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I understand and acknowledge that communities in the North East may have concerns regarding proposed electricity transmission infrastructure in their areas. It is vital that communities can have their say on proposed developments and Scottish Ministers are clear that major energy infrastructure requires meaningful and substantive consultation and engagement with the local communities before a developer submits an Electricity Act application.

There are established routes for constituents and community groups to make their views on developments known, and the Scottish Government is working with the UK Government to further strengthen these.

The Ministerial Code states that "the Planning Minister or any other Minister involved in the planning decision, must do nothing which might be seen as prejudicial to that process, particularly in advance of the decision being taken. Action that might be viewed as being prejudicial includes’: ‘expressing an opinion publicly on a particular case which is before, or may subsequently be referred to, the Minister(s) for decision”.

I understand constituents and community groups may wish to discuss infrastructure development with me. However, I do not believe it is possible to have a meaningful discussion without speaking about specific projects and, given the guidance which I have set out above, any discussion on specific projects would risk a breach of the Ministerial Code.

On 8 October 2025, the Scottish Government will publish a new paper setting out why Scotland should become an independent country, and what an independent Scotland could look like.

It explains how independence offers the potential of transformational change, building a new economy to boost living standards, making the most of our energy resources, protecting our NHS, creating a migration system that meets Scotland’s needs, and rejoining the European Union.

The proposals set out in this publication feature analysis of the evidence that informs them, as well as references to sources.

A Fresh Start with Independence will be available to view on the Scottish Government website from 8 October 2025 at Building a new Scotland - gov.scot

The School Estate Statistics reflect information reported to the Scottish Government by local authorities.

In the case of Beath and Queen Anne High Schools, both were rebuilt in the early 2000s under Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts and remain within their contract periods.

In situations where schools were built under PPP which included school maintenance contracts, local authorities report that the buildings are monitored and maintained by a third party. It is the Scottish Government’s expectation that condition surveys are carried out as part of this monitoring and maintenance programme.

It is local authorities’ responsibility to ensure schools built under PPP contract continue to be maintained to a sufficiently high standard, given the maintenance contract that will be in place.

It is the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) role to monitor the institutional landscape, to ensure sustainable and coherent provision, and to engage with institutions as needed. The Scottish Government and the SFC are in regular discussions on issues affecting the sector.

The Scottish Government has already invested more than £120 million in the North East through the Just Transition Fund and the Energy Transition Fund to support the region’s transition to net zero. This funding has helped create green jobs, support innovation, and supported the highly skilled workforce of the future.

As part of this, the Scottish Government has supported the initial phases of industry led development of an Energy Skills Passport by providing £3.7 million through the Just Transition Fund over the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The Passport is a tool to support oil and gas workers to identify training pathways into key offshore wind sectors. It is one tool in a wider landscape of support for Scotland’s oil and gas workers. For example, the Passport is complemented by the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund (launched in July 2025 as a joint initiative from Scottish and UK Governments) which offers tailored careers advice and funded training for eligible workers looking to build the skills needed for work in Scotland’s sustainable energy sectors.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40612 on 7 October 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40612 on 7 October 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Energy Skills Passport is an industry led project, and the Scottish Government does not hold detailed information on operational matters. For such queries, we recommend directly contacting the lead industry bodies - Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) and RenewableUK (RUK).

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40638 on 7 October 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40625 on 7 October 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers