Chamber and committees

As stated in response to S6W-19919, S6W-19920, S6W-19921, S6W-19922 and S6W-19923 on 9 August 2023, the 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy estimates the cost of decarbonising Scotland’s buildings at £33 billion.

Costs will be dependent on the route taken to decarbonising buildings, including whether they connect to a heat network or install individual heating solutions, and the depth of energy efficiency retrofit required.

An Estate Strategy and Carbon Management Plan for core Scottish Government buildings is currently under development to support our asset planning and the future investment decisions required to deliver our Heat in Building Strategy targets and our wider Net Zero commitments.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

There is no time limit for accessing Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) in Scotland. Any individual over the age of 16 can start an MA at any point in their career. Skills Development Scotland provide funding contributions which depend on the type of apprenticeship, the qualification level and the age of the apprentice, however there is no specific time limit on funding available.

Over the summer, the Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to develop a 1-year Scottish Education Exchange test and learn pilot programme, to commence in 2023-24.

As stated in response to S6W-19919 on 9 August 2023, the 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy estimates the cost of decarbonising Scotland’s buildings at £33 billion. We will work in partnership with the wider public sector to build on Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies which local authorities are currently developing, to fully understand the costs associated with transitioning to zero direct emission heating systems across the public estate.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The number of visiting specialist teachers is recorded in September of each year as part of the teacher census. Data for 2023 is not yet available. Visiting specialists are centrally employed by local authorities and data on the school sector in which they work is not collected in the teacher census.

Statistics on centrally employed visiting specialists at Scotland level are available in Table 5.2 of the teacher census supplementary statistics: https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/

The Skills Delivery Landscape Review was carried out as an independent review, and as such the Scottish Government was not involved in consultations that led to the recommendations.

As set out in Fit for the Future: developing a post-school learning system to fuel economic transformation the Independent Advisor, James Withers, ran an open call for evidence and engaged directly with a range of individuals and organisations as a core part of his review process.

As stated in response to S6W-19919 and S6W-19920 on 9 August 2023, the 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy estimates the cost of decarbonising Scotland’s buildings at £33 billion.

The cost of decarbonising the NHS will vary amongst individual Health Boards and types of property as there is significant variety in the size of individual buildings across the Estate. It is anticipated that many of the interventions required will result in long term savings and we will work with NHS Boards to estimate the high-level costs of key initiatives that are of national significance.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy estimates the cost of decarbonising Scotland’s buildings at £33 billion.

Costs will be dependent on the route taken to decarbonising buildings, including whether they connect to a heat network or install individual heating solutions, and the depth of energy efficiency retrofit required.

The first step is planning at a strategic level for decarbonisation pathways. Local Authorities are currently preparing Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) which will set out decarbonisation pathways for local areas. These will be published later this year and will inform decisions around retrofitting across the public sector estate.

In partnership with the wider public sector we will build on LHEES to fully understand the costs associated with transitioning to zero direct emission heating systems across the public estate.

As stated in response to S6W-19919, S6W-19920 and S6W-19921 on 9 August 2023, the estimated cost of decarbonising Scotland’s buildings is
‎ £33 billion. While universities are autonomous institutions, with responsibility for their own estate, provision and maintenance, we will work in partnership with universities and wider stakeholders to fully understand the costs associated with transitioning to zero direct emission heating systems across different sectors.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government recognises the importance equipping people of all ages and stages of life with the knowledge, skills and attributes to thrive in the 21 st Century. This forms a core part of all post-school pathways, including apprenticeships, and is reflected in the recently published Purpose and Principles for post-school education, research and skills, as well as underpinning the Curriculum for Excellence. Our overarching programme of education and skills reform will continue to ensure that we have a system that is fit for the future.