Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government published an analysis of the suitability of low and zero emissions heating systems across the whole housing stock, including off-gas-grid homes. The report can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/technical-feasibility-low-carbon-heating-domestic-buildings-report-scottish-governments-directorate-energy-climate-change/

Chapter 2 of the Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out further considerations, uncertainties and evidence pertaining to the suitability of different technologies in different contexts. https://www.gov.scot/publications/heat-buildings-strategy-achieving-net-zero-emissions-scotlands-buildings/pages/3/

The Scottish Government has previously commissioned research which considered the capital and operational costs associated with zero direct emissions heating (ZDEH) technologies within new homes, which encompassed various types of air source heat pumps and direct electric heating. The report, however, did not specifically consider infrared heating panels. A copy of this research is available here: Costs of zero emissions heating in new buildings (climatexchange.org.uk)

As set out in the Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy, we are developing regulations to ensure that new homes, applying for a building warrant from 2024, must use ZDEH systems. We consulted on initial proposals for these regulations during 2020-21, and have published an analysis of the consultation responses, which will inform the final design of the regulations. It is our intention for these regulations to be technology-neutral, to ensure developers have flexibility in achieving compliance. At the introduction of these regulations, a full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) will be published – which will set out the costs and benefits of the policy options considered. We will also undertake a range of impact assessments, including a BRIA, on our proposals to regulate heating systems in existing homes (including off-gas grid homes) when we separately introduce the necessary legislation to achieve this.

It is not possible to quantify the number and broad spectrum of specialism across the Justice sector in relation to domestic abuse cases. It is a matter for independent justice partners to provide essential training in domestic abuse matters to ensure and support operational requirements.

As part of Scottish Water’s emergency contingency planning, many of its Water Treatment Works already have permanent standby generators in place to ensure supplies can be maintained in the event of loss of power. During these recent storms, those permanent generators protected the water supply for the majority of the 1.5 million customers being supplied in the areas affected by the storm.

In addition to this, Scottish Water holds a stock of emergency response generators that can be deployed when needed for pumping stations, and it has a framework supplier who provides additional hire generators as required. Due to storage in the water network systems, the water supply is not immediately lost in the event of power loss, hence the reason for the different approaches to Scottish Water’s current generator back up strategy between treatment works and pumping stations. This event, which had more widespread and lengthy power outages than Scottish Water has experienced before, challenged its plans for deployment of portable generators to small pumping stations, affecting a small number of customers. During Storm Arwen Scottish Water also deployed tankers to pump water into its networks and also deployed bottled water to assist customers.

In view of the extended power outage experienced by this storm, Scottish Water will review its emergency generator contingency plans, particularly in relation to pumping stations. This work is underway to determine where improvements to the provision of both permanent and emergency generation capability is needed and establish the right level of investment required to protect customers in the future.

The Scottish Government has announced £65 million of additional funding support for the culture and events sectors that were impacted by the additional Covid-19 restrictions introduced in December 2021. This is in addition to the £175m of emergency funding provided to the culture, heritage and events since the start of the pandemic.

Eligible events which have previously received support through the Event Industry Support Funds or the Pivotal Event Businesses Fund will receive top-up payments from this funding. Payments have begun to be made and EventScotland is seeking to make these as swiftly as possible.

Creative Scotland’s Freelancers Cancellation Fund closed for applications on 24 January, and the Cancellation fund for Cultural Organisations closed on 2 February. Assessments are ongoing and award payments are already being made. We encourage any organisation that applies to the Creative Scotland Cultural Organisations cancellation fund to use any funding they receive to pay all staff that they employ.

Work is continuing at pace to determine the best way of distributing the remaining funding to support to those event and cultural businesses continuing to experience cancellation or postponements in February and March, or who may have previously not had access to COVID-19 funding support.

The Scottish Government published a review into the preparation and response to Storm Arwen on 27 January 2022. We therefore do not consider there to be any need to commission a separate review from the National Centre for Resilience.

Dr Colin Church was appointed as independent Chair of the review into the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland in November 2021.

As independent Chair, it is for Dr Church to determine and manage the process of the review. I am, therefore, unable to respond on his behalf regarding the number of meetings he has held with certain organisations.

However, Dr Church has assured me he wishes to hear from all interested stakeholders during the review and I would encourage anyone interested to respond to the Call for Evidence which is open until 21 February.

a) Discussions with the Rail Trade Union representatives are underway on this topic and we have recently received a proposition from the Unions that is now under consideration.

b) There is an existing Stakeholder Board on which passenger representatives sit, that will continue with the new company, whose chair will attend the ScotRail Trains Limited Board in the same manner as they do presently.

Abellio ScotRail as the train operating company providing passenger rail services, is responsible for the ticket office consultation.

Transport Focus, the independent watchdog for transport users, will collate and provide a report on the consultation responses.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05865 on 4 February 2022. 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