Chamber and committees

The contents of discussions of the Scottish Cabinet are not routinely disclosed. Ministers are briefed at the highest level on civil contingency matters including nuclear.

Nuclear security is a reserved matter. The Department for Energy and Climate Change works closely with the home office to ensure that security at all UK civil nuclear sites, and for civil nuclear material in transit, remains robust and effective. A threat assessment is prepared for the civil nuclear industry on the basis of intelligence, and security measures which the independent regulator requires to be in place in the industry reflect this.

Robust emergency response arrangements are in place, and the Scottish Government works closely with the UK Government, office for nuclear regulation, industry and responder organisations on these.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00298 on 14 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

We have spent £85.6 million (excluding VAT) with our main IT delivery partner.

We have also spent approximately £15.5 million (excluding VAT) on other external contractors to support the programme through the Scottish Government procurement framework.

The Scottish Government is currently considering what next steps would be most helpful in terms of any potential wider issues arising from the recent Edinburgh school closures, taking into account the City of Edinburgh Council’s plans to undertake a review over the coming months.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00171 on 3 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Fines from the EU can take the form of late payment penalties or disallowance for inaccurate calculations.

Our focus continues to remain 100 per cent on getting payments out to farmers and crofters ahead of the EU’s deadline of 30 June 2016.

On the topic of disallowance for inaccurate payments or inadequate controls, all the decisions that have been taken in the CAP Futures programme, for example on prioritisation, use of contingency arrangements, have been based around minimising the risk of disallowance.

The Scottish Government remains committed to taking forward consultation on proposals for minimum energy efficiency standards during this parliamentary session.

The setting of standards is one of the key elements of the ongoing development of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme. The Scottish Government is considering the appropriate timing for consultation within that context.

Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme, the cornerstone of the national infrastructure priority, is in its development phase and is building on our existing energy efficiency and heat generation programmes. In January 2016 we made available up to £14 million to councils to support pilot projects to test different and more integrated approaches to energy efficiency. As well as supporting programme development these projects will deliver actual energy efficiency improvements to homes and non-domestic premises, helping tackle fuel poverty and reduce emissions. We expect awards to be made later in June 2016.

Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme will play a central role in reducing energy demand in the built environment. It will form an important component of the Scottish Government’s forthcoming energy strategy, as well as the development of the Third Report on Proposals and Policies (RPP3) which will set out how the climate change annual targets up to 2032 will be met.

We are listening to a wide range of stakeholders as we develop Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme, the new energy strategy, and RPP3. An initial stakeholder event took place in December 2015. We have also set up the short life Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group and the Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force. Both groups will report their findings by end of 2016 and their recommendations will provide important inputs to the programme’s development.

Development of the third report on proposals and policies is underway. Our approach builds on existing evidence, including research, analysis and experience of how emissions reduction measures have worked in practice, and advice from the independent Committee on Climate Change.

To support consideration of proposals and policies, the Scottish Government commissioned an energy modelling system (TIMES) which provides insight into future technologies and is being used to build scenarios for achieving Scotland’s climate change targets.

We will also be engaging with the public to understand their feelings and thoughts about climate change, through the use of climate change conversations.