Seòmar agus comataidhean

I was listening to that exchange, and I sympathise with what the deputy convener said, but we had a citizens panel on climate change—sorry if I have got the terminology wrong, convener—and the panel said that if they read everything about climate change only in the newspapers and the media, it seems like an insurmountable challenge and they feel very negative about it. However, when they engage with practical things on the ground across Scotland, they are quite upbeat and positive about what is happening.

I understand the nervousness about providing additional detail and modelling work because, let us be honest, certain individuals, groups and politicians would just look for any flaws in that modelling work in order to rip it to shreds, rather than be fair-minded about it. That is not a reason not to publish that information, but I can see why there might be a nervousness about doing so. I think that there is a balance to be struck here, cabinet secretary, and I ask you to reflect on what more information you can give on the modelling work, including where the uncertainties are. For example, you might, in that modelling work, have to predict what you think UK Government investment will look like in certain areas, when you actually have no clue what such investment looks like from one week to the next, let alone what it will look like in 10 or 15 years’ time.

If you are going to provide more information, that would be welcome, but you will have to think carefully about what you provide to us. That is not a reason not to share it, but you should be a bit careful about how, and in what fashion, you share it.

I wonder whether you can reflect on those comments, cabinet secretary.

Thank you for putting that on the record. I will ask my next question shortly, but, before I do so, I want to make some comments that do not require a response. Yesterday, I was at Glasgow Kelvin College, which is really enthused about the budget settlement. People spoke about being able to move quickly to meet market demand in the area and about short-term capital investment to allow the college to grow and expand what it is doing as it pivots towards areas where businesses are looking for a flexible approach to training and skills. The work that has been done is really welcome, but there is a wee bitty more to do to get there. It is a transition period for that sector, of course.

I will ask about what the Economy and Fair Work Committee has told us in its very welcome scrutiny in relation to some of this stuff. It talks about a “direct, participative role” for key groups, such as trade unions and professional bodies. Maybe you can offer a brief answer to that, cabinet secretary. Can you offer reassurance that, rather than just reacting to events, such groups will be part of the story?

Okay, thanks. That response is reasonable, but I think that the point has been well made by others about making the plan accessible, tangible and meaningful to individuals.

I would hate to incur the wrath of the Scottish Youth Parliament, but most young people will not be engaged with the Scottish Youth Parliament, as it would acknowledge. We just need to make the plan accessible to all. I commend the Scottish Youth Parliament for its scrutiny role and for trying to represent young people, but there is a wider group out there who will not want to be involved in any scrutiny. They will just want to understand the plan and want it to be meaningful to them. I will leave that sitting there.

I will ask you to reflect on one final thing. I cannot recall which witnesses gave this evidence, but, in a discussion that we had with witnesses on what community benefit looks like, it was suggested to us that a community in close proximity to a wind farm can hoover up the community benefits, even though there is a low-income community with significant deprivation not that far away. We also spoke about offshore wind, and the concern was raised that, particularly as floating technology is developed further, it can be hard to identify which community should get the community benefit.

As an MSP who represents an urban area that is far away from that activity, I point out that we will still have large low-income and high-energy-cost communities who would also like to benefit from Scotland’s renewables revolution, which we all want to see. How can we get community benefit right and in a way that does not create inequalities or inequity?

Thank you.

That is very helpful.

I have a brief observation, convener. I am not sure that, once approval is given, the die is cast for evermore, so to speak. The committee will be in another form in a few months and we will leave a legacy report.

I also sit on the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, where we frequently use the expression “shared space”. In consenting to the making of regulations, we make a shared space for our successor committee. I am not sure that our scrutiny of these regulations will be on-going if we agree to them being made. Notwithstanding the massive volume of work that the committee has within its current remit, I wonder whether we could leave a breadcrumb of work in our legacy report about bringing the HSE in at a later date for the committee to find out what the regulations will mean in practice.

I get that that would happen after we agree to the making of the regulations, and that is problematic for Mark Ruskell, but I am trying to think how we could take a responsible view and follow up some of his concerns in the next parliamentary session. That might not be helpful in relation to this agenda item, but I am trying to find a way forward.

I will try to be as brief as I can, given the time constraints. I want to look at some of the cross-committee scrutiny of the climate change plan. In particular, I want to look at identifying skills gaps and the workforce planning that will be required. It was drawn to my attention that there was a climate emergency skills action plan for 2020 to 2025 from the then Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform—who was, believe it or not, Roseanna Cunningham—and the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, Jamie Hepburn. There was quite a detailed route map around identifying the skills gap and how to address that. Is similar work under way across Government for the current iteration of the five-year plans?

I am getting the sense that you are fully across your brief, cabinet secretary.