Chamber and committees

Since 2016 the Scottish Government has committed £37.4 million, which was converted to a 32.4% equity stake and a loan facility of up to £15 million was provided, which supported not just the Beatrice but also the Moray East Pin Piles and First E&P contracts creating over a 1000 jobs across the 3 yards. However, I am aware that funding has been provided by Scottish Enterprise and, to be helpful, I have asked them to respond to you in writing.

In terms of returns against this investment, it is too early to estimate the amount of any return to the Scottish Government from the Administration process. We will continue to work closely with the Administrators as they progress their administration strategy.

The Scottish Government has not given guidance to local authorities as The Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies)(Scotland) Regulations 2017 makes clear the Duty of Care that must be exercised in respect of preserving the quality of an existing regulated supply.

Scotland’s own electricity supply is secure, with our abundant generation of electricity via wind meaning that Scotland has long been a net exporter of electricity. In 2019, Scotland exported almost 17.1 TWh, equivalent to powering every household in Scotland for 21 months. In the first nine months of 2020, Scotland's net electricity exports were 13.4 TWh, up on 10.8 TWh in the first three quarters of 2019. This is thanks to the record renewable generation so far in 2020, as recorded by the Scottish Energy Statistics Hub .

We expect generation capacity in Scotland to continue to increase to a greater degree than electricity demand, which means that we also anticipate exports, and Scotland’s export capability, to increase over time. This is consistent with the forecasts from National Grid’s Electricity Ten Year Statement and recently published Network Options Assessment .

As set out in our own Hydrogen Policy Statement, which I published in December 2020, Scotland’s abundance of renewable electricity supply offers us a source of competitive advantage regarding the opportunity to utilise that electricity for the production of green hydrogen, via the use of electrolysers. In the longer term, to meet Scotland’s own decarbonisation needs across power, heat and transport, it is estimated that a further 11-16GW of renewable electricity will be required.

Forest Research publishes National Statistics on the area of new woodland creation, which can be found at the following website: Forestry Statistics and Forestry Facts & Figures - Forest Research

In Scotland in (a) 2018-19, 11,210 hectares and (b) 2019-20, 11,050 hectares of new woodland were created. Provisional National Statistics which will include figures on woodland creation in Scotland for 2020-21 are scheduled to be published on 17 June 2021.

Currently, indoor sport and leisure facilities, including swimming pools, are to remain closed. Therefore activities such as swimming lessons cannot currently take place. On 16 March, the First Minister will set out a firmer timetable for the easing of restrictions and publish a revised Strategic Framework document.

The process to recruit a new Chief Executive for Scottish Enterprise is underway. The position was advertised on 15 February 2021, with applications requested by 15 March 2021. The advertisement can be viewed on the opportunities pages of the Odgers Berndtson website ( www.odgersberndtson.com ).

Due to the scope and timeframe of the question, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as this data is not available from a single source.

All work to update the Scottish Government’s comprehensive plan for an independent Scotland from 2014 has been paused since 18 March 2020, to focus on the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

If there is majority support for an independence referendum in the next parliamentary term, once the Covid-19 pandemic is over, the Scottish Government will return to this work to ensure that the people of Scotland have the information they need to make informed choices over the future of the country.

The Enterprise & Skills Strategic Board aims to create alignment and collaboration across the enterprise & skills system in Scotland, to drive economic growth and provide better support for businesses and users of the skills system. Over the past year the board has undertaken reviews of the Industry Leadership Groups and measures to mitigate the labour market impact from COVID-19, with all the recommendations accepted by Ministers. The immediate priorities for the board include: reviewing the innovation funding landscape to identify opportunities for greater collaboration and alignment; identifying how the enterprise and skills system can best support Scottish businesses with the new trading arrangements with the EU; and refreshing the board’s Strategic Plan in light of the new challenges facing the Scottish economy. More information on the board’s work can be found on its website.

The board is an independent body, supported by the Analytical Unit who monitor the impact and outcomes of agency activity through a Performance Framework and the Secretariat Team who support the work stemming from the board’s priorities. A total of 10 staff (8.4 full time equivalent) work in the Analytical Unit and Secretariat for the board.