Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting Minutes
9th Meeting, 2022
- Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2022
- Session: 6
- Location: T4.40-CR2 The Fairfax Somerville Room
- Meeting opened at: 09:32
- Meeting closed at: 12:50
- Published: Wednesday, March 16, 2022 11:26am
1 Decision on taking business in private:
The Committee agreed to take items 4 and 5 in private.
2 Transfer of operation of ScotRail:
The Committee took evidence from—
Jenny Gilruth, Minister for Transport and Jan Spy, Solicitor, Scottish Government;
Bill Reeve, Rail Director, Transport Scotland.
3 Public petitions:
The Committee considered various petitions and agreed, in relation to—
PE01750 by Alex Hogg, Independent Monitoring of Satellite tags fitted to raptors, to keep the petition open and write to Police Scotland and NatureScot to gather views on the implementation of new data-sharing protocols in the first year;
PE01815 by Steve Micklewright, Translocate protected beavers to reduce licensed killing, to keep the petition open and write to NatureScot and the Scottish Government in relation to an issue raised by the petitioner;
PE01872 by Liz Mcnicol, Improve the reliability of island ferry services, to continue the petition, noting that the Committee would consider ferry services under item 5 (work programme).
4 Transfer of operation of ScotRail (in private):
The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 2.
5 Work programme (in private):
The Committee considered its work programme.
The Committee agreed upon further panels of witnesses for its inquiry into the role of local government and its cross-sectoral partners in financing and delivering a net-zero Scotland. In relation to possible visits in connection with the inquiry, Liam Kerr declared an interest as a shareholder in Aberdeen Community Energy.
The Committee agreed to undertake scrutiny in relation to (a) energy costs and security, (b) Scotland’s ferry services and (c) the outcome of the 2022 Conference of the Parties: Convention on Biological Diversity (“Cop 15”), and to agree approaches to these issues at future meetings. The Committee also agreed to consider and agree by correspondence an approach to scrutiny of the legislative consent memorandum on the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill.