Chamber and committees

The Heat in Buildings Bill consultation proposes that local authorities and the Scottish Ministers may be provided with powers to require buildings within a heat network zone to end their use of polluting heating systems (by a certain date, and with a minimum notice period). This proposal does not require a building to connect to a heat network, but connecting to a heat network would be a way to move to a clean heating system. During the consultation period - receiving feedback from stakeholders - and further development of these proposals, we expect that there may be related powers that may be necessary to ensure that these powers to require buildings within a heat network zone to end their use of polluting heating systems can be safely and robustly implemented. For example, Scottish Government may need to produce guidance relating to the information that would need to be provided to a local authority or the process by which buildings could be required to end their use of polluting heating systems. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24589 on 1 February 2024 which also provides our current position on the type of building that may be affected by these proposals.

The consultation also proposes that local authorities or the Scottish Ministers may be provided with powers to require developers to connect new buildings within Heat Network Zones to a heat network. The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations, 2023 have already introduced a new build heat standard which means that no new buildings constructed under a building warrant applied for from 1 April 2024 will be built with polluting (or direct emissions heating systems), like gas and oil boilers.

The consultation is also seeking views on a proposal to potentially require buildings with unused heat to provide this to a local heat network (where that would be cost-effective) – such a power could sit with the Scottish Government or local authorities, subject to certain guidance and safeguards.

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 .