Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:30 pm on 12 December 2024.
Craig Hoy
Conservative
2:30,
12 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues on how to ensure the delivery of the workforce required to deliver its net zero targets, including through discussions with Skills Development Scotland and colleges. (S6O-04115)
Alasdair Allan
Scottish National Party
I regularly engage with my education and skills ministerial colleagues to discuss the importance of the net zero workforce. Scotland is already leading the way in the creation of green jobs. New PwC data shows that the Scottish green jobs market has tripled since 2021. PwC has been clear that Scotland’s strong skills base is a critical factor in attracting green investment and the creation of green jobs.
Institutions such as colleges have a critical role in developing the multiskilled workforce that will drive the just transition to net zero. Last week, my colleague the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy visited the North East Scotland College campus in Fraserburgh to discuss its curriculum and to launch its Ocean Winds pre-apprenticeship scheme, which is an initiative that supports students who are preparing to work in the offshore wind industry.
Craig Hoy
Conservative
Due to the uncertainty over which heating technologies will prevail in the decarbonisation process, colleges, employers and the private sector say that there is a reluctance to invest in large-scale training for young people in new skills such as the installation and maintenance of heat pumps. Has the Government explored the possibility of redirecting ScotWind moneys towards decarbonising the public estate rather than committing them to the crowded renewables investment market? That would surely create the surety of demand to pump prime skills and college places for those who would be needed in a large-scale roll-out of renewable heating in Scotland.
Alasdair Allan
Scottish National Party
I will attempt to react to some of that and not to the pun about pump priming.
I have recently visited a number of colleges where it has been very clear that there is a commitment in the further education system to introduce young people to all manner of technologies. The member rightly mentions the importance of having a broad spectrum of technologies available, including technologies for older types of heating systems, heat pumps and, perhaps for the future, other means of electric heating for existing radiator systems in houses.
Michael Matheson
Scottish National Party
The Minister will be aware that one of the key risks that we face in achieving our net zero targets relates to access to the right skills to support the roll-out of the renewable technologies that are required to decarbonise our energy system, whether that is offshore or onshore wind, marine and tidal energy generation or the new age of pumped storage hydro power, which is coming as a result of the planned introduction next year of a cap and floor system for pump storage. Given the critical skills that are needed to achieve net zero, can we do more to ensure that the needs of industry and colleges are effectively aligned to ensure that we are generating the workforce that will be necessary to deliver these technologies in the years ahead?
Alasdair Allan
Scottish National Party
The member raises important points. We are working to ensure that we have the workforce that we need for the future. The PwC green jobs barometer has been clear that Scotland’s skills base is providing a clear advantage to Scotland, capitalising on green jobs and green skills and identifying applicable skills in other sectors for people who wish to transfer into a new career.
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.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
