Speeches by Crichton.

“You said that tone, leadership and ambition were important, but so are authority, clarity and resource. From your observations, does DESNZ have a sufficiently big role in Government to deliver net zero?”

“It is not going to be flying more, is it?”

“Emily and Emma, welcome to the Committee. Thank you for your evidence. I would like to say happy new year, but your evidence doesn’t give me any reason for optimism. It is less than five years to the 2030s; it is four years, 11 months and however many days. Are we going to reach our climate change targets? Yes or no?”

“All the problems you mention are the remit of DESNZ.”

“Thanks.”

“You have a lot of experience. You know what you are talking about.”

“It is 200,000 jobs in the North sea. If you listen to your former colleagues, those jobs are at risk because of closing down licensing for oil and gas in the future. Do the Government need to do more to help oil and gas and the North sea workers to transition to this new economy?”

“Where do flights come in that list, and what behavioural changes might be needed there?”

“You touched on it, so I would like to know where the North sea sits in your skills strategy. Have you thought much about it?”

“Is it driver resistance?”

“Can I jump in quickly? Emily, what is the problem with vans? Is white van man resistant to climate change and to electric vehicles?”

“Yes.”

“They set a target of a 75% reduction by 2030.”

“Let me ask my first question in another way. Are the UK Government in danger of repeating the mistakes that the Scottish Government made with over-ambitious climate change targets?”

“I take what the hon. Member says about pregnant mothers having to travel long distances. In my own constituency, pregnant mothers have to travel two weeks before their baby is due to another island where they are given an overnight allowance of some £50 or £60 in a tourism economy where beds cost £120—so they are havin…”

“Can I ask the hon. Member which taxes the SNP would raise?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Gregor Poynton) for securing this important debate. I join him in welcoming this record settlement of more than £4 billion for the Scottish Government, but I would not want Members to go away with the i…”

“Will the hon. Member give way?”

“If the hon. Gentleman does not wish to blame the SNP Government for the economic mismanagement of Scotland, why does he provoke SNP Members with his choice of Union Jack socks?”

“I hope the hon. Member will forgive me for not giving way to him when I was mid-flow during my own speech. We are waiting until 2031 or 2032 for our ferries. We need ferries this winter, not next decade.”