- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether its policy of no support for coal extraction applies to all current and future forms of coal-based technologies, including those with the potential to contribute to decarbonisation, such as coal-to-hydrogen conversion or carbon capture and storage, in light of the publication of its Coal extraction: policy position on 19 June 2025.
Answer
We have undertaken a full policy development process in order to reach a finalised position of no support for coal extraction in Scotland, in line with statutory requirements. The policy position was subject to statutory and other assessments, including Strategic Environmental Assessment, before finalisation. This included in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), and our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).
NPF4 policy 1 makes clear that significant weight will be given to the global climate and nature crises when considering all development proposals. NPF4 Policy 33 sets out a policy of no support for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels, other than in exceptional circumstances aligned with national policy on energy and targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This includes our policy position on coal extraction.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the Scottish Funding Council to ensure that colleges can continue to deliver any animal care, agriculture and rural skills training that is considered critical to Scotland’s rural economy.
Answer
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) is responsible for allocating funding to colleges, in line with Ministerial priorities, as set out in SFC’s Annual Letter of Guidance 2025–26. Colleges are responsible for determining their own operational decisions, including course provision.
To ensure that post school provision becomes more responsive to Scotland's strategic skills needs and priorities, the Scottish Government is working closely with partners, including SFC, to deliver on the Programme for Government’s commitment to introduce a new Scottish Government-led approach to national skills planning, and strengthen regional skills planning.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there are regional enterprise agencies for the South of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands, but not for any other regions.
Answer
Each of Scotland’s enterprise agencies operates within a defined geography. Scottish Enterprise provides services to businesses and supports projects in areas of Scotland not covered by South of Scotland Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, alongside the services it provides on a pan-Scotland basis and internationally.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken a full carbon lifecycle assessment comparing the environmental impact of domestically extracted coal with that of imported coal, particularly for small-scale and specialist users such as the heritage and manufacturing sectors, in light of the publication of its Coal extraction: policy position on 19 June 2025.
Answer
We have undertaken a full policy development process in order to reach a finalised position of no support for coal extraction in Scotland, in line with statutory requirements. The first step in this process was the launch of a call for evidence which ran from 21 June to 02 August 2022, which invited stakeholders’ views and expanded our evidence base in this policy area.
The call for evidence set coal extraction in its wider context of our statutory emissions targets and just transition and highlighted our work to date in relevant policy areas, including energy security, climate change, and just transition.
Having considered stakeholders’ views and the evidence received alongside wider Scottish Government energy and climate change policies, our preferred policy position of no support for coal extraction in Scotland was confirmed in October 2022.
The policy position was subject to statutory and other assessments, including Strategic Environmental Assessment, before finalisation. This included in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), and our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). NPF4 is publicly available here: National Planning Framework 4 - gov.scot.The draft SEA of the draft ESJTP is publicly available here: strategic-environmental-assessment-draft-energy-strategy-transition-plan-environmental-report.pdf.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the policy recommendations in the University of Manchester report, On Hydrogen, including their potential impact on future (a) policy and (b) publicly funded research on hydrogen in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises that the work of universities, research institutes and industry play a valuable role in the development of the hydrogen sector, and we routinely engage with relevant academic outputs of universities as we continue to develop our policies and assess research needs in this emerging sector.
Hydrogen policy officials met recently with several of the academics from Manchester University who contributed to the collection of papers in their wide ranging ‘On Hydrogen’ report and will take these papers into consideration as part of the broader research landscape in the hydrogen sector. The Scottish Government continues to welcome engagement with universities regarding hydrogen and is fully committed to helping the Scottish hydrogen sector develop and grow.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what definition it applies to its policy of no support for onshore conventional oil and gas extraction, and whether the policy allows for any limited exceptions where production could support local industry or employment, in light of the publication of its Onshore conventional oil and gas: policy position on 19 June 2025.
Answer
We have undertaken a full policy development process in order to reach a finalised position of no support for onshore conventional oil and gas extraction in Scotland, in line with statutory requirements. The policy position was subject to statutory and other assessments, including before finalisation. This included in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), and our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).NPF4 is publicly available here: National Planning Framework 4 - gov.scot.The draft SEA of the draft ESJTP is publicly available here: strategic-environmental-assessment-draft-energy-strategy-transition-plan-environmental-report.pdf. The partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment of the draft ESJTP is publicly available here: Regulatory Impact Assessment Template.
Our NPF4 makes clear that significant weight will be given to the global climate and nature crises when considering all development proposals. NPF4 Policy 33 sets out a policy of no support for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels, other than in exceptional circumstances aligned with national policy on energy and targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This includes our policy position on onshore conventional oil and gas.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted a full carbon lifecycle assessment between domestically extracted onshore oil and gas and imported fossil fuels, especially in the context of reducing reliance on imports, and, if so, whether it will publish the results, in light of the publication of its Onshore conventional oil and gas: policy position on 19 June 2025.
Answer
We have undertaken a full policy development process in order to reach a finalised position of no support for onshore conventional oil and gas in Scotland, in line with statutory requirements. The first step in this process was the launch of a call for evidence which ran from 21 June to 2 August 2022, which invited stakeholders’ views and expanded our evidence base in this policy area.
The call for evidence set onshore conventional oil and gas in its wider context of our statutory emissions targets and just transition and highlighted our work to date in relevant policy areas, including energy security, climate change, and just transition.
Having considered stakeholders’ views and the evidence received alongside wider Scottish Government energy and climate change policies, our preferred policy position of no support for onshore conventional oil and gas development in Scotland was confirmed in January 2023.
The policy position was subject to statutory and other assessments, including Strategic Environmental Assessment, before finalisation. This included in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), and our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). NPF4 is publicly available here: National Planning Framework 4 - gov.scot.The draft SEA of the draft ESJTP is publicly available here: strategic-environmental-assessment-draft-energy-strategy-transition-plan-environmental-report.pdf.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the University of Manchester report, On Hydrogen, what consideration it has given to the potential role that the recently established large industrial clusters could play in the decarbonisation of small industrial emitters.
Answer
Hydrogen policy officials met recently with several of the academics from Manchester University to discuss the findings in the On Hydrogen report and we will take these papers into consideration as part of our ongoing studies of the broader research landscape in the hydrogen sector.
Our industrial clusters will play an important role in achieving our vision of a decarbonised, successful, industrial sector. In some cases, decarbonisation will mean adoption of a range of new technologies, including low carbon hydrogen.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to (a) the role of coal as a strategic reserve or transitional energy source and (b) whether a blanket policy of no support potentially risks undermining Scotland’s energy security during periods of volatility or supply disruption, in light of the publication of its Coal extraction: policy position on 19 June 2025.
Answer
We have undertaken a full policy development process in order to reach a finalised position of no support for coal extraction in Scotland, in line with statutory requirements. The first step in this process was the launch of a call for evidence which ran from 21 June to 2 August 2022, which invited stakeholders’ views and expanded our evidence base in this policy area.
The call for evidence set coal extraction in its wider context of our statutory emissions targets and just transition and highlighted our work to date in relevant policy areas, including energy security, climate change, and just transition.
The policy position was subject to statutory and other assessments, including Strategic Environmental Assessment, before finalisation. This included in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), and our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). NPF4 is publicly available here: National Planning Framework 4 - gov.scot. The draft SEA of the draft ESJTP is publicly available here: strategic-environmental-assessment-draft-energy-strategy-transition-plan-environmental-report.pdf.
Coal exploitation is a matter reserved to the UK Government, and the Mining Remediation Authority is responsible for licensing coal mining activity in Scotland. Scotland’s planning system is fully devolved to the Scottish Government. We recognise that there may be circumstances where the extraction of coal is legally required, for example as part of building works or where a seam needs to be removed in the course of preparing foundations. Any holder of a licence issued by the Mining Remediation Authority may submit an application for planning permission for coal mining-related activities.
Where any planning applications come forward, as a matter of law these must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. As a statement of national policy, the finalised policy position on coal extraction would be a material consideration.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase policing and police presence in communities with a high level of bike theft.
Answer
The operation of Police Scotland, including the deployment of staffing, is a matter for the Chief Constable, who is supported by the Scottish Government to shape the workforce in response to operational needs. The latest official statistics show there were 16,553 FTE police officers in Scotland on 31 March 2025.
There are already a wide range of effective actions currently available to Police Scotland to prevent and reduce bike theft, empowering officers to lawfully pursue and tactically engage thieves, where it is deemed necessary. Theft is a criminal offence under Scots law, which has developed over centuries through operation of the courts rather than being provided for in statute.
