General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 25 April 2024.
Douglas Lumsden
Conservative
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its plans to achieve net zero by 2045, what its response is to the Electricity System Operator’s report “Beyond 2030”. (S6O-03354)
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
The Electricity System Operator’s “Beyond 2030” report recommends that significant upgrades to electricity networks are needed across Great Britain, which would bring forward billions of pounds of investment in networks in Scotland.
Expansion of the electricity grid will be crucial in enabling us to deliver energy security, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, reduce domestic fuel costs and maximise the economic opportunities of Scotland’s abundant renewable resources. It is absolutely imperative that communities have the opportunity to engage in the process at an early stage, and developers must take every opportunity to work with those communities well ahead of submitting any applications for consent.
Douglas Lumsden
Conservative
I think that we all accept that the grid needs upgrading, but we cannot allow the north-east of Scotland to be desecrated to achieve that. Many of my constituents in Turriff and New Deer are alarmed at the scale of industrialisation that is taking place on their doorstep. Can the Minister confirm that the devolved Government will use the planning powers that lie in its hands to stop the overdevelopment of those areas?
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
Mr Lumsden mentioned Turriff and New Deer, whose residents are my constituents as well. I want to engage with them as much as possible to ensure that they have the opportunity to engage with the transmission system operators and the Electricity System Operator about developments in their area, so that their voices are heard.
The Scottish Government and the Scottish ministers have no power to instruct transmission operators to opt for undergrounding cables, for example, and no influence on the applications that they submit. That is up to them. It is incumbent on them to engage with the affected communities and to bring them with them as they put forward their submissions.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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