Chamber and committees

In the 2022-23 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government reaffirmed our commitment to explore a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill to support greater implementation of the National Performance Framework and ensure that the interests of future generations are considered in decisions made today.

Ministers and officials have been engaging with several stakeholders including meeting with Ms Boyack MSP earlier this month. This has assisted with developing policy proposals.

The proposed Bill may seek a statutory requirement that ensures public bodies and local authorities consider the long-term consequences of their decisions for the wellbeing of people in Scotland, including those not yet born. We are considering whether a Future Generations Commissioner is the most appropriate way to ensure the support and accountability which would need to accompany such duties. It will be important to consult widely on this broad policy area to ensure that any legislation is effective.

The Minister for Parliamentary Business regularly discusses legislative proposals and potential legislative vehicles with his Ministerial colleagues, including the proposed Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill. However, introduction of specific primary legislation is considered in the wider context of overall legislative programmes. Decisions on future legislative programmes are a matter for Cabinet and will be announced in relevant Programmes for Government, in the normal way.

In the 2023-24 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government stated its commitment to continue to explore the development of legislative proposals on a wellbeing and sustainable development Bill, to support greater implementation of the NPF, and to ensure the interests of future generations are taken into account in decisions made today.

In the 2022-23 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government reaffirmed our commitment to explore a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill to support greater implementation of the National Performance Framework and ensure that the interests of future generations are considered in decisions made today.

Ministers and officials have been engaging with several stakeholders including meeting with Ms Boyack MSP earlier this month. This has assisted with developing policy proposals.

The proposed Bill may seek a statutory requirement that ensures public bodies and local authorities consider the long-term consequences of their decisions for the wellbeing of people in Scotland, including those not yet born. We are considering whether a Future Generations Commissioner is the most appropriate way to ensure the support and accountability which would need to accompany such duties. It will be important to consult widely on this broad policy area to ensure that any legislation is effective.

I can confirm that this is new investment, not funding already committed in previous budgets. It will stimulate and support private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities which will be critical to the growth of a world-leading offshore wind sector in Scotland.

Our aim is to maximise the number of green jobs and we are considering how we can best work collaboratively with the renewables sector to do that.

The latest report from the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) [June 2023], predicted jobs in this sector in the UK could grow to over 100,000 by 2030. This OWIC report also shows a 4% increase in offshore wind jobs compared to 2021-22, showing that the sector currently supports over 32,000 jobs, almost 30% of which are in Scotland.

This £500m investment will help to support market certainty, creating the environment that will deliver these jobs, whilst creating a highly productive, competitive economy, embedding innovation and boosting skills.

The First Minister announced in March that the Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF) would be tripled to £30 million this year. As part of that, £8.5 million from the emergency crisis Fund has been allocated to the Fuel Bank Foundation to deliver support to thousands of vulnerable households, including those with prepayment meters and at risk of imminent disconnection, through its Fuel Bank Network and Heat Fund projects in Scotland.

Their Fuel Bank Network supports eligible pre-payment households with emergency fuel vouchers - over 99% are made the same-day. Households are also assessed for energy saving advice and further signposting to other support based on their needs. The Foundation works with a number of referral partners to provide support to households who must be verified as:

• being pre-payment energy customers;
• already in financial crisis – at risk of self-disconnection or have already self-disconnected;
• be unable to fund the basic essentials for everyday living;
• and have some additional level of need identified by an expert independent third party referral.

Direct payments to fuel suppliers can be made through the Foundation’s Heat Fund strand for eligible households who often have to ‘pay in advance’ for unregulated fuels including oil, coal, LPG, and biomass. Alongside this the Foundation offers additional support measures like, for example, the provision of heated throws for clients in crisis.

Biffa were contracted by Circularity Scotland Ltd to provide logistics for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme. This was a commercial arrangement between two private businesses - this is entirely appropriate for a scheme that has industry responsibility at its heart. As such, it would not be appropriate for Scottish Ministers to get involved or raise concerns.

In appointing BIFFA, an extensive tender process was carried out by Circularity Scotland over a period of around 12 months and was open to businesses of all sizes. The process involved extensive due diligence by Circularity Scotland.

Biffa were contracted by Circularity Scotland Ltd to provide logistics for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme. This was a commercial arrangement between two private businesses - this is entirely appropriate for a scheme that has industry responsibility at its heart. As such, it would not be appropriate for Scottish Ministers to get involved or raise concerns.

In appointing BIFFA, an extensive tender process was carried out by Circularity Scotland over a period of around 12 months and was open to businesses of all sizes. The process involved extensive due diligence by Circularity Scotland.

It is important that we take the time to work closely with industry, with investors and with our partners across the public and private sectors to ensure that we get our approach to this right. This process is already well-underway and we will update parliament once it has been completed.

While we do not hold information on the number of households at risk of being disconnected this winter due to debt, we are clear that suppliers must exhaust all possible options to prevent this.

The power to take meaningful action to alleviate the effects of high energy costs on households over the long term, such as the introduction of a social tariff, sits with the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government continues to do everything we can, within the limited powers available to us, such as tripling our Fuel Insecurity Fund to £30 million for this year.

I also recently chaired three working groups focusing on rural, non-domestic and vulnerable (now known as priority) energy consumers, helping to identify and deliver collaborative actions to help mitigate the impact of the continued high cost of energy on households and businesses across Scotland.

I would urge anyone struggling with energy debt to contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 80 960 for free, impartial advice.