Coal mining in Scotland has a long history. It kept homes warm, industry running and provided work for thousands of people across the country for generations.
It was difficult and at times dangerous work, but is an essential part of our Scottish heritage, and has helped to build the world-leading energy industry that we have today.
And yet, for many years former miners across Scotland and the UK have been denied the fair pension they deserve.
Instead of enjoying a dignified retirement, ex-mineworkers who have done so much for our country, have had to fight to receive the money that could have been passed to the miners and their families, but was held in government coffers for years.
That is why last month we honoured our commitment and reversed this long-running injustice – transferring £1.5 billion from the reserve fund to their pension scheme.
Now nearly 8,000 former mineworkers in Scotland will today, for the first time, receive the first cash boost to their pension packets – an average increase of 32 per cent, or around £29 a week.
This is a great victory for thousands of former mineworkers and their families, who have campaigned for decades to receive a fair share from their work.
We made a promise to end this scandal, and I’m proud that we have wasted no time to get the job done.
We are also urgently reviewing the arrangements for sharing surplus profits from the scheme, to ensure pension members get a fair deal in the future.
As we look ahead to our clean energy future, this Government is determined that we build on our proud history, with Scotland once more playing a leading role.
With investment flowing into projects from wind farms to hydroelectric power, the clean energy transition will deliver economic growth and create thousands of good jobs across the nation.
Our publicly-owned company, Great British Energy, will be at the heart of our plans, and will be headquartered in Aberdeen, with two smaller sites opening in Glasgow and Edinburgh. GBE will invest in clean energy projects and harness the existing expertise and skilled workforce in Scotland.
Alongside the biggest ever investment in offshore wind, funding for two hydrogen projects in Scotland, and accelerating support for oil and gas workers, we are building a long-lasting future for the Scottish people.
As we look to the future, we’re also recognising the contribution of those who got us to this point – ensuring mineworkers receive their long-awaited and deserved pension boost. Just as it was in our industrial coal-powered past, Scotland will be at the heart our efforts to make the UK a clean energy superpower.
This will secure our energy supply for decades to come, protecting homes and businesses from another energy crisis and creating the good jobs of the future.
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