Chamber and committees

Scotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) and the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) has to date provided over £62 million to support the roll out of several heat networks across Scotland. The SHNF also offers funding to specifically support the extension of heat networks. All projects are encouraged to use our funding to establish heat networks that are futureproofed and have capacity for expansion. SHNF is currently supporting the extension of the Torry Heat Network. Phase 1 of the project received grant funding from the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) and will complete this year. Phase 2 will see the network increase its connections by 587 homes and various non-domestic buildings. In addition, West Dunbartonshire Council also received LCITP grant support to deliver the Queen’s Quay heat network which has been constructed with the intention to extend to further buildings in the area.

Although projects funded through LCITP and SHNF have the potential for expansion, many projects are currently in the early stages of multi-year construction programmes and any future expansion is dependent on the heat network owners.

We are also resourcing all local authorities to produce Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, and these identify many heat network opportunities across Scotland. This is the vital first step in the expansion of heat networks, and we will work with our partners in local government to undertake further economic analysis to provide a clear pipeline of commercial heat network projects.

The Scottish Government aims to publish our new palliative and end of life care strategy for consultation in spring 2024.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS does not record this information.

Data covering the period 2020-23 is available via the published National Statistics on the Scottish Prison Population.

Over this period, under 18s were held on remand in the following establishments: HMP YOI Cornton Vale, HMP YOI Grampian, HMP YOI Polmont, HMP YOI Stirling, HMP Edinburgh and HMP Inverness.

Section 20 of the 1989 Act permits SPS to hold young offenders (YOs) in a prison whilst arrangements are made to transfer them to a young offenders institution (YOI). A direction made under section 20A(2) of the 1989 Act may also allow a prisoner under 18 years to be detained in a prison but only for a “temporary purpose?. There is no definition of “temporary purpose? in the 1989 Act but an example would be for a young person to attend court.

The following table provides the number of individuals spending any time in each establishment or group of establishments in the course of each year covered by the National Statistics.

Data covering the period 2020-23 is available via the published National Statistics on the Scottish Prison Population.

Data covering the period 2020-23 is available via the published National Statistics on the Scottish Prison Population.

Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS does not record this information.

Our 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy set out that several technologies – including heat networks – can play a part to 2030 and beyond in reducing and removing greenhouse gas emissions from our homes and non-domestic buildings. The Heat Networks (Scotland) Act, 2021 sets targets for the amount of heating and cooling to be supplied by heat networks, requiring that this reaches 2.6 Terawatt hours (TWh) by 2027, 6 TWh by 2030 and 7 TWh by 2035. These figures represent approximately 3%, 8% and 9% respectively, of current non-electrical heat consumption in Scotland. How big a role heat networks will have, beyond the heat networks targets in the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act, 2021, will depend on a number of factors including location and viability relative to other zero emission solutions.

Heat networks, specifically district heat networks (or multi-building heat networks), are generally anchored around large heat using buildings – often non-domestic buildings, which account for a significant portion of the heat supplied. As such it is anticipated that the number of homes connecting to achieve the 2027, 2030 and 2035 targets will vary depending on the proportion of connections to non-domestic buildings. Once heat networks are established, with time, the proportion of heat supplied to homes may increase as more homes are connected.

A number of indicative scenarios have been modelled to allow better visualisation of what the statutory targets could mean. These used the data produced in the first national assessment of potential heat network zones. These scenarios show a wide variety in the number of homes connected. The Heat Networks Delivery Plan also set out the number of average gas using homes that is equivalent to 2.6TWh and 6 TWh of heat supplied. The figures of average gas using homes are purely illustrative and are not an expectation of the number of homes that might connect to meet the targets. The modelling outputs for 2027 and 2030 can be viewed in Tables 1 and 2 of the Heat Networks Delivery Plan, published March 2022, available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/heat-networks-delivery-plan/ . The modelling outputs for 2035 can be viewed in Table 3 of Consultation on a 2035 heat network target, published in December 2022, available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/2035-heat-networks-target-government-response/ .

As of 19 December 2023 three local authorities have published final Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES):

• Glasgow City Council
• Fife Council
• West Lothian Council

An additional ten local authorities have published draft LHEES for consultation:

• City of Edinburgh Council
• Clackmannanshire Council
• Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar
• East Lothian Council
• Falkirk Council
• Highland Council
• North Ayrshire Council
• North Lanarkshire Council
• Perth and Kinross Council
• Stirling Council

The Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (Scotland) Order 2022 places a duty on local authorities to publish their first LHEES Strategies and Delivery Plans on or before 31 December 2023. It is for the local authorities to determine how they will discharge this duty, and whilst we are aware that some local authorities may not publish LHEES by the end of 2023, all of them are working hard to put in place long term local strategies that will set out how each segment of the building stock needs to change to reach net zero.

To support local authorities to develop and publish their LHEES, the Scottish Government published guidance in October 2022, setting out what is required in the production and content of Strategies and Delivery Plans. This was accompanied by long term funding for each local authority of £75,000 per year, committed until 2027/28. The Scottish Government is working closely with local authorities, facilitating regular forums and learning events to share knowledge and address key challenges as they develop their first LHEES. In addition, Zero Waste Scotland are providing a series of capacity building workshops and one-to-one support sessions to upskill local authority officers.

The Heat Networks (Supply Targets) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 came into force on 24 November 2023, setting a target for the combined supply of thermal energy by heat networks in Scotland to reach at least 7 terawatt hours of output by 2035.