Seòmar agus comataidhean

The programme for government pledges to increase the annual native woodland creation target to 4,000 hectares, which is welcome. However, Jenni Minto will know that the biodiversity strategy has a target of between 3,000 and 5,000 hectares. Does she share my concern that we could see a decrease instead of an increase?

According to research that Citizens Advice Scotland published earlier this year, Scottish businesses were less likely than businesses across the United Kingdom to have introduced decarbonisation measures. Will the Government adopt all the recommendations in that report? Can the cabinet secretary say how much funding is available for the toolkit that he mentioned?

Good morning, colleagues. In your very wise opening remarks, Lord Deben, you referred to the recent IPCC report and emphasised the need for immediate action. You also said that your committee tries to give the best possible advice, which is reassuring, but what is the best possible advice that the Climate Change Committee can give to Governments and key decision makers on new oil and gas developments, including the proposed Cambo oilfield off Shetland? Given that we have no time to lose, how should new oil and gas developments be considered in light of the IPCC report?

It is not only Governments but individual citizens who are making decisions every day. I was struck by Professor Bell’s earlier comments about public engagement and the active choices that people need to make if we are going to change how we do things. It is clearly very important, therefore, for Governments to set a good example.

The committee is looking closely at the recommendations in the citizens assembly report. Is the Climate Change Committee considering them, too, and will it make a formal response?

Scottish Labour has been calling for an immediate moratorium on new incinerators, alongside a policy review. The Scottish Greens website has a quote from Mark Ruskell warning that Scotland is

“sleepwalking into an incineration nightmare.”

I sincerely hope that that did not harm his ministerial chances.

In the spirit of working collaboratively with all parties and listening to our communities that are under threat right now, will the First Minister work with Scottish Labour to introduce an urgent moratorium on new large-scale incinerators? Further, in case I missed the First Minister getting off the fence, can she clarify whether the SNP-Green Government that she leads now supports the stop Cambo campaign? Yes or no?

We heard the First Minister confirm that consideration has been given to the limited use of Covid status certification for access to certain higher-risk venues. Will the First Minister elaborate on what she means by “higher-risk venues”? Does that include care homes, which were not mentioned in today’s statement and which continue to be subject to restrictions on visiting?

I have no relevant interests to declare.

I congratulate you, convener, and Fiona Hyslop, and I look forward to working with all members of the committee.

There is already lots of agreement. I thank colleagues on our predecessor committees. There is a lot to read in the reports. Like Jackie Dunbar, I will go back and read them a number of times.

Fiona Hyslop is right that our focus really needs to be on scrutiny and implementation. We have had a steer on the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, for example. There is a lot in that. We have already discussed the climate change plan in the chamber since we came back. We will have a big role to play there.

Liam Kerr touched on ferry procurement and future ferries policy. Obviously, there are recommendations on that in the legacy reports. The deputy convener made a point about the fact that the members of this committee do not represent all of Scotland. However, I think that, through our work, we will very much aspire to do that. I represent Central Scotland, where ferries are not a big issue, but they are a big issue across the country. With regard to how we engage, particularly with younger people, we have a real opportunity to set a good example and be innovative, and also to get out there and do interesting visits.

In September, we will know more about the programme for government. The circular economy has to be a massive priority, and I am interested in what the Government plans to do around incineration. I know that the minister and the cabinet secretary have given a commitment on that.

Transport infrastructure is a huge area, so we will need to break that down. Obviously, we are looking at the remit of the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, but his performance in his job will depend on the performance across all portfolios of Government, and we already know that there is some overlap with issues that are in, for example, Mairi Gougeon’s portfolio. Issues such as 20-minute neighbourhoods will present real opportunities. The cabinet secretary will have strategic responsibility for that policy across Government, but it will involve lots of other areas. I am interested to see how all that works in practice. We have a job to ensure that Government does not work in silos. We all appreciate the ambitious targets, but the key is delivery and how we get there.

Like Liam Kerr, I am interested in getting an update on the public energy company. I think that work is under way with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to develop a business plan. Again, the role of local government in that is important.

Others have touched on the issues of a just transition, which involves green jobs, support for businesses that want to innovate and the need to ensure that we have the right skills and that communities are not left behind.

I think that it is going to be a really exciting time. We have a lot of work to do and I look forward to working with everyone on the committee.

We in Parliament were all proud when the First Minister gave an apology to men who had sex with men who were criminalised because of who they loved. That was the right thing to do and it had huge value. Do these women not deserve the same?

I welcome the discussions and meetings that the minister is about to embark on, but women such as Marion McMillan had meetings in 2015 and told their story then, and we are telling it again tonight. Can we get a commitment that the First Minister will attend those meetings, too? As we have heard, the women and their families do not have time. As a mental health professional, the minister knows that it is traumatising for people to have to tell their story over and over again. Can we get a commitment to speed up the process? We have freedom of information requests that show that, in 2015, ministers were told what to say before the women had even opened their mouths. Let us get a commitment from the minister that that will not happen again and that we can move forward towards the meaningful apology and support that the women and families need.