Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) industry representatives on supporting the growth of Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain; and what steps he is taking to ensure Scottish businesses can gain from UK offshore wind deployment targets and associated manufacturing opportunities.
The Department ensures Scotland benefits from our world-leading offshore wind deployment by supporting the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero with the Contract for Difference’s Clean Industry Bonus, which awards developers who invest in sustainable supply chains. The Energy Secretary has already increased the bonus from an initial £200m to £544m to support clean energy growth, including in Scotland’s industrial heartlands and coastal communities. We are also supporting the delivery of Great British Energy’s £300m grant funding to secure investment in domestic supply chains, including in Scotland.
The Department regularly engages with Scottish Government and industry representatives. For example, UK and Scottish Governments participated in a roundtable in Edinburgh to discuss clean energy supply chains, including floating offshore wind.