In a discussion in the chamber at Holyrood on Thursday the Acting Cabinet Secretary was quizzed about the contribution of the Port of Leith to net zero.
Gillian Martin MSP
The Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Gillian Martin, said that there will be green port incentives in Leith as it is part of the Forth green Freeport. There will be tax benefits for business such as reliefs on non-domestic rates, increased capital allowances, reduced national insurance costs, land and buildings tax reliefs and up to £25 million of seed capital and long-term funding from the government.
She outlined that the government has also committed to investing up to £500 million in five years to leverage private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of the offshore wind sector.
Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, asked how the government was working with any partners to support the port’s contribution to Scotland’s ambitions to reduce emissions.
Mr Macpherson said: “In recent weeks, I hosted a round-table event with employers, local educators and the Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans, to help to facilitate further collaboration to nurture the workforce that will be required.
“One of the suggestions that was made on the evening was to utilise some of ScotWind’s revenues to help to fund skills development initiatives in the area.”
Ms Martin replied: “The Forth green freeport has a skills plan, which is funded by businesses that benefit from the tax incentives at the site that I mentioned. The Government provides non-domestic rates relief to green ports, which can also be invested in skills and workforce development.
“Mr Macpherson will also know that we are providing targeted funding to colleges over the next year, as part of the budget that was approved by Parliament, to establish an offshore wind skills programme, which will help to create region-specific training hubs for offshore wind skills. That is on top of funding that has already been committed to a just transition for the energy sector.”
Lothians MSP, Sarah Boyack, said that while she welcomed the cabinet secretary’s recognition of the importance of renewable manufacturing in Leith, the sector regularly raise the issue of planning delays. Ms Boyack asked Ms Martin: “Will she acknowledge the need to tackle the significant problem of planning delays, which the renewables sector regularly raises with us? Projects can be in planning for more than two years. That affects not just low-carbon projects; it affects all the supply chains and jobs that come with them.”
Ms Martin agreed that industry has asked the government to “vastly reduce the amount of time that is associated with consents. We have invested in doubling the capacity of personnel in the unit, which has been met with a great deal of praise from the sector. We are committed to delivering on consents within 12 months.”
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