General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 7 November 2024.
Audrey Nicoll
Scottish National Party
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to support oil and gas companies to collaborate with renewables companies to test and deploy new technologies. (S6O-03905)
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
We are committed to working in partnership with the energy industry to deliver a just energy transition. Our energy transition fund is supporting projects in the north-east that promote collaboration across offshore energy sectors. Those include the energy transition zone, which is transforming the region into a globally integrated energy cluster, and the Global Underwater Hub, which is using underwater expertise, technologies and skills to drive innovation and accelerate the transition. Separately, successful projects in the innovation and targeted oil and gas leasing rounds are using floating wind to electrify oil and gas infrastructure. That helps to decarbonise production while, crucially, enabling the offshore wind sector to expand.
Audrey Nicoll
Scottish National Party
Many oil and gas companies are already transitioning to renewables. However, during a recent visit to a company in my Constituency that is doing just that, I learned of the challenges that are associated with the complexities and costs of scaling up its testing of floating tension-leg platform technology that could offer opportunities for foundation manufacturing in Scotland. What support can companies such as the one in my constituency access to enable them to scale up testing and move to market entry? Would the Cabinet secretary be willing to meet me to discuss that further?
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
First, I would be absolutely delighted to meet the member and the company that she is speaking on behalf of. As set out in our innovation strategy, the Scottish Government is committed to developing world-leading economic clusters, including in offshore wind. Companies and investors who wish to discuss funding and investment opportunities in the offshore wind sector should engage with the Scottish National Investment Bank and the enterprise agencies, which are best placed to advise on what support could be available. I also encourage the company, if it has not done so already, to get in touch with the Net Zero Technology Centre, which provides advice in that area as well as support to companies that wish to innovate.
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.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
