09:30 John Grady (Labour)

The last Labour Government acted on Scotland’s green energy potential. The amount of onshore wind capacity increased sevenfold, and our Government launched support for offshore wind, which was a brilliant success. I was excited to work on some of Scotland’s first offshore wind projects. Brian Wilson, the then Labour Minister and Scottish Labour MP, who put so much of this in place, left a brilliant legacy. That shows the positive power of a Labour Government and Scottish Labour MPs fighting for Scotland year in, year out and day in, day out. The last Labour Government left Scotland and Great Britain with a thriving renewable energy supply chain and industry—the ideal foundations for the road to net zero.

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09:50 Jim Shannon (DUP)

In conclusion, I support my Scottish brethren and sisters in their quest to secure more—more fishing rights, more manufacturing rights, and more investment in renewable energy and all the potential that is not fully realised in Scotland. I do so not to underline a theory that Scotland can stand alone, but because we are stronger when we stand together, and because the ties that bind are enhanced when we work as one body for the benefit of all in this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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09:57 Graeme Downie (Labour)

It was said that Scotland would be “safer and stronger”, but we have had the shambolic implementation of Police Scotland and lower police numbers since 2008. The First Minister also said that Scotland would be “greener”. Is there any consolation at the end? Well, I guess we could give him partial credit here. The Scottish Government did become greener, albeit for only a short time, when a calamitous coalition with the Green party saw climate change targets abandoned and a disastrous attempt to implement an ill-considered and ultimately abandoned deposit return scheme. Before SNP colleagues begin drafting their press releases about more powers, I point them to the foreword to the 2007 document, which said that the strategy could be achieved

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10:00 Kirsty Blackman (SNP)

We are, however, at a tipping point. There is a see-saw, where we need to see growth in jobs in renewable energy. I appreciate the comments and commitments that the Government are making, but if the change is to happen, we cannot lose the skills we have in oil and gas, because those people will go abroad to use their skills. We need to have that see-saw effect. We cannot pull oil and gas down in advance of putting renewables up. I have spoken incredibly passionately and regularly on climate change and the need to meet our targets, but the UK Government must consider the gap there will be in the middle if they choose to take action too quickly without ramping up jobs in renewables.

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10:06 Gregor Poynton (Labour)

I thank the Secretary of State for Scotland, the ministerial teams, and the teams at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Business and Trade for their support around the potential job losses at Mitsubishi Electric. I also thank Tom Arthur, the Scottish Government Minister for Employment and Investment, for his swift action to support the workforce there. They are skilled workers who are facing redundancy as a result of short-term economic pressures.

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10:08 Richard Baker (Labour)

It is very appropriate that InchDairnie has taken that foresighted approach to its energy use when, in Buckhaven in my constituency, SGN is investing in a pilot programme for domestic hydrogen use in 300 homes in the community. That virtuous cycle continues with the hydrogen boilers used in those homes that were let by Bosch, which is a major employer in Glenrothes. The importance of those and many other renewable businesses in my constituency shows how vital the decision has been by this UK Government to deliver a step change in our ambition for Scotland and the UK to be a green energy powerhouse. That is why this Government’s decision to establish GB Energy, headquartered in Scotland in the wonderful city of Aberdeen and backed by £8 billion of investment from the windfall profits of oil and gas giants, is such a vital initiative for Scotland and for my constituency. This morning we have heard no alternative proposal to invest billions of pounds in that vital industry for the future.

To conclude, I very much agree with the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) on the importance of our fabrication yards for the future of this industry. The Methil yard in my constituency that is currently going to be sold, with that process taking place under Harland and Wolff, has a fantastic role to play in the future of our renewables sector. The contribution of the 200 steelworker apprentices at that yard will be vital if we are to achieve that crucial ambition for Scotland and the UK to be a leader in green energy for the future.

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10:14 Tracy Gilbert (Labour)

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow East (John Grady) on securing this important debate. Ahead of the general election, Prosper Scotland summed up the hurdles that the Government face, in addition to the challenges of decarbonisation and an ageing population, as well as even greater technological challenges, when it said:

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10:21 Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat)

The previous Conservative Government mishandled the economy and jeopardised public finances, which halted economic growth and increased the cost of our debt. Their bungled Brexit deal has harmed the economy and increased costs for businesses, with 38% of SMEs reporting that the UK’s exit from the EU has been a major obstacle to their success. Further compounding these challenges, the SNP cut more than £23 million from net zero and energy spending, breaking its promises and reducing crucial investment in renewable energy infrastructure. That decision directly impacted opportunities to lower energy costs for businesses, despite the fact that 72% of SMEs identify energy expenses as a significant obstacle to their success.

In my Mid Dunbartonshire constituency, some small businesses are facing electricity standing charges of £16 a day. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce quarterly economic indicator for Q3 2024 highlights anxieties about taxation in Labour’s autumn Budget. Pressures on cash flow and profit margins are already limiting growth and squeezing profits for businesses. Scotland, which hosts some of the largest wind farms in Europe, not only faces high energy costs for consumers, but fails to produce even a single wind turbine blade domestically. That fact is tied to the mismanagement of public contracts, including handing over £50 million to a firm that immediately collapsed, leaving no solution or recovery plan in place. Such setbacks not only undermine progress on renewable energy in Scotland, but limit the potential benefits for local businesses and communities.

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10:34 Martin McCluskey (Labour)

One area of Scotland’s economy on which the Governments have worked closely together in recent months has been the response to the commercial decision of Petroineos to end oil refining at Grangemouth. The oil refining operation has played an important role in Grangemouth’s economy for more than 100 years. However, as a clear sign of how we can work together for the Scottish people, the UK and Scottish Governments have announced a joint £100 million package to help to secure Grangemouth’s industrial future and protect its skilled workforce. Scotland has a proud industrial past, as we have heard from many hon. Members this morning, and, as part of the transition to net zero, it will have a bright industrial future, and one that will guarantee jobs and wealth for families for generations to come.

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