- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many workers it anticipates its Just Transition (a) Fund and (b) plans will assist to "transition"; where specifically these workers will be required to (i) live and (ii) work, and whether these will include oil and gas workers who are based outside of the UK.
Answer
Our Just Transition plans (beginning with the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan due to be published later this year) will set out how the economic and social impacts of our transition to Net Zero will be managed in a way that delivers on our national just transition outcomes.
From this programme of work, and the co-design activity that will be undertaken to support the Plans, we will develop a clearer evidence base regarding the nature and scale of impacts on workers across our economy, including the over 70,000 workers supported by oil and gas.
Our Just Transition Fund is a new financial commitment and so its design is being shaped by dialogue with regional partners to ensure that together we secure maximum impact. Given this is a regional Fund, the focus is to support opportunities and investments for the benefit of people who currently work and live in the region.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government from where specifically it will source energy that is currently generated by the Hunterston B nuclear power station, following its closure.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05501 on 31 January 2022. 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
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates will be the source of energy that replaces that currently generated by nuclear power stations in Scotland; whether this will be from (a) fossil fuels or (b) renewable wind power; where precisely that power will be generated, and whether it will publish its calculations regarding how the current level of nuclear power generation will be replaced by these alternative sources.
Answer
Security of electricity supply is a reserved matter and is delivered by National Grid ESO across the whole of Great Britain under regulation from Ofgem. Scotland is part of a GB electricity system that is managed by National Grid in its role as Electricity System Operator. NGESO is responsible for sourcing generation to meet demand.
A mixture of renewables, storage and carbon capture technology – as well as increased interconnection across GB and to the continent – can support a secure and decarbonised power sector in Scotland following the closure of the existing large nuclear generators.
Scotland is currently a net electricity exporter and in 2020 exported 20.4 TWh of electricity, equivalent to powering every household in Scotland for 26 months. It only imported a little over 1 TWh of electricity, meaning that net exports of electricity were 19.3 TWh in 2020, its highest year on record.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to deliver a fair and managed transition for workers currently working at the Hunterston B nuclear power station, following its closure.
Answer
Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan is currently being developed. This will include co-design as a key underpinning principle, ensuring workers from across the energy sector have the opportunity to contribute towards this process.
Additionally, we are investing in a green transition for North Ayrshire, supporting the region surrounding Hunterston B. The Scottish Government has invested £103 million in the Ayrshire Growth Deal which will support inclusive growth across the region; and help create good, green jobs.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether its Just Transition (a) Fund and (b) plans will include and support contractor limited companies.
Answer
Our Just Transition plans (beginning with the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan due to be published later this year) will set out how the economic and social impacts of our transition to Net Zero will be managed in a way that delivers on our national just transition outcomes.
From this programme of work, and the co-design activity that will be undertaken to support the Plans, we will be able to assess the nature and scale of impacts on workers across the sectors of our economy. This will enable us to assess how we support the full range of businesses and business models currently operating across sectors, including contractors contracting via a limited company.
Our Just Transition Fund is a new financial commitment and is currently being developed. It will be shaped in discussion with regional partners. Further updates will be shared as this engagement develops.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether its Just Transition (a) Fund and (b) plans will support workers currently working in the nuclear sector (i) in general and (ii) following the closure of the (A) Hunterston B and (B) Torness nuclear power station.
Answer
The ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund has been established to support the North East and Moray region, which does not host any of Scotland’s nuclear power facilities.
Our forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will provide a clear roadmap for Scotland’s energy system. It will be co-designed with workers, businesses and communities across the country and establish a shared vision for Scotland’s energy system, identifying concrete steps to manage the economic and social impacts of the transition fairly.
This year we will outline our sequence of Just Transition Plans, including any sub-sectors or sites of the energy system that would benefit from an individual plan.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to deliver a fair and managed transition for workers currently working at the Torness nuclear power station, following its closure.
Answer
Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan is currently being developed. This will include co-design as a key underpinning principle, ensuring workers from across the energy sector have the opportunity to contribute towards this process.
In addition, the Scottish Government is investing £300m in the Edinburgh and SE Scotland City Region Deal, which will create new economic opportunities across the area and is expected to provide up to 21,000 jobs. This includes £25m for an Integrated Regional Skills and Employability Programme, which will help local people prepare for the changing regional labour market and benefit from the many new jobs that the Deal and other investments across the region are creating.
- Asked by: Natalie Don-Innes, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether the COVID-19 Support Grant, COVID-19 Support Grant - Restart, and Bus Service Operators' Grant will be continued in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answer
Today I am announcing a new Network Support Grant which will run from 1 April 2022 to help maintain bus services while passenger numbers recover from the effects of the pandemic.
The Network Support Grant will replace the COVID Support Grant, COVID Support Grant - Restart, and the Bus Service Operators Grant. The Network Support Grant will provide more flexibility than the emergency COVID funding schemes, allowing services to adapt to changed travel patterns and will be available on the same terms to new as well as established operators to help improve efficiencies and the offer to passengers. The level of support provided under the grant will reduce as passenger numbers recover and we will retain key controls and obligations on participating operators
The draft Scottish Budget for 2022-23 provides up to £93.5 million for this, including £40 million in additional funding. Full details of the Network Support Grant can be found on the Transport Scotland website.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met the Scotch Whisky Association since June 2021.
Answer
Scottish Ministers have met with the Scotch Whisky Association four times since June 2021. On occasion, Scotch Whisky Association staff also attend meetings such as the Scottish Government’s Ministerial Trade Board, where various industry stakeholders and the Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism & Enterprise is also in attendance. Discussions between Scottish Government officials and the Scotch Whisky Association take place regularly.
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05645 by Ivan McKee on 19 January 2022, whether an impact assessment was undertaken as part of its decision to classify the bingo sector as a live event.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not assess risk on a sector by sector basis as the risks of a significant number of people gathering together indoors is the same regardless of the activity that brings them together.
For the purposes of the capacity limits on indoor gatherings the Scottish Government considers a live event to be something that brings together a significant number of people for communal participation in a leisure or entertainment activity.
The Scottish Government carried out an impact assessment of the live event regulation and its impact on businesses which include, but is not confined to, Bingo halls. This has been published at the link below: The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 6) Regulations 2021 (legislation.gov.uk).
