- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects a consenting decision to be reached in relation to the Berwick Bank offshore windfarm.
Answer
A decision on Berwick Bank will be taken by Ministers in due course. We cannot comment on a live application but we are committed to a robust decision making process for offshore wind farms which considers the need for development alongside potential impacts to the marine environment and marine users.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what role it expects ports to play as part of its proposed Green Industrial Strategy.
Answer
The Green Industrial Strategy recognises ports are key enablers for the energy transition. Ports have a critical role to play in supporting the growth of Scotland’s offshore wind sector and accelerating investment in related infrastructure, manufacturing and fabrication. Ports will also play a key role in growing the hydrogen sector to facilitate the export of hydrogen and hydrogen products to external markets in the UK and in Northern Europe. Both Wind and Hydrogen are priority opportunity areas identified in the GIS.
Our two Green Freeports in Scotland have a strong focus on supporting renewable energy developments, and will play a crucial role in our commitment to a just transition to net zero, by creating clusters of high-tech manufacturing excellence in low carbon sectors, including offshore wind and renewable hydrogen. The recent announcements on investments at Nigg and Ardersier, part of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, demonstrate the programme’s early impacts.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with ports regarding the development of its Green Industrial Strategy.
Answer
The Green Industrial Strategy recognises ports are key enablers for the energy transition. Ports have a critical role to play in supporting the growth of Scotland’s offshore wind sector and growing our hydrogen production and export capabilities, which are two of the five priority opportunity areas identified in the strategy.
The Scottish Government is engaging and collaborating with ports on the opportunities from offshore wind and engaging with key industry bodies including the recently formed Scottish Offshore Wind Ports Alliance (SOWPA) and the British Ports Association’s Scottish Ports Group.
The Scottish Government is working closely with both Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and Forth Green Freeport which will play a crucial role in our commitment to a just transition to net zero, by creating clusters of high-tech manufacturing excellence in low carbon sectors, including offshore wind and renewable hydrogen.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs it expects the Forth Green Freeport deal to create.
Answer
Forth Green Freeport’s recently submitted full business case details ambitions to create 34,500 direct jobs, comprising 16,000 direct jobs and 18,500 jobs supported indirectly in supply chains and through wages, and up to £7.9 billion in investment.
The full business case is currently being appraised by Scottish and UK governments. Upon approval, it will unlock up to £25m seed capital funding to support enabling works. The commitments made by the Green Freeports in their business cases will be subject to robust monitoring and reporting requirements, enshrining their commitments across a number of key dimensions.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the economic impact of the reportedly increasing length of time being taken for a section 36 energy consent determination.
Answer
In respect of offshore consenting, we have been planning for an increase in offshore wind applications for some time and aim to determine offshore wind farm applications within 12 months where possible, however we have been clear that more complex applications may take longer. The average timeline to determine consents for offshore wind is currently 11 months (down from 17 months pre 2015).Each application must be considered on its own merit, balancing the needs of all maritime users and the natural environment. Maintaining this balance will continue to enhance Scotland’s place as a world-leading destination for offshore wind investment.
In respect of onshore consenting, through the Onshore Wind Sector Deal, we set an ambition to accelerate the determination of Section 36 applications for new sites by early 2025, and for the re-powering of existing operational sites, to 12 months, where there is no public inquiry, or 24 months, if there is a public inquiry. Further, we will aim to determine applications for the life extension of operational wind farms within five months, and other Section 36C applications within nine months where there is no public inquiry. The average timeline to determine new onshore renewable electricity generating station applications is currently 22.7 months (down from 38.5 months pre 2015).
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent postponement to the Medium Term Financial Strategy will result in a further delay to a replacement eye hospital for Edinburgh.
Answer
There is no change to the position on NHS Capital Projects as a result of the postponement of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.
In December 2023, given the extremely challenging capital funding position, NHS Boards were instructed to pause any project development spend and instead direct capital budgets towards maintenance of the existing estate and essential equipment and digital replacement. Boards were notified that the Scottish Government does not anticipate starting construction of any new project over the next two years at least. Obviously should the UK Government change course on capital investment we have an opportunity to look at this again alongside the capital review ongoing across the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour in Lothian.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2024
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place between Marine Scotland and Crown Estate Scotland in the year leading up to the 2024 General Election, and whether any discussions included the possibility of new borrowing powers being granted to the Crown Estate and any opportunity or implication of this for Crown Estate Scotland.
Answer
As Scottish Government sponsor directorate, the Marine Directorate meets regularly throughout the year with Crown Estate Scotland to maintain robust governance, accountability and positive relationships, ensuring the public corporation is effective, invests to grow and maintain the value of its assets, operates in line with Ministerial priorities and contributes to the public good. Discussions include considerations around the governance and operating model of Crown Estate Scotland to optimise the benefits the Scottish Crown Estate provides for Scotland and its communities.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what policy development was undertaken by (a) Marine Scotland and (b) Crown Estate Scotland in the months leading up to the 2024 General Election in preparation for the prospect of Great British Energy being created and any strategic relationship and role that the Crown Estate in Scotland could have with Great British Energy in delivering accelerated growth in renewable energy production within Scotland.
Answer
No policy development work on this subject was undertaken by these bodies prior to the 2024 General Election. Subsequent to the General Election, the Scottish Government has engaged with the new UK Government and has made clear that GB Energy should deliver clear benefits for the people of Scotland.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to achieve its net zero and just transition goals.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024
