General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 12 March 2026.
Douglas Lumsden
Conservative
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate for the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy to use terms such as “far right” in the context of objections to energy projects. (S6O-05632)
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
I welcome the opportunity once again to correct the inappropriate and wilfully misleading claims by Conservative MSPs about my interview in a national newspaper, in which I was referring to the anti-net zero rhetoric that has been weaponised by Reform UK, which said that it would dismantle the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero at United Kingdom Government level. That rhetoric uses the legitimate concerns of communities, which I fully understand, to put at risk our energy security; to divide and dilute our fight against climate change; and to damage the economic opportunities for Scotland that come with investment in climate action. It is essential that communities feel able to engage with us on the planning and consenting of energy projects.
Douglas Lumsden
Conservative
It is clear what is going on here. The Cabinet secretary is trying to silence community groups that are against the monster pylons, battery storage and subsidies—[Interruption.]
Alison Johnstone
Green
Let us hear Mr Lumsden.
Douglas Lumsden
Conservative
—that are ruining much of rural Scotland. The Government has stopped email submissions to the energy consents unit because there are too many objections—something that the Cabinet secretary did not seem to understand. It has also stopped people seeing the objections before the submission deadline has closed and has resorted to mudslinging to try to silence communities.
Those communities’ voices will never be silenced. The community groups concerned have lost all confidence in Gillian Martin, so will she apologise and reverse the changes to the ECU that are making it harder for communities to be involved in the process? [Interruption.]
Alison Johnstone
Green
I ask those who are joining us to do so quietly.
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
Mr Lumsden is demonstrating once again that his preferred method of political engagement is personal attacks that have scant regard to fact instead of what the vast Majority of people would like to hear from a spokesperson on energy and climate action, which is ideas on how we can improve the energy security of our nation, create jobs and opportunities for our citizens and play our part in reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. That is what I do day in, day out.
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.
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.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
