Scotland’s renewables industry is being “squandered by remote control” from Westminster, the SNP’s energy and climate change spokesman has claimed.
Aberdeen North MP Callum McCaig accused the Conservative government of “treating Scotland like an absentee landlord” as he demanded to know how many times Secretary of State Amber Rudd had visited Scotland since the election.
But her deputy Andrea Leadsom branded the comments “absolute rubbish” – although she was unable to say whether Ms Rudd had visited Scotland.
Ms Leadsom, who is a minister of state in the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), also accused the SNP of trying to “scupper at every turn” the government’s Energy Bill.
Mr McCaig, speaking in the House of Commons, said: “Scotland’s undoubted potential in offshore wind and in renewables in general is being squandered by remote control from here in Westminster.
“When will DECC stop treating Scotland like an absentee landlord?
“If we’re not being run from remote control, can she tell us how many times the Secretary of State has visited Scotland since the last election?”
But Ms Leadsom said: “I’m not sure if it’s parliamentary language to say ‘what rubbish’ but that was frankly absolute rubbish.
“There is no sense in which the UK Government treats Scotland as an absentee landlord and the honourable gentlemen will be absolutely aware that 60% of the renewables obligation has gone to Scottish projects -with about 8% of the population.
“How he can think that Scotland is losing out is absolute nonsense.
“I have been to Scotland a number of times – I don’t know the answer to his question (about how many times Ms Rudd has visited Scotland).
“But my right honourable friend (Ms Rudd) is absolutely committed, as am I, to the success of wind and renewables in Scotland but also the oil and gas sector as well.
“He will be aware of the hours (Ms Rudd) and I have spent in this chamber desperately trying to get the oil and gas authority sorted out through the Energy Bill that he and his colleagues have tried to delay and scupper at every turn.”