Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-35709

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding opportunities for (a) businesses and (b) offshore workers in light of Canadian Natural Resources (CNR) International's recent announcement of a decommissioning plan until 2025 at its (i) Banff, (ii) Kyle and (iii) other North Sea production assets.

The decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure at the end of its life presents the potential for Scotland to capitalise on a market that is forecast to reach £15.2 billion over the next decade.

The Scottish Government has not held specific discussions regarding this matter, however we are in regular contact with the UK government to ensure that we continue to support the oil and gas sector in the energy transition. For example, through the Oil and Gas, and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group (SLG) we will continue to work with the UK Government to take action in key reserved policy areas. This Group remains supportive of the actions underway through the OGA’s Supply Chain and Exports Taskforce which, as part of its activities, is looking to stimulate activity and work with operators on well plugging and abandonment campaigning.

We want to ensure that the world class Scottish supply chain continues to develop competitive capabilities in Scotland, becoming a centre of decommissioning excellence, and finds ways to export this expertise.

Question reference: S5W-36137

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether guidance on flying flags from its buildings changed in 2021; what any such changes were, and what the reasons were for any changes made.

It is normal practice for the Scottish Government to publish updated flag flying guidance at the beginning of each year. The main changes to the guidance in 2021 were:

Confirming specific flag flying dates;
The removal of the birthday of HRH The Duke of York as an official flag flying day;
Confirmation of the Government’s previously announced policy to fly the European Flag daily at St Andrew’s House and Victoria Quay, subject to other flag flying commitments; and
Advice about the possible effects the COVID-19 pandemic on scheduled flag flying days.

Question reference: S5O-05155

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 March 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide for the regeneration of the city centre and beachfront in Aberdeen.

Question reference: S5W-35708

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consult with communities over the use of funds that were paid to Crown Estate Scotland by developers of offshore wind farms through the ScotWind Leasing process.

Question reference: S5W-35705

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with operators of oil and gas production facilities in the North Sea, ahead of potential applications through the ScotWind Leasing process.

Oil and gas operators have engaged with our offshore wind planning process and our offshore wind policy statement through their associated consultations. This has helped inform those reports. These engagements have been supplemented by regular discussions which are conducted with the Oil and Gas sector as a routine part of government business, primarily with through the Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group (SLG) which I Chair; the SLG has discussed ScotWind in high level terms during a number of the meetings through the course of the pandemic as we seek to build engagement of the sector in the energy transition

Question reference: S5W-35702

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the ScotWind Leasing process does not allow offshore wind farm developers to drive risk and cost reduction down the supply chain.

We are liaising closely with Crown Estate Scotland on the ScotWind review. Crown Estate Scotland are focused on supporting the development of a successful offshore wind sector, and the opportunities for the supply chain that this brings, while achieving a fair value for Scotland’s assets. The potential implications for the Scottish supply chain of any changes to the lease option structure are part of the review’s considerations, including elements such as the Supply Chain Development Statements required from those seeking a licence.

We continue to argue for reform of the all-important Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism that UK Ministers utilise to provide revenue support to projects that are successful in bidding in the next and subsequent auction rounds. The auction mechanism, while successful in driving down prices for consumers, has driven a rapid decrease in levelised cost of energy delivered by offshore wind. This has, however, led developers to try to recover their investment from lower revenue flows by lowering the up-front capital cost of the project which then squeezes capital goods prices that can be achieved by the supply chain. We are supportive of the direction of travel on CfD reforms indicated by UK Ministers, on lifting the arbitrary cap on capacity contracted in the third auction round, and UK Ministers proposals to give greater weight to developers’ Supply Chain Plan submissions to support supply chain development, and we have made a submission to that effect.

Question reference: S5W-35430

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide a substantive answer to question (a) S5W-34138, (b) S5W-34139, (c) S5W-34140 and (d) S5W-34141, which received a holding response on 14 January 2021.

Question reference: S5W-35700

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its estimate is of the energy generating potential at each of the fifteen plan options that are outlined in the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind.

The Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy sets out the generating potential for each Plan Option. At a national level the plan has set a limit for development under this cycle of 10 GW. Table 1 in Section 3, and further detail considered in Section 4, are likely to provide the details sought.

The Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy can be found at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781800042421

Question reference: S5W-35704

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on an appropriate rate of return for shareholders in companies that are applying to lease offshore wind farm sites through the ScotWind process.

Question reference: S5W-35710

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been supported by the Ninian North decommissioning project, and whether it has discussed this site with Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage.

The number of jobs supported by the Ninian Northern decommissioning project would be a matter to address towards Highlands and Islands Enterprise, as the information requested is not held centrally.

Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS) are non-statutory consultees on the decommissioning plans submitted by industry to the UK Government via the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED). SCCS have confirmed to the Scottish Government that this project did not have CCS reuse potential. The detail of responses to decommissioning plans is a matter for SCCS. The information requested is not held centrally. Information on SCCS can be found on their website at www.sccs.org.uk.