Chamber and committees

We are clear that better thermal standards across the built environment will make a very significant contribution to our carbon reduction targets. We have just published a Consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland. This highlights action that is already being taken, and ideas on further ways to cut emissions and boost the economy, including what skills might be needed in the construction industry to improve the energy performance of the built environment. In addition, the Scottish Construction Centre, which is supported by Scottish Enterprise, works with construction companies to disseminate innovative best practice across the sector, including best practice in the area of carbon reduction.

As long as the justification process is solely related to the siting of new nuclear power stations south of the border, that is a matter for the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has made clear our policy of no new nuclear power stations in Scotland. It is not our policy to intervene in planning matters in England and Wales, but if there is to be a public inquiry its remit should exclude any possibility of siting new nuclear stations in Scotland.

The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, will be responsible for marketing the scheme to every household in Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) areas. This will include direct mailings to every household, as well as area-focussed marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the scheme and its benefits. HIS assessors will then visit every household, with the exception of those who have already responded to the direct mailing or the marketing campaign, making three attempts to contact each household. Through a combination of these measures, every household will be offered free energy audits and energy advice, and also be offered access to energy efficiency measures and more specialised advice as appropriate to their needs and circumstances.

Our position on new nuclear power in Scotland remains clear. We have not made representations to the UK Government in relation to calls for a public inquiry into the justification process.

Marketing of the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) is expected to begin in late September, with doorstep assessment visits starting in early November and the first measures being installed in early December. It is not possible at this stage to accurately estimate the number of households which will sign up to receive insulation measures by the end of 2009. Our planning and funding framework is based on financial years, i.e. 2009-10 for the first phase. When HIS is underway and data is collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

Our target date for completion of door-step assessments of all eligible homes under the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) is 31 March 2010 with delivery of insulation in all suitable homes where owners want it by that date, or shortly thereafter. The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, will work with delivery partners to ensure that these measures are installed to a high standard. Monitoring of the quality of the measures installed will be a feature of HIS.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27367 on 24 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27375 on 24 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Door-step assessments in Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) areas will seek to identify households vulnerable to fuel poverty to enable them to be referred to appropriate services such as provision of benefit advice, social tariff checks and insulation measures. Information on the number of households identified as vulnerable to fuel poverty and those referred to, and subsequently receiving services will be available when HIS is underway and data is collected for monitoring purposes. The evaluation process for HIS will then be able to use this information to assess the impact of the scheme on fuel poverty.