Chamber and committees

The Conserve and Save: Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland states that we will work in partnership with public sector representatives and the Carbon Trust to develop a methodology for setting appropriate energy saving targets for the public sector in Scotland. The overarching Scotland target of 12% establishes a minimum level of ambition for all sectors, including the public sector.

Part 4 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 places duties on public bodies relating to climate change. Guidance makes clear that it is for individual bodies to determine the details of how they report, depending on their own individual circumstances, but there is no statutory requirement on public bodies to do so. Advisory guidance has been published to assist public bodies in the preparation and publication of sustainability reports. The Carbon Trust help to support public bodies to ensure that appropriate energy saving performance and targets are included and report that implemented measures in 2011-12 have saved the public sector around 398 GWh of energy, generating annual cost savings of nearly £4.3 million.

A Public Sector Climate Action Group has been established to provide support, leadership and direction to ensure the public sector plays its part in delivering the challenging targets in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

The Scottish Government welcomes the recently published report from Consumer Focus Scotland, Reaping the Benefits of Renewables - The role of community benefit funds in tackling fuel poverty and energy efficiency, and is committed to working in partnership with them and other stakeholders to deliver best practice in the use of community benefit funds, as recommended in the report.

In addition, through both the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) and the Community Benefit Register, the Scottish Government is promoting the best use of community benefit funds, including the implementation of energy efficiency measures.

This information is not centrally held.

The Scottish Government is committed to encouraging those involved in public procurement to buy more fresh, seasonal, and quality produce, which often may be best sourced from local producers and suppliers. In line with our national food and drink policy we are working to create the conditions for sustainable procurement and for public bodies to develop improved market opportunities for small and medium enterprises.

Working in full accordance with procurement legislation we have set in motion a range of actions to support this commitment. We have created the free online Public Contracts Scotland portal where suppliers can register for email alerts for up and coming contact opportunities. With Scotland Food and Drink we have published a guide to public contracts for small and medium-sized enterprises. We have issued clear guidance for public bodies on practising sustainable procurement of food. Where public agencies adopt a strategy of unbundling contracts into smaller geographic and product lots this is opening up a new competitive opportunity for food producers and businesses.

Telecare enables the more appropriate use of face-to-face interventions as part of service redesign and, as such, there are no specific estimates in place associated with reductions in home care provision.

In March, to tie in with Scottish Tourism week, Skills Development Scotland held the Scottish Tourism Careers Festival which ran many events around the country designed to encourage young people to consider careers within the sector.

Skills Development Scotland is working with the Tourism Framework for Change Skills Group to produce a Skills Investment Plan (SIP) which is due to be launched in the summer. The SIP will identify four broad priority areas, one of which is to improve the appeal of the industry as a career option and attract new talent into the sector.

One entry route to a career in the hospitality industry is via the Modern Apprenticeship programme. In 2011-12, there were 3,520 Modern Apprenticeship starts in the hospitality sector, 1,368 of which were for young people aged 16 to 19.

My policy officials are currently reviewing the timetable in relation to the registration of groups for whom registration has not yet commenced. These groups are supervisors and support workers in both care at home services and housing support services.

We should not underestimate the scale of what is required. Work undertaken to date has highlighted several issues that must be addressed before any decision is taken.

The Scottish Executive established the Scottish Social Services Council as the regulator of the social services workforce in Scotland. As well as maintaining registers of groups of workers, the SSSC has a duty to promote high standards of education and training in the sector.

Registration of the social services workforce by the SSSC is being taken forward in a phased and clearly timetabled approach. Registration of workers in care at home services with SSSC commenced in January 2011 with managers of the services. Registration of supervisors is due to commence in 2014 followed by support workers in 2017.

Following consultation with the sector, the SSSC published the qualification requirements for workers in care at home services in February 2012. Qualification requirements are announced well in advance of commencement of registration to allow employers to strategically plan their workforce development and allow time for staff to meet the training requirements linked to registration.

Employers are responsible for the overall development, training, and continuous learning of their employees. The qualification levels required for registration reflect the differences in the type of work and responsibilities held by workers. The minimum registration qualification level for a support worker in a care at home service is SVQ level 2 and for supervisors is SVQ level 3.

We have concerns about Project Transmit’s absolute reliance on modelling that only takes into account one aspect – the cost of transmission assets – of a highly complex system.

Switching to a low carbon economy will mean savings for consumers throughout the period modelled – and beyond. The modelling in Project Transmit does not take into account the price volatility and increasing cost to consumers of our current reliance on fossil fuels, whose costs are on an upward trajectory, with no sign of slowing.

Analysis from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change shows that low carbon policies will lead to savings in the average energy bill of 7% - or £94. Details can be found at the following link:

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/aes/impacts/impacts.aspx.

Socialised charging has the advantages of being straightforward, clear and effective. Generators face a difficult financial climate, compounded by the upheaval caused by the UK Government’s electricity market reform, and such a charge would remove one element of investment uncertainty.

Renewable generation should not be discouraged by the charging regime from locating in areas of best resource; a socialised transmission charge would remove what is effectively a penalty for generating in the correct place.

A socialised charge would see even greater levels of investment in Scottish renewables, and encourage investment in the immature wave and tidal sectors, where Scotland has a competitive advantage and real potential for economic growth.