Chamber and committees

Who does the First Minister think that he has pleased most today? Is it Douglas Ross, Fergus Ewing or Alex Salmond? More to the point, which of them does he think he can rely on for a majority in Parliament now?

I hope that Elena Whitham will join me in reassuring those of our constituents who currently use bioenergy systems in existing buildings that they are not affected by the changes in the new-build heat standard.

We recognise that emergency use of heating for energy will sometimes be needed, even in new builds, and that may especially be the case in rural and island areas. That is why the standard permits systems for emergency use, which could include wood-burning stoves.

In most cases, we think that, in those circumstances, portable solutions would be more appropriate to provide emergency heating, for example during power cuts. However, the regulations require that heating systems are non-polluting, and a provision for emergency use was added, which, in response to rural concerns, is not restricted to clean heating. The drafting of the technical guidance on what constitutes emergency heating can be difficult to reconcile with the nature of wood-burning stoves, which are generally installed for regular and not just emergency use.

We have heard the concerns that have been raised over the past week about the use of wood-burning stoves, and we fully take them on board. As I said yesterday, we will consider what further clarity is needed in the guidance to address those concerns, and we will continue to work with concerned parties, developers and local authorities to ensure that any updates to the existing technical guidance address those concerns comprehensively.

In response to more detailed questions yesterday, I set out the information that we have published. I have committed, and I have stated again today, that we will look to work with partners to clarify any aspects of the technical guidance that need to be clarified in order to respond to some of the concerns that have been raised in the past few days.

However, I reinforce that the measures that we are taking forward are about the use of fixed heating systems—primary and secondary—in new-build buildings, including new-build housing. They do not apply to emergency and back-up systems, many of which will be the portable systems that Rhoda Grant has described.

I regularly meet the Minister for Housing to discuss intersecting portfolio interests, including the heat in buildings agenda. The new-build heat standard, which was scrutinised by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and approved without opposition, is an essential part of our commitment to reach net zero, and it will have a positive impact on rural housing. The standard was subject to full consultation in 2021 and 2022, with both consultations showing strong support.

New-build homes are required to be highly energy efficient, which reduces heat demand, but bioenergy systems can be installed to provide emergency heating where required.

I do not agree with Mr Briggs’s characterisation of such fuels. The heat in buildings consultation goes far beyond the issue of new builds and looks at how we decarbonise our existing housing stock. The consultation specifically asks what flexibility ought to be included in relation to bioenergy systems. I look forward to hearing the responses to the consultation, whether from those who lobby in favour of the industries whose interests Mr Briggs seeks to reflect or those who hold a wide range of other views about how we decarbonise heating, how we do it fast and how we do it fairly for all communities.

I think that the Scottish Government’s messaging has been very clear. I am sorry that some people—including, I am afraid to say, a few people in the Parliament—have sought to misrepresent the approach as a complete ban on wood-burning stoves. It is not, it never has been, and it will not be a complete ban on wood-burning stoves.

Beatrice Wishart is quite right that some of the communities that she has described illustrate why the provisions in relation to emergency and back-up heating systems are important and why the heat in buildings bill needs to reflect on questions about the flexibility for biomass in relation to existing homes.

Shetland is a good example of an area of Scotland where rurality and some of the issues that affect island communities are not barriers to deploying clean heating systems, whether at an individual building level or a district heating level. Shetland is a good example of where the decarbonisation of heating can be achieved in a way that meets the needs of remote, rural and island communities.

Naturally, I reject the characterisation in the member’s question. In fact, we extensively consulted rural stakeholders—including rural local authorities—in developing the regulations, over a number of years and in two formal consultation processes. I am a little surprised that the member put her question in the way that she did given that, in committee, her party colleague agreed with the unanimous support for the new-build heat standard—a measure that has been praised by the United Kingdom Climate Change Committee, which urged the UK Government to accelerate its action in that area to match our timetable.

The policy’s objective is to prevent the greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with delivering space heating, hot water and cooling in new buildings, and so to help to achieve net zero by 2045.

On the climate change plan accounting basis for emissions, over the long term, the new-build heat standard is expected to deliver cumulative savings of about 5.2 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent between 2024 and 2083, under central assumptions. That can be broken down as 2.3 million tonnes equivalent saving in the residential sector and 3 million tonnes equivalent in the services sector.

The member mentioned that the UK Climate Change Committee has praised our work on that. I, too, am convinced that that work will stimulate the development of the supply chain for clean heat in Scotland.

People who currently have wood-burning stoves should be reassured that those who claim that there is an outright ban are misleading them. People who already rely on such systems can continue to do so.

In relation to new build, the UK Climate Change Committee has been clear that there are circumstances in which biomass can give us a useful contribution to reducing our carbon emissions, but that will not be the case in all circumstances. We will continue to explore the situations where that is justified, while ensuring that the homes that we build for the future are fit for the 21st century in terms of addressing climate change and particulate pollution.

I have already indicated the action that we are taking, and I would hope that those members who have made a rather simplistic calculation about the price per bike for the purposes of press releases will recognise that they are misleading people. The money that is being invested in the programme is not only for the provision of bikes; it is also for adapted bikes, to ensure that the scheme is inclusive, and it includes cycle training, accessories and other costs. I hope that members will recognise the strong value to Scotland in achieving a shift towards active travel, in maintaining the health of our young people and in ensuring that active travel is as inclusive as it needs to be.