Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what account it took of its commitments under the Paris climate change agreement prior to signing its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Heathrow Airport in 2016 and, in light of the ruling by the Court of Appeal on 27 February 2020 that the UK Government had failed to carry out an assessment of its environmental commitments under the agreement with regard to the proposed expansion of the airport, what its position is on the validity of MoU.
Our approach to appraising transport investment in Scotland quantifies the potential impact of projects on the environment. It is for the UK Government to do the same for transport investments in England.
The Court of Appeal ruling has no bearing on the validity of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Various sections of the MoU have already been delivered and others will be realised during the construction phase and after Heathrow has been expanded. The MoU ensures Scotland will benefit from this major infrastructure project which will bring significant job creation and investment opportunities to Scotland.