Liam Kerr

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to invest in renewables capital expenditure in the north east region, and what it is doing to encourage, facilitate and remove obstacles to private investment in renewables capital expenditure in the north east region.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is providing support to encourage investment in renewables in the north east through a number of funds and programmes. These include, but are not limited to, the £500 million Just Transition Fund for North East and Moray which opened o…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to attract the more than £17 billion that is estimated to be required by 2030 to be invested in renewables, as set out in the Robert Gordon University report, Making the Switch: The future shape of the offshore energy workforce in the North-East of Scotland, and what pro…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scotland’s energy sector is at the forefront of our transformation to becoming a net zero nation. It is a major employer and source of economic output, and our oil and gas infrastructure and highly skilled workforce have long been at the forefront of energy i…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that universities and colleges in (a) the north east and (b) Scotland have the resources and courses available to provide "transition training" for oil and gas industry workers.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: In recognition of the particular challenges the North East has faced as result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the downturn in oil and gas, we have allocated £14.3m to the North East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund, which offers over 3,000 training opportuniti…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an assessment of the potential impact that its reported opposition to exploration and production in the North Sea will have on investment in the sector and a managed transition alongside industry and finance for renewables.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are committed to supporting Scotland’s just transition to net zero by 2045, a target that was agreed by parliament. It is vital that, as we transition our society and economy towards a low-carbon future, no individual, community or region is left behind. …

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that Scotland has the ability and resources to create, manufacture and develop the infrastructure required for the wind and renewables projects required to meet its net zero targets.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government believes that renewables, particularly wind, has a vital role to play to achieve our net zero targets and to the decarbonisation of the energy system. Scotland’s natural resources, which include strong and consistent wind resource, al…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many wind turbines are required to be installed and operational in Scotland, whether onshore or offshore, in order to meet its 2030 climate targets.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We need bold action to tackle the climate emergency and Scotland has some of the most extensive renewable generation capabilities in Europe with which to accelerate our just transition to net zero. We do not believe that Scotland can achieve our 2030 dec…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Just Transition Fund it plans to allocate to the training and upskilling of installers of renewable technologies.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Just Transition Fund was established to support and accelerate the transition of the region and support the role of Aberdeen and the wider North East as one of Scotland’s centres of excellence for the transition to a net zero economy. The call for year on…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to maintain the gross value added (GVA) of the north east throughout and following a fair and managed Just Transition.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting and accelerating the transition of the North East as a centre of excellence for the transition to a net zero economy, as evidenced by our £500 million Just Transition Fund. The Scottish Government is also a f…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government where in Scotland it anticipates Scotland's renewables jobs will be located by 2030.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Our Just Transition to net-zero will necessitate the creation of new businesses and jobs, in addition to managing the transition of existing jobs and skills to the renewables sectors and their supply chains. The pace of change will differ between these sector…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the May 2022 publication from Robert Gordon University, Making the Switch: The future shape of the offshore energy workforce in the North-East of Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government welcomed the findings in the Review which was funded through our £14.3m North East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund (NEERSF). The Review clearly demonstrates that, with the right investment, the North East of Scotland could support 9,…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it and its agencies are doing to encourage private investment in the Just Transition in the north east region; how much private investment it has targeted to be spent, and by what date.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government recognises the private sector action required to deliver a just transition to net zero. Our Global Capital Investment Plan outlines these opportunities and we are expanding our Green Investment Portfolio to bring together market-ready …

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that the transition to renewables is "managed" to ensure that it is in the "Goldilocks zone", as referred to in the Robert Gordon University report, Making the Switch: The future shape of the offshore energy workforce in the North-East of Scotland.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government welcomes the publication Making the Switch, prepared by the Energy Transition Institute at Robert Gordon University, with funding from the Scottish Government through the North East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund . It highlights t…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to build manufacturing capacity in order to enable infrastructure for the ScotWind projects to be manufactured in Scotland; what proportion, if any, of the Just Transition Fund it will use to assist this development, and whether it plans for manufacturing capability to b…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The ScotWind projects committed to investment of up to £25 billion across the Scottish supply chain across the 17 ScotWind offshore wind projects as set out in their Supply Chain Development Statements. This work is further complemented by the Scottish Offsho…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the cost of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government published an update to the 2018 Climate Change Plan in 2020, including over 200 policies and proposals which will drive our delivery of emissions reduction between 2020 and 2032. The Scottish Government is currently in the process of …

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the volume of carbon emissions associated with the electrification of Scotland's rail network, as set out on page 8 of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, by 2035.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Savings in carbon emissions from replacement of Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) rolling stock are calculated using emission rates from the DfT’s TAG Databook A3.3 (November 2021). This is undertaken when each individual project or line of route reaches the Outline…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage a modal shift of HGV traffic to rail, as per the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our rail freight strategy and put into practice with significant investment and a first of a kind regulatory growth target. Our £25 million ring-fenced fund for rail freight for t…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent assessment is of the projected cost of "fully electrif[ying] routes from the central belt to both Aberdeen and Inverness east" by 2035, as per page 37 of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Detailed cost analysis for all of the routes included in the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan will be undertaken on a phased basis as initial plans for each route are progressively prepared. Initial development works have begun on these routes to ide…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken the "detailed cost information by route" analysis, as set out on page 30 of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, in full.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Detailed cost analysis for all of the routes included in the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan are undertaken on a phased basis as initial plans for each route are progressively prepared.

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its strategy is to deliver public advice and messaging regarding a transition to renewable heat sources in order to ensure that homeowners can access comprehensive advice in relation to the decarbonisation of homes.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: As committed to within our Heat in Buildings Strategy, work is currently underway to develop a new Heat in Buildings Public Engagement Strategy, to be published in early 2023. This will build on the broader approach to public engagement on climate change tha…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what skills strategy it has in place to ensure that Scotland has sufficient professionals to advise homeowners on their transition to clean energy and carry out installation and maintenance.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: Unlocking investment in the supply chain to build skills for zero emissions heating and energy efficiency must start with a clear demand for products and services. Our investment of at least £1.8 billion and the proposed regulatory framework for zero emission…

19 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many ScotRail services were required to operate at a 20 miles per hour speed limit in the week beginning 18 July 2022 due to extreme heat, and what preparations it has undertaken since ScotRail's nationalisation to equip the network to deal with extreme weather events.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Speed restrictions on the Scottish rail network are imposed by Network Rail, as the owners of the rail infrastructure. ScotRail advised that for week beginning 18 July 2022 there were approximately 11 services with a 20 mph speed restriction and 4 of these w…

19 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been of operating waste incinerators in Scotland in each year since 2007-08.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Information on the total cost of operating waste incinerators in Scotland in each year since 2007-08 is not held centrally. Most waste incineration facilities in Scotland are privately operated and the Scottish Government does not routinely collect or hold da…

19 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many households were recorded as being in fuel poverty in each year from 2017 to 2021.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish House Condition Survey is the source of National Statistics on fuel poverty in Scotland. The key findings from the 2019 Scottish House Condition Survey were published in December 2020 and estimated that 613,000 households were in fuel poverty in …

19 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many ScotRail staff have reported being assaulted in the period since April 2022; whether it holds records on how many assaults on ScotRail staff were reported in each year since 2016 and, if so, whether it will provide this data, and what measures it has taken since ScotRail's natio…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Safety and security on our railways is reserved to UK Government and as such the British Transport Police (BTP) is responsible for the enforcement of the law on Scotland’s rail network. BTP can only investigate matters that are reported to them and not every …

7 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the European Parliament’s reported decision to support the classification of some gas and nuclear energy projects as environmentally sustainable will have an impact on Scotland and Scottish Government policy-making, and what its position is on whether gas and nuclear projects can…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government supports the principles underpinning the green taxonomy, especially the need to establish criteria for sustainable economic activity, to give investors certainty on the sustainability of projects, and to combat greenwashing, and we loo…

28 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints from (a) passengers and (b) staff were received by ScotRail services between 1 and 30 June 2022, broken down by the reason for the complaint.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The number of passenger complaints received by ScotRail, through their official complaints process, is set out on the table below for the period 1 and 30 June 2022. The complaints may involve incidents that occurred before 1 June 2022. The average recorded n…

26 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS and Scottish Government guidance for general practices, published on 7 September 2021, has been updated; for what reason some general practices are reportedly still operating a full triage system, and what steps it plans to take to increase the number of face-to-face GP a…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The current guidance for General Practice is Appendix 22 - Community Infection Prevention and Control COVID-19 Pandemic which was first published on 29th June. The pandemic has been the biggest shock our NHS has ever faced. It has necessitated the impositi…

23 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many public electric vehicle (EV) charging points were installed in Scotland between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2022.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09455 on 27 July 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-committee…

23 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the precise number of public electric vehicle (EV) charging points in Scotland as at 1 June 2022.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: According to the latest published statistics (April 2022) there were 2953 electric vehicle charge points in Scotland at this time. This figure includes 2257 from ChargePlace Scotland, Scotland’s publicly funded electric vehicle charging network.

23 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints from (a) passengers and (b) staff were received by ScotRail services between 1 and 31 May 2022, broken down by the reason for the complaint.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The number of passenger complaints received by ScotRail, through their official complaints process, is set out in the following table for the period 1 and 31 May 2022. The complaints may involve incidents that occurred before 1 May 2022. The average recorded…