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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Current session: 13 May 2021 to 8 February 2026
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Displaying 1784 contributions

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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

There will be such information in the evidence base on what makes the biggest impact. That is where we get into quite difficult decision making, because if there is an array of things that make an impact to some extent, but there is only a certain amount of money to deploy, we then have to make judgments about where the biggest impact will be at this moment in time. That does not mean that we will not revisit it. Philip Raines’s point was that the budget trajectory is not a straight line. There will be peaks and troughs, but the destination is the planting of more trees and meeting the targets. In years when there are big real challenges, we sometimes have to prioritise other areas.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

Neil Gray may want to—

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

I guess that I could not say, hand on heart, that it will all be fully functioning across every line and policy decision by the time of the next budget. It probably will not be, because it is complex, but we are on a journey that is about all the stages, including the policy development stage as well as the negotiations to agree policy and the amount of money that we are going to spend on it. When we are looking at policy, we need to embed analysis of the impact on net zero from the start and be able to set it out.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

We talked about that a few months ago when we were looking at the outcomes of the small vessel replacement programme at phase 1, when the outline business case was presented at the end of 2023. Subject to approvals and procurement, that could see the delivery of the seven new small vessels between 2026 and 2028.

The reprofiling was due to the stage that the discussions had got to, in terms of the detail. The funding follows where the contracts and the negotiations are at, and the reprofiling was due to the stages at which the funding would be deployed not being reached.

You will know this, Convener. When you set out your funding profile, it is based on what you think that the timeframe will be. Inevitably, things change, and that is what happened. Transport Scotland gave assurances that that would have no impact on the end point, but it was about the profiling of the resources that were going to be needed at which stages. That allowed us to make those in-year savings.

That does not mean that the pot is going to be any smaller by the end of the process—far from it—but the timeframe of when and what is spent has shifted because of where the contract negotiations were. That is what I set out a few weeks ago.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

The profiling of the funds that are required by Ferguson Marine is part of the negotiation with Ferguson Marine in terms of what is required when. There has been a lot of attention given to the funding profile of what has been required and what has been spent—probably more attention than many areas of Scottish Government investment have received.

I am sure that Neil Gray will be able to give more detail on that. When we negotiate with any organisation that is receiving public money, there is a negotiation about what is required for that particular year to deliver what the organisation says that it is going to deliver.

The history there is quite challenging, and no one is going to say otherwise, but we are attempting to make sure that we align the required resources with what is realistically going to be delivered in that financial year. That is the best answer that I can give.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

Across all portfolios, each cabinet secretary has led work to focus on what will make the biggest difference. We will also take into account the budget allocations and the reserves that organisations might have.

09:30  

On nature, forestry and landscape restoration, we will invest more than £158 million to maximise the power of forests and land to help tackle climate change and protect nature. That funding will increase woodland creation and further protect and restore peatland. In relation to the biodiversity landscape and the investments that we have chosen, through the evidence base of the advice on what will make the biggest impact, we are also investing £500 million in our natural environment to drive landscape-scale change.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

I will bring in Philip Raines to address the key issue of planting.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

I am sorry—did you say £54 million?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

Any money that is drawn down from ScotWind is used to support the budget, so, in essence, it is used to support public services. The drawdown in 2023-24 will do the same, and the drawdown in 2024-25, which was originally estimated to be about £350 million, will support the budget and public services.

The issue that I am raising about 2023-24 is that, because of our challenges with our path to balance due to budget constraints and all the pressures on the 2023-24 budget, we will potentially have to draw down some of the ScotWind money for this financial year. That is the position with ScotWind for this year and next year. I assume that the drawdown for 2022-23 would have been for the same purpose, but we can come back to the committee to clarify that if that would help.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 23 January 2024

Shona Robison

From ScotWind?