Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 10 January 2023.

A route map to secure Scotland’s fastest possible fair and just transition away from fossil fuels has been published.

The draft ‘Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan’ sets out a plan for Scotland’s renewables revolution to be accelerated as North Sea basin resources decline.

This would result in a net jobs gain across the energy production sector, with the potential to increase renewable energy exports and reduce exposure to future global energy market fluctuations.

Key policy proposals published for consultation include:

• substantially increasing the current level of 13.4 Gigawatts (GW) of renewable electricity generation capacity, with an additional 20 GW by 2030, which could produce the equivalent of nearly 50% of current demand
• an ambition for 5 GW of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen power by 2030, and 25 GW by 2045
• increasing contributions of solar, hydro power and marine energy to the energy mix
• generation of surplus electricity enabling export of electricity and renewable hydrogen to support decarbonisation across Europe
• setting out final policy positions on fossil fuel energy, including consulting on a presumption against new exploration for North Sea oil and gas
• accelerated decarbonisation of domestic industry, transport and heat in buildings
• increasing access to affordable energy by urging the UK Government to take stronger, more targeted action for fair energy market reform
• maximising household, business and community benefit from energy projects, including through shared ownership of renewables

Published as part of the draft Energy Strategy is a Just Transition Plan for the energy sector. This details the support being provided to grow Scotland’s highly skilled energy workforce, increase jobs in energy generation and the supply chain, while enabling communities and businesses, particularly in the North East, to prosper.

Analysis shows the number of low carbon production jobs is estimated to rise from 19,000 in 2019 to 77,000 by 2050 as the result of a just energy transition, meaning there will be more jobs in energy production in 2050 than there are now.

The Strategy also sets out recommended actions for the UK Government to take in reserved policy areas, including powers relating to energy security, market mechanisms, network investment and market regulation.

Scottish Ministers have invited the UK Government to join an Energy Transition delivery group to drive forward the vision set out in the Strategy.

Net Zero & Energy Secretary Michel Matheson said:

“Scotland is an energy rich nation, with significant renewable energy resource, a highly-skilled workforce and innovative businesses across a globally renowned supply chain.

“The renewables revolution is global, as all countries seek to address concerns about climate change, and Scotland is at the forefront of this transition.

“At a time of unprecedented uncertainty in our energy sector, accelerating the transition towards becoming a renewables powerhouse makes sense for a number of reasons – particularly to helping to mitigate against future global market volatility and the high energy prices which are making life so difficult for so many people across Scotland. For example, onshore wind is one of the most affordable forms of energy.

“While we do not hold all the powers to address these issues at source, this Strategy sets out how we can achieve an energy transition that ensures we have sufficient, secure and affordable energy to meet our needs, support Scotland’s economic growth and capitalise on future sustainable export opportunities.”

Just Transition Minister Richard Lochhead said:

“The oil and gas industry has made a vast contribution to Scotland’s economy and its workers are some of the most highly-skilled in the world. But Scotland’s oil and gas basin is now a mature resource.

“A just transition to a net zero energy system will secure alternative employment and economic opportunities for those already working in the industry and will provide new green jobs in Scotland for future generations. Embracing this change will ensure we avoid repeating the damage done by the deindustrialisation of central belt communities in the 1980s.

“There is a bright future for a revitalised North Sea energy sector focussed on renewables.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 10 January 2023.

Funding of at least £8 million for additional care home beds and efforts to boost NHS 24 capacity are among the measures outlined by Health Secretary Humza Yousaf to help the NHS and social care deal with ongoing extreme winter pressure.

Health and Social Care Partnerships will share £8 million to procure around 300 additional care home beds to help alleviate pressures caused by delayed discharge. The funding will allow boards to pay 25% over and above the National Care Home rate for beds. This is in addition to around 600 interim care beds already in operation across the country.

NHS 24 is taking forward plans to recruit around 200 new starts before the end of March. In the run up to Christmas NHS 24 had already recruited over 40 whole time equivalent call operators, call handlers and clinical supervisors.

Guidance has been issued to all Boards making it clear they can take necessary steps to protect critical and life-saving care.

Mr Yousaf said:

“This is the most challenging winter the NHS in Scotland has ever faced and the immediate pressure will continue for the coming weeks. My thanks to all health and social care staff for their incredible efforts during these exceptionally challenging times.

“We are ensuring all possible actions are being taken to support services, and the additional measures I have outlined today will help relieve some of the extreme pressure Health Boards are facing. We know one of the most significant issues our NHS is facing is delayed discharge, that is why I have announced further support to buy additional capacity in the care sector.

“NHS 24 has a vital role in referring people to appropriate urgent care services outside of hospitals and plans to increase staff numbers over the course of winter,  will help the service deal with increases in demand.

“Emergency care will always be there for those who need it, but for many people, the best advice and support might be available on the NHS Inform website or the NHS 24 App, or by calling NHS 24, so I would encourage people to make use of these services as many are already doing.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 10 January 2023.

Scotland’s ground-breaking domestic abuse legislation better reflects victims’ experiences, according to new research.

By recognising abuse as a pattern of behaviour, the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 closer matches victims’ accounts of psychological and physical harm over time, according to three small scale research studies from Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Edinburgh and the Scottish Government.

Responses from 69 domestic abuse victims and witnesses also found most women felt that engaging with the criminal justice system on domestic abuse was ‘the right decision’ to take.

However, respondents also said improvements could be made to how such cases are handled to provide victims with a greater voice in proceedings and better support through the process. Other areas of improvement included making judicial processes quicker and more efficient and providing better training for justice professionals.

The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 was passed by Parliament on 1 February 2018 and was brought into force in April 2019.

The Scottish Government published, in February 2022, the Vision for Justice, which set out that urgent action is required to ensure women and children are better served by Scotland’s justice system. Measures that have already been taken include:

• establishing a Victim-Centred Approach Fund, awarding £48m to provide practical and emotional support to victims, including £18.5m for specialist advocacy support for survivors of gender-based violence
• establishing a £53.2m Justice Recovery Fund, including £26.5m for courts, helping reduce the case backlog by 13,000 between January and November 2022
• funding the Caledonian System, a programme which seeks to change the behaviour of domestically abusive men
• increasing use of Police Scotland’s Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse, helping to safeguard more people who have been harmed or are at risk

The Scottish Government also intends to introduce a Criminal Justice Reform Bill this year to bring forward recommendations from Lady Dorrian’s review on improving the management of sexual offence cases – including introducing a statutory right to anonymity for victims of sexual offences. The Bill will also abolish the ‘not proven’ verdict.

Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “I know it takes incredible courage for those who suffer domestic abuse to come forward and I am grateful to everyone who took part in this research. We are committed to putting victims at the heart of Scotland’s justice system and the purpose of this work is to use their experiences to make improvements for all.

“I am absolutely resolute that we must treat all domestic abuse victims appropriately and with compassion – the vast majority of whom are women.

“We are already making significant improvements and it is very encouraging that this report found our new laws have better reflected victims’ experiences.

“Given that domestic abuse is an under-reported and often hidden crime, it is also very positive that women who suffered such crimes reported that their engagement with the justice system was the right thing to do.”

One of the report authors, Claire Houghton from the University of Edinburgh said:  “It is reassuring that victims and witnesses welcomed the expanded scope of the domestic abuse law.

“However, our study found that it has yet to reach its potential – adult and child victims and witnesses are still experiencing trauma and delays within the justice system and perpetrators are not adequately held to account for the harm to the whole family.

“We look forward to working with our justice partners, alongside victims and witnesses of domestic abuse, to improve people’s experiences of the system and support the vital work of specialist agencies.”

Assistant Chief Constable Bex Smith said: “This legislation was a significant step change in how Scotland’s criminal justice system deals with the full range of abusive behaviour.

“Every officer in our service has been trained, and new recruits are trained, to identify these behaviours and to apply Domestic Abuse Scotland Act.

“Every instance of domestic abuse is unique and we seek to tailor our response to the needs of the victims, including children who often witness abuse.

“We know we don’t always get it right, but we are listening and we recognise how crucial hearing the experience of victims is in helping us improve our response and deliver a service that meets their needs.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 10 January 2023.