Chamber and committees

As stated in response to S6W-19919, S6W-19920 and S6W-19921 on 9 August 2023, the estimated cost of decarbonising Scotland’s buildings is
‎ £33 billion. While universities are autonomous institutions, with responsibility for their own estate, provision and maintenance, we will work in partnership with universities and wider stakeholders to fully understand the costs associated with transitioning to zero direct emission heating systems across different sectors.

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

As stated in response to S6W-19919, S6W-19920, S6W-19921 and S6W-19922 on 9 August 2023, the 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy estimates the cost of decarbonising Scotland’s buildings at £33 billion. We will work in partnership with the wider public sector to fully understand the costs associated with transitioning to zero direct emission heating systems across the public estate.

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

The Scottish Government accepted the recommendations in the 2022 Planning for Skills Report and have taken action to improve our assurance and oversight of skills planning, including through the actions taken as part of the Shared Outcomes Framework (published in March 2022). The Scottish Government also published the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) in March 2022, which includes analysis and actions to develop Scotland’s Skilled Workforce.

In Autumn 2022, the Scottish Government initiated the independent review of the Skills Delivery Landscape, led by James Withers, to provide recommendations on how the skills functions of our public bodies, including skills planning, should change to ensure the system remains fit for purpose for delivering the ambitions in NSET.

In his final report, published in June 2023, James Withers recommends that the Scottish Government takes responsibility for national skills planning. Following that report, in its Initial Priorities paper, published on 28 June 2023 alongside the Purpose and Principles for post-school education, research and skills, the Scottish Government accepted the basis of many recommendations made by James Withers including taking responsibility for national skills planning and enhancing the role of employers in shaping system planning priorities, pathways and provision.

We will be working over the coming months, with partners, to explore the practicalities of implementing these priorities including our approach to developing new national and regional skills planning processes.

The Scottish Government will provide general advice to support homeowners, but it cannot provide legal advice and it cannot become involved in disputes between parties.

All registered property factors must adhere to the conditions set out in the statutory Code of Conduct (the Code) which sets minimum standards of practice. The Scottish Government prepared a revised Code in August 2021, which was designed to be clearer, to drive up standards, and to help homeowners to understand what they should reasonably expect from their property factor and how to hold them to account.

A homeowner who is dissatisfied with their property factor should make a complaint to their property factor. If the issue remains unresolved, the complaint can be taken to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) which can issue a legally binding property factor enforcement order, if appropriate. There is no fee to make an application to the Tribunal.

The Code highlights that homeowners have a choice in who they appoint and, ultimately, they can change their property factor if they remain dissatisfied with the service they are receiving.

We remain committed to bringing forward housing legislation to deliver the new deal for tenants and homelessness prevention duties. The majority of the measures being considered for inclusion in the legislation have already been subject to consultation, and we continue to engage directly with stakeholders as more detailed work progresses.

The Government’s legislative programme for the coming parliamentary year will be announced in the autumn Programme for Government in the normal way.

Specifically on the regulatory regime for property factors, the Code of Conduct (the Code) is key to encouraging transparency and setting minimum standards of practice for registered property factors to comply with. Following a full public consultation, a revised Code was introduced in August 2021. The changes ensured that the Code remains up to date and responds to concerns raised by homeowners.

The Scottish Government revised the Code of Conduct for Property Factors in August 2021 to make it clearer, to drive up standards and to improve transparency and consistency.

There is evidence that the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 is working as intended. However. officials will be taking a wider look at the operation of the property factor sector to see what more can be done to promote an ongoing improvement in standards in line with the requirements currently set out in legislation.

As noted in the response on 28 March 2023 to the Chair of the Just Transition Commission from the then Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work, the Supply Chain Development Programme (SCDP) seeks to maximise the economic benefit from Scotland’s annual public sector procurement (£14.5 billion in FY 20/21). It works alongside portfolio policy teams and focusses on the manufacturing opportunities that will arise in the Net Zero transition.

Its current priorities remain as set out in the letter:

• Increasing Scottish manufacturing of heat pumps and other low carbon heating;
• Maximising Scottish manufactured components in new green and blue Hydrogen supply infrastructure and the products and vehicles that will use it; and
• Increasing value-added from Scottish timber in (largely offsite) construction.

The SCDP has not set specific job creation targets for these priorities. Its purpose is to make sure that procurement opportunities are made visible to Scottish supply chains, including manufacturers in Scotland with the skills, capacity and capability to bid for, win and deliver contracts.

Fair Work continues to be a key focus for the Scottish Government in delivering sustainable and inclusive economic growth and the SCDP operates within the context of Scotland’s existing sustainable public procurement legislation. The Scottish Government’s approach to sustainable public procurement is encapsulated in national legislation which includes a sustainable duty on contracting authorities to consider in their procurements, access for SMEs, Third Sector and Supported Businesses; delivery of economic, social and environmental impact; and promoting innovation. Legislation also includes explicit requirements on public bodies to consider how they can use procurement to drive wider community benefits including jobs and training. The legislation is underpinned by national policy and tools to encourage procurement to make the best use of public money.

The consultation on the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan closed on 9 May and we received a very high level of responses. We will shortly publish all consultation responses on the Scottish Government’s Citizen Space website (according to the preferences stated by respondents in their Respondent Information Form).

The judicial review was brought against Circularity Scotland, which is a private, non-profit entity, created by industry to act as the scheme administrator for DRS. The Scottish Government was not involved in the proceedings.

The court has found that CSL wrongly applied one aspect of the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 in setting the reasonable handling fee for retailers operating return points. The court did not find that the DRS Regulations are unlawful, nor did it find that the Scottish Government acted unlawfully in setting up DRS or in making the DRS Regulations. The Scottish Government will consider the decision in this case as well as any implications for the Deposit Return Scheme as we work towards launch of the scheme in October 2025 at the earliest.

This is a matter for individual private and public organisations as the Scottish Government is not part of any public-private partnerships directly developing heat networks in Scotland. Other public bodies may be part of public-private heat network delivery partnerships but this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Therefore, the Scottish Government is not in a position to answer this question accurately.