Chamber and committees

I approved this decision as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights.

For the reasons behind this decision, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19607 on 28 July 2023 . 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 .

Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme

The following table sets out the number of households who have received funding through the HES Grant and Loan Scheme (formerly HES Loan and Cashback Scheme) for solar PV/energy storage systems where not installed with a certified renewable heating or energy efficiency measure. These figures include instances where solar PV/energy storage systems have been installed alongside an existing renewable heating system.

The Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS Boards, which Boards use to best meet the healthcare needs of their resident population.

Funding is not ring-fenced for neurology services. It is not therefore possible to provide this proportion of health board funding.

The following response sets out the funding information for solar PV/energy storage systems not installed with a renewable heating or energy efficiency measure across the Scottish Government’s heat in buildings schemes for domestic properties.

Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme

The following table sets out the amount of funding through the HES Grant and Loan Scheme (formerly HES Loan and Cashback Scheme) for solar PV/energy storage systems where not installed with a certified renewable heating or energy efficiency measure. These figures include instances where solar PV/energy storage systems have been installed alongside an existing renewable heating system.

I refer the member to my to the answer to S6W–19805 on 31 July 2023. 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 .

Heat Networks are large scale infrastructure projects requiring multiple years of development before reaching capital readiness and beginning construction. Therefore, we have committed multi-year funding though Scotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) which makes £300 million available to support the development and roll out of heat networks across Scotland during this parliamentary term. The fund aims to stimulate investment and grow the low carbon heat sector, whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

To date Scotland’s Heat Network Fund has allocated £6,727,389 to four heat network projects in Scotland. Of these, three are public sector heat networks, receiving a combined £6,339,315. The other is a housing association which received £388,000 in SHNF funding. In addition to this, we currently have several applications undergoing a formal assessment process and are engaging with many pre-capital stage projects through our Heat Network Support Unit.

In September 2022, we launched the Heat Network Support Unit (HNSU) which is already working to develop ambitious heat network projects that will help us progress towards our deployment targets. The HNSU provides advice and grant funding for pre-capital works such as developing feasibility studies and Outline Business Cases. This support is predominantly aimed at the public sector in order to increase the scale and pace of heat network project development across Scotland and build capacity across the sector to deliver successful projects. The Heat Network Support Unit has provided approximately £500,000 of support creating a pipeline of multiple projects that, if found to be viable, may progress towards capital funding and construction in the near future with a potential total capital value of approximately £150 million. Many of these projects may be supported via Scotland’s Heat Network Fund.

Scottish Government is also currently providing approximately £26 million of support to seven heat network projects through the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) which are due to commission by the end of 2024.

Support offered through our heat network funding programmes is reflected within our quarterly reports which provide industry, investors and other stakeholders with a view of the pipeline of heat networks projects progressing in Scotland.

The requested figures for the estimated energy generation of standalone solar PV measures supported by Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme (formerly HES Loan and Cashback Scheme) are set out in the following table. Figures show the estimated energy generation of measures installed that year only, they are not cumulative.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19607 on 28 July 2023. 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 .

Rediscover the Joy was set up in 2019 with the creation of the Shetland Hub, this was followed by the creation of the NHS Highland Hub in 2021-22.

GPs are recruited directly into the hubs and they assist with matching GPs to vacant posts. There are currently 7 health boards signed up to the project. NHS Shetland, NHS Tayside, NHS Highland, NHS Western Isles, NHS Grampian, NHS Orkney and NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

The number of GPs recruited to the hubs since 2019 are:

Rediscover the Joy currently provides GP support to practices in NHS Highland, NHS Shetland, NHS Orkney, NHS Argyle and Bute and NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

The Scottish Government is currently working with NHS Shetland to carryout a detailed evaluation of the project in 2023-24. The outcome of this evaluation will inform our decision on any future expansion of the project across Scotland.