Utility Infrastructure Investment Delivering Ambitions for Scotland’s People, Communities and Nature

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the importance of creating stronger, better connected and more resilient communities across Scotland, including in Falkirk West constituency; understands that ScottishPower, SSE, Scottish Water and Openreach have set out plans to invest £46 billion in Scotland’s infrastructure between 2025 and 2030, which, it considers, is an unprecedented level of investment; believes that this investment in electricity, water and digital infrastructure will unlock economic growth, injecting more than £32 billion into the Scottish supply chain and supporting more than 27,000 jobs; considers that growing the workforce of the future is a key element of success to maximise early career, retraining and upskilling opportunities to ensure the right people, skills and expertise are in place right across industry to deliver; welcomes the commitment by these companies that communities will be at the heart of the investment plans, with, it understands, around £350 million of community benefit to deliver lasting positive impacts; notes a commitment from the companies to working with local people to deliver the best possible outcomes that focus on progress for the greater good; understands that the environment will also be a key consideration with projects taking a nature positive approach that will see more than 14,700 hectares of land restored to nature, which, it believes, is the equivalent of more than 20,000 football pitches; considers that it is important to ensure that a nature positive approach is central to these plans, and looks forward to this investment being delivered in the very near future.