses to our consultation on Places, People and Planning have confirmed support for expanding permitted development rights across a wide range of development types, and we have commissioned a sustainability appraisal which will include consideration of the likely social, economic and environmental impacts of expanded permitted development rights for solar panels. We will publish the sustainability appraisal for public consultation in due course.

Scottish Government scientists have been working with scientists from Ireland and the Netherlands to improve the analysis of the survey that informs the scientific advice for West of Scotland herring. It is expected that this work will provide greater confidence on the stock status and any impacts recent conservation measures have had on stock recovery.

We have also been collaborating with the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association and representatives of other European pelagic industry bodies to support a ground-breaking industry-science herring survey since its inception in 2016. This survey provides important information on the distribution of the West of Scotland component of the stock and it will feeding also into a genetic study which aims to deliver a method of assigning catches to specific spawning components, enabling more appropriate management and contributing to stock recovery.

Marine Scotland no longer keeps intelligence reports for longer than three years and the intelligence held is reviewed annually.

Our records show that over the period of the last year there have been 11 reports of activity by scallop dredging vessels in Marine Protected Areas or other areas where fishing is restricted. It is not possible to say in how many of these reports an offence has been committed, nor how many reports relate to the same instance.

The Scottish Government has committed to delivering the ambition by the end of this Parliament in 2021. We remain on track to deliver that commitment. The Climate Change Plan, published in February 2018, set out the actions that will be undertaken to deliver Scotland's ambitious, statutory climate change targets. The first annual monitoring report on progress to delivering the Plan was published on 31 October.

This Scottish Government is already taking action to support the creation of bicycle sheds through the £1.45 million Cycle Friendly Development Fund run by Cycling Scotland. This fund provides 100% grants to schools, colleges, universities, employers and community groups for new cycle storage as well as changing areas, showers and safer walking and cycling routes.

Also, funding available through Sustrans' Community Links and Schools programmes can help local authorities in delivering secure cycle storage both on-street and at primary and secondary schools throughout Scotland.