Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has not received any specific representations from businesses on slow broadband service in Glasgow. However, we do recognise that some businesses across Scotland are affected by slow speeds and poor quality of service from broadband suppliers. This was highlighted during my recent meeting with CBI Scotland on 29 September 2016.

We continue to press telecoms providers, as well as Ofcom, on the need for improvements to broadband speeds and quality of service. I made this point in meetings with BT representatives on 6 September 2016 and with Sharon White, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, on 24 August 2016.

Help to Adapt provides various levels and types of support from initial advice and information about the scheme, through to specialist advice, recommendations and support leading to the installation of an adaptation. Where the homeowner is not eligible for the scheme they are given advice on alternative sources of help such as Care and Repair, Housing Options Scotland, local authority, welfare rights and various third sector organisations.

The Scottish Government has engaged closely with the higher education sector on the impact of the EU Referendum on universities in Scotland.

We have already provided reassurance through two joint statements with Universities Scotland on the tuition fee status of EU students and on EU research collaborations (published 1 and 21 July 2016 respectively).

http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Reassurance-for-EU-students-25e2.aspx

http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Research-excellence-in-Scotland-continues-2754.aspx

Scottish Ministers have met or discussed EU Referendum issues with University Principals. We will continue to discuss any issues raised by universities and students on the impact of the referendum result and how we can all ensure Scotland’s universities continue to thrive; remain attractive and enhance their competitiveness.

The university sector is also represented on the Scottish Government’s Standing Council on Europe which is chaired by the Principal of University of Glasgow, Professor Anton Muscatelli.

The information requested is not held centrally.

However, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) publish quarterly information on regional variations in payment methods for domestic energy which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/quarterly-domestic-energy-price-stastics.

As at March 2016, BEIS figures show that 20 per cent of Scottish standard electricity customers were paying through prepayment meters, compared to the GB average of 15 per cent. Similarly, 17 per cent of Scottish gas customers paid through prepayment meters, compared to a GB average of 15 per cent.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the energy efficiency of our homes making them warmer and cheaper to heat, allocating almost £650 million since 2009.

We also recognise the importance of innovative energy models in the market and last year we backed the launch of ‘Our Power’ with £2.5 million Scottish Government investment. Our funding has enabled over 30 Registered Social Landlords to come together to establish an energy supply company. We are committed to further promoting this social enterprise energy model for councils and housing associations, to help keep costs down for households.

Later this year we will convene a summit of utility companies to challenge them to do more to provide the best rates available for low income households and reduce the need for prepayment meters which result in the poorest in society paying the most for their energy.

The Scottish Government funds the Home Energy Scotland (HES) advice centres and helpline which provides free and impartial advice on energy saving to all householders. This includes information about specific energy efficiency measures, as well as checking eligibility for government schemes and programmes. Through this service we are also helping consumers to engage with the retail energy market. We recently launched a new partnership for impartial advice on energy supplier switching delivered by the social enterprise Citrus Energy. This pilot is helping HES clients who require additional help and support to explore the option of switching. HES can be contacted on 0808 808 2282 or further information can be found at: www.greenerscotland.org/warm-homes.

Switching energy tariff or supplier can provide significant savings for consumers. The Scottish Government is examining collective switching and group buying of energy to better understand the potential to increase Scottish consumer engagement in the energy market, and in particular, how to reach the most vulnerable in line with the Scottish Government’s call for a fair deal for all Scottish energy consumers.

During 2015-16 there were 1,073 new apprenticeships starts on the Engineering Framework. At the end of the March 2016 there were a total of 4,207 MAs in training on this framework.

Over the last Parliament, colleges maintained our 2011 commitment to deliver 116,000 Full-time Equivalent college places. We are continuing this commitment, focused on purposeful, job-focused learning.

Short courses leading to work or progression are still available, with the number of part-time college enrolments in Higher (HE) and Further Education (FE) remaining stable since 2012-13.

We recognise that part-time courses are often favoured by older learners and female returners: our analysis shows these groups are well represented in the college sector. In 2014-15, 27% of all learning hours were delivered to students aged 25 and over, representing an investment of over £100 million. Additionally, in the same year there were over twice the number of part-time female learners in Scotland’s colleges as there were full-time female learners.

Scottish Ministers have already taken action to increase the provision of free school meals in Scotland. Latest statistics on free school meals were published on 22 June 2016 in the Scottish Government Statistics Publication - Summary statistics for attainment, leaver destinations and healthy living, No. 6: 2016 Edition. The figures show that over 134,500 (81.7%) of primary one to three pupils across Scotland are now benefitting from a nutritious free school lunch and over 102,000 more primary school pupils took a free school meal in 2016, compared to 2014.

Young children in receipt of their entitlement to funded early learning and childcare are eligible for a free school meal where they meet the criteria; and, once relevant provisions of the Education (Scotland) Act 2106 on free school meals are commenced, children in receipt of their early learning and childcare entitlement at partner providers will also be eligible for a free school meal where they meet the criteria.

In addition, the Scottish Government has committed to extending universal free school meals to all two, three and four year olds in funded early learning and childcare as part of the expansion to 1140 hours of early learning and childcare by the end of this parliament.

The criteria to qualify for free school meals is provided for in section 53 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. A summary of the criteria can be accessed on the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/HLivi/schoolmeals/FreeSchoolMeals. Two of the qualifying criteria for free school meals are linked to the income of a parent of a pupil or of a pupil in Scotland and these particular criteria are prescribed in regulations under section 53(3)(a)(iv) of the 1980 Act (the Education (School Lunches) (Scotland) Regulations 2009).

The first qualifying criteria for free school meals linked to income is the receipt of child tax credit by a parent or pupil (and not working tax credit) where the award of child tax credit is based on an income not exceeding an amount specified by Regulations under section 7(1)(a) of the Tax Credits Act 2002 (the Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2002). These Regulations have been amended a number of times since 2007 by the regulations set out in the following table, to increase the first income threshold for the receipt of child tax credit. These changes in income threshold have resulted in changes to the income threshold qualifying criteria for a free school meal in Scotland.

The second qualifying criteria for free school meals linked to income is the receipt of child tax credit and working tax credit based on an income not exceeding an amount specified by Regulations under the Tax Credits Act 2002 (the Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2002). This qualifying criteria was introduced in Scotland in 2009. The Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2008 increased the income threshold specified in the Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2002 from £5,220 to £6,420 and that threshold remains unchanged.

The Scottish Government has allocated almost £650 million since 2009 and we will make available a further half a billion pounds over the next four years, meaning over £1 billion will have been committed by 2021 to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency.

This record investment is reflected in the big improvements in the energy efficiency of Scotland’s housing. The share of homes in the top three energy efficiency ratings has increased by 71% since 2010, and 11% in the last year (EPC Band C or better); and we now have proportionately 35% more homes with the top three EPC ratings (A-C) than England.

To improve the energy efficiency in social rented houses in Scotland, the Scottish Government launched the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) in March 2014. Achievement by the first milestone set for 2020 will mean that in the main, no social property will be lower than a ‘C’ or ‘D’ energy efficiency rating and social landlords are already making good progress. Compliance with EESSH is monitored by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) who reports that 68.6% of social housing already met the EESSH in 2015/16. A review of the operation of EESSH is scheduled to take place in 2017 and, will also allow for consideration of options for a new standard beyond 2020. We have made available £10 million in grant and loan funding over the last two years to help social landlords meet EESSH.

The Programme for Government sets out our intention alongside consultation on a new Energy Strategy to consult this winter on the regulation of private rented sector housing to increase energy efficiency standards. We will also, in due course, consult on phased regulation of other existing buildings to improve their energy efficiency as well as looking at what financial incentives may be appropriate. Further detail on the scope and timing of regulations and standards as part of the development of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme (the cornerstone of our commitment to designate Energy Efficiency as a National Infrastructure Priority) will be set out in the draft energy strategy.