MEETING OF THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT STRATEGIC BOARD: HELD ON THURSDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2008
Present
Sir John Elvidge KCB (chair)
Andrew Goudie
Philip Rycroft
Alyson Stafford
Richard Wakeford
Kevin Woods
Apologies: Robert Gordon, Stella Manzie, Bill Bound, David Fisher, Heather Logan, Sarah Davidson
In Attendance
Angiolina Foster
Elinor Mitchell
Katie Wood
John Mason
David Wilson
Dominic Munro
John Ewing
Gabby Pieraccini
Fiona Robertson
Lesley Fraser
Agenda Item 1: Responding to High Energy Costs (SB(08)44)
1. John Mason introduced paper SB(08)44 which set out an outline action plan detailing further potential work that could be carried out by the Scottish Government to respond to high energy costs. The paper also provided an update on the other actions which Strategic Board had approved at a previous meeting on the 21 August 2008. Annex A set out progress on these actions. A pre Cabinet presentation on Rising fuel costs was scheduled for 7 October which would provide an opportunity to bring the issues before Ministers.
2. The Strategic Board:
(a) Noted that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's policy position on the relationship between economic growth and anti-climate change measures was that there were clear synchronicities and that both should be promoted in parallel; and that the Paper was entirely compatible with the GES.
(b) Agreed that the action plan set out in the Paper took the right approach; represented the reality of the position; and identified a few areas where thinking would need to be further developed.
(c) Observed that there should be clarity about the respective roles of the private and public sector, with identification of the areas where the public sector can, and should, add value and areas where it should not. Such clarity would assist discussions around resourcing.
(d) Agreed that the work had reached a breakthrough point and that, whilst the outline action plan clearly distilled the issues, the next step would be a series of challenging decisions.
(e) Agreed that not in a position to agree to all of the actions in the outline action plan, but rather that there would be a number of stages that would act as trigger points for taking decisions about individual courses of action at different times.
The record of discussion under this agenda item is considered exempt from publication at this time and has been redacted.
Agenda Item 2: Any Other Business
3. No other business was discussed.
Date of Next Meeting
4. Thursday, 30 October at 9.00am.
Cabinet and Corporate Business Secretariat
September 2008