Trade unions, business leaders and politicians presented the Scottish Government with a number of serious questions concerning the future of Scotland's energy supply.

At a Conference yesterday at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh organised by Scottish Engineering and Unite, the crucial issues of energy supply, costs and the skills required in the immediate future dominated the debate.

Questions from the floor challenged the Scottish Government's ambitions to provide 31% of electricity supply from renewable sources by 2011. Currently only 17% of electricity supply comes from renewable sources. Since 2000 there has only been an annual average growth rate of 1% to total energy generation from the emerging renewables sector.

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Dr Peter Hughes, Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering said: "This Conference has confirmed the importance of the UK having a balanced, sustainable, affordable and secure energy supply. It is time the First Minister and his team got their heads out of the sand with regard to looking at all available sources of energy."

Unite Scottish Secretary, John Quigley, added: "Unite retains a number of major concerns relating to the ability of the Scottish Government to deliver our future energy needs."

"Scotland needs a balanced energy policy utilising all viable low carbon sources complemented by a comprehensive transitional skills strategy to ensure we have the tools and the talent to deliver our future energy infrastructure."

(GK/JM)