Parliament Workbench
Data: Motions & questions to 19 Nov 2026 · Votes to 12 Nov 2026

Motion For Debate · S5M-23537 · Session 5

BiFab

Carried Lodged by Alex Rowley Lab Lodged 30 Nov 2020 Debate 2 Dec 2020

The motion

That the Parliament believes that Scotland has the potential to lead Europe's green energy revolution over the coming decades; further believes that, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and job losses, green jobs will be central to creating new employment and training opportunities across Scotland; considers that, with the support of the workforce and their trades unions, the maximum effort has to be made to secure wind farm contracts for Scottish manufacturing companies; notes that, in open competition, BiFab won a £30 million contract to build turbine jackets for the NnG North Sea wind farm, work that could have started in January 2021, but has been prevented from going ahead with this; condemns the Scottish Government’s decision to withdraw the financial guarantee that was needed to enable this work to go ahead, thus risking Scotland’s reputation as a new green investment hub, and further condemns the Scottish Government’s failure to produce any legal opinion to justify its claim that support for BiFab was against the law; calls on it to act now to secure the future of the Burntisland Methil and Arnish yards, and the jobs that depend on them; further calls on it to talk to the workforce's representatives and to ask for the help of the UK Government through the joint working party to urgently negotiate with EDF and Saipem to find a solution that ensures that the NnG contract for eight wind turbine platforms is carried out in the yards, and, with Glasgow being the venue of the COP26 summit in December 2021, calls for a concrete plan to be published in January by the Scottish Government that ensures that future work on renewables comes to Scottish yards.

What MSPs voted on: the motion as amended

Labour’s motion was changed by a Conservative amendment (S5M-23537.1) before this vote. A vote ‘for’ was a vote for Labour’s motion with the Conservatives’ changes.

That the Parliament believes that Scotland has the potential to lead Europe's green energy revolution over the coming decades; further believes that, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and job losses, green jobs will be central to creating new employment and training opportunities across Scotland; considers that, with the support of the workforce and their trades unions, the maximum effort has to be made to secure wind farm contracts for Scottish manufacturing companies; notes that, in open competition, BiFab won a £30 million contract to build turbine jackets for the NnG North Sea wind farm, work that could have started in January 2021, but has been prevented from going ahead with this; condemns the Scottish Government’s decision to withdraw the financial guarantee that was needed to enable this work to go ahead, thus risking Scotland’s reputation as a new green investment hub, and further condemns the Scottish Government’s failure to produce any legal opinion to justify its claim that support for BiFab was against the law; calls on it to act now to secure the future of the Burntisland Methil and Arnish yards, and the jobs that depend on them; further calls on it to talk to the workforce's representatives and to ask for the help of the UK Government through the joint working party to urgently negotiate with EDF and Saipem to find a solution that ensures that the NnG contract for eight wind turbine platforms is carried out in the yards, and, with Glasgow being the venue of the COP26 summit in December 2021, calls for a concrete plan to be published in January by the Scottish Government that ensures that future work on renewables comes to Scottish yards.S5M-23537.1 Conservative , and further calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that these policy commitments on renewables are part of a coherent industrial strategy for the post-COVID-19 era.

Final wording as read into the Official Report at Decision Time. The marked changes are worked out by this site from the amendment texts and match that wording.

Amendments

  1. S5M-23537.2 SNP Fiona Hyslop Defeated vote, 60–61
  2. S5M-23537.1 Conservative Liz Smith Agreed vote, 61–2
  3. S5M-23537.3 Green Mark Ruskell Not put to a vote (worked out by this site: never called at Decision Time: not selected or not moved)

Vote

1 division
  1. 2 Dec 2020
    BiFab
    S5M-23537as amended by Conservative
    Carried
    61 for, 60 against

Amendments

3
  1. S5M-23537.1
    BiFab
    Liz Smith Con Lodged 1 Dec 2020
    Carried
    61 for, 2 against
  2. S5M-23537.2
    BiFab
    Fiona Hyslop SNP Lodged 1 Dec 2020
    Defeated
    60 for, 61 against
  3. S5M-23537.3
    BiFab
    Mark Ruskell Green Lodged 1 Dec 2020
    No recorded vote

Supporters

No MSP has added their name to this motion.

In the Official Report

7 contributions mention S5M-23537
  1. 2 Dec 2020
    Burntisland Fabrications
    Christine Grahame SNP Meeting of the Parliament

    The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-23537, in the name of Alex Rowley, on Burntisland Fabrications. Members who wish to speak in the debate should press their request-to-speak button now. 15:29

  2. 2 Dec 2020
    Decision Time
    Ken Macintosh Meeting of the Parliament

    The first question is, that amendment S5M-23537.2, in the name of Fiona Hyslop, which seeks to amend motion S5M-23537, in the name of Alex Rowley, on BiFab, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

  3. 2 Dec 2020
    Decision Time
    Ken Macintosh Meeting of the Parliament

    The result of the vote on amendment S5M-23537.2, in the name of Fiona Hyslop, which seeks to amend motion S5M-23537, in the name of Alex Rowley, on BiFab, is: For 60, Against 61, Abstentions 0. Amendment disagreed to.

  4. 2 Dec 2020
    Decision Time
    Ken Macintosh Meeting of the Parliament

    The next question is, that amendment S5M-23537.1, in the name of Liz Smith, which seeks to amend motion S5M-23537, in the name of Alex Rowley, on BiFab, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

  5. 2 Dec 2020
    Decision Time
    Ken Macintosh Meeting of the Parliament

    The result of the vote on amendment S5M-23537.1, in the name of Liz Smith, which seeks to amend motion S5M-23537, in the name of Alex Rowley, on BiFab, is: For 61, Against 2, Abstentions 58. Amendment agreed to.

  6. 2 Dec 2020
    Decision Time
    Ken Macintosh Meeting of the Parliament

    The next question is, that motion S5M-23537, in the name of Alex Rowley, on BiFab, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No

  7. 2 Dec 2020
    Decision Time
    Ken Macintosh Meeting of the Parliament

    The result of the division on motion S5M-23537, in the name of Alex Rowley, as amended, on BiFab, is: For 61, Against 60, Abstentions 0. Motion, as amended, agreed to, That the Parliament believes that Scotland has the potential to lead Eu…