Renewable Energy Projects (Consultation)

Part of Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:00 pm on 31 October 2024.

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Photo of Tim Eagle Tim Eagle Conservative 2:00, 31 October 2024

I am sorry. During that debate, the acting cabinet secretary asked me whether I would support her calls to make consultation and engagement with the public mandatory for transmission operators. That is fine and I agree with that, because communities across the Highlands and Islands and across Scotland are hurting because of the amount of infrastructure work that is going on.

However, it was recently announced that the UK and Scottish Governments have launched a joint consultation to change the planning process for large energy projects and that that could see the removal of councils’ automatic right to a public inquiry, which will hurt the public across Scotland. Will the cabinet secretary guarantee that councils’ right to review such projects will be protected? I do not want to hear that Labour and the Scottish National Party are planning to stitch up more communities.