Conflict of Interest at Heart of SNP Energy Decisionmaking

I just found this on Ridiculous Politics. Stewart Stevenson, the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Minister, owns shares in Iberdola-Scottish Power.

"Iberdola-Scottish Power recently took over Scottish Power, a company that supplies a significant number of Scottish homes and businesses with electricty. The company's corporate vision is to "increase our renewable energy capacity in the UK to 1,000 MW by 2010" and aims to be "a world leader in renewables".

And who is the Minister in the Scottish Executive responsible for promoting renewable energy capacity in Scotland? Step forward, Mr Stevenson."


It is unbelievable that this is the first I've read of this, and that this hasn't been reported in any newspapers. Stevenson will be making decisions as a government minister that directly affect his business interests.

Here is the letter I sent to the news desks at the Herald and Scotsman:

"Stewart Stevenson MSP, the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and
Climate Change, is responsible for energy issues and supply in the
Scottish Government. His role is within the Finance and Sustainable
Development Ministry, which lists one of its responsibilities as
"Energy". He owns shares in Iberdrola-Scottish Power. You can see
these shares on his Register of Interests here:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/stewart_stevenson/roi.htm

The Iberdrola-Scottish Power website outlines one of its aims as:
"...having 10% (1,000MW) of generated electricity come from renewable
sources by 2010. This will be achieved primarily through the building
and acquisition of windfarms, but also by investing in biomass and
other emerging technologies such as wave power." (link:
http://www.scottishpower.com/EnergyWholesale.htm)

This means Stewart Stevenson is making decisions as Government
Minister that affect his financial interests."

On top of this, Scottish Power just won the contract for a major new wind farm in Dumfries.

"ScottishPower was today granted final planning consent by the new Scottish Government for Harestanes windfarm, a project of up to 213 MW capacity in Dumfries and Galloway. The £200 million, 71 turbine project will provide enough green energy for approximately 120,000 homes."

We desperately need some scrutiny as to how Scottish Power won this contract. Stevenson should have moved both his shares in Bank of Scotland and Iberdrola-Scottish Power into a blind trust upon assuming his Ministerial job - why hasn't he? The value of his shares will have definitely risen with Scottish Power's acquisition of this contract from his office.