Chamber and committees

The information requested is available, for 2005-06 only, in annex 1 of the report Use of Antisocial Behaviour Orders in Scotland, which was laid in the Parliament on 20 September 2007 (Bib. number 43671).

The information requested at (a) is not held centrally, while that requested at (b) is available, up to end of March 2008, on our website at www.antisocialbehaviourscotland.com.

The information requested, up to March 2006, can be found in the report Use of Antisocial Behaviour Orders in Scotland, laid before Parliament on 20 September 2007 (Bib. number 43671).

Statistics on the number of antisocial behaviour orders granted between April 2006 and March 2008, by local authority area, can be found on our website at www.antisocialbehaviourscotland.com (the information on the number applied for during this period is not held centrally).

The information requested, up to end of March 2008, is available on our website at www.antisocialbehaviourscotland.com.

A building standards advisory committee working party is presently reviewing the energy standards in building regulations. The intention is to consult on any proposed changes in 2009, with a view to introducing revisions in 2010.

The Scottish Government is currently participating in the latest phase of the Carbon Management Programme, which will identify the most appropriate low carbon technologies that can be introduced to reduce carbon emissions relative to our building operations. This work will inform our future plans in the core buildings of the Scottish Government estate. Information in respect of non-departmental public bodies, agencies and other associated bodies is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government believes that an increase in local energy generation can help us achieve our energy and climate change targets and provide benefits for communities.

We will shortly consult on a draft framework for the development and deployment of renewable energy in Scotland. This will seek views on how to promote distributed energy systems, which includes the more efficient generation of both electricity and heat at the household and community scale using renewables and other low carbon energy sources.

In the area of building standards, we are taking forward recommendations from the Sullivan Report for research to find ways to encourage low carbon local energy centres.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the provision of locally-based energy generated in Scotland.

We have tripled funding support for community and microgeneration projects for the next three years.

In June we launched an £18.8 million Climate Challenge Fund with the aim of supporting communities across Scotland to take action to reduce emissions. Communities are already coming forward under this scheme to seek support for feasibility studies and capacity building activity to support renewable energy projects.

Later this year we will seek views on how to increase locally-based energy generation as part of our draft framework for the development and deployment of renewable energy in Scotland. That document will set out a wide range of proposals, including, a draft action plan for renewable heat, and measures to support locally-based community renewable projects. We will also issue an action plan on energy efficiency and microgeneration in the near future.

The Scottish Government supports a range of measures to encourage homeowners to improve home installation to help energy conservation:

We recently launched the Energy Saving Scotland advice network, which is a one stop shop for advice on a range of sustainable energy issues including energy efficiency, renewables and personal transport. Advisers engage with customers on a long term basis and provide advice and support with home installation.

We will launch a new home-help service in the Autumn, which will offer more intensive and tailored face to face support to ensure households get even better advice and find home installation solutions that are right for them. 

We are establishing a Scottish steering group in partnership with the energy supply companies to help maximise funding and activity to Scotland through the carbon emissions reduction target. This could be worth at least £80 million each year for home energy efficiency improvements and savings of £62 million each year in household fuel bills.

We will be introducing the Home Report in December 2008 to raise awareness of energy efficiency at the point of house sale. All house purchasers will receive a comprehensive energy report on the energy efficiency of a property before they bid as part of the Home Report. This energy report will be attached to an up to date energy performance certificate and will provide information on energy usage and costs, carbon dioxide emissions, recommendations for improvements and sources of advice and support.

We are committing £45 million each year over the next three years to continue to help tackle fuel poverty. We have already made thousands of Scottish homes warmer and more affordable to heat by installing energy efficiency measures through our fuel poverty programmes, the Warm Deal and central heating programme.

In addition, the Scottish Government will be launching a consultation on further measures to improve the energy performance of existing homes later in the year.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving energy efficiency and increasing microgeneration in Scotland''s homes. We have tripled funding for community and microgeneration allocating up to £13.5 million each year over the next three years.

Our domestic grants programme already supports solar thermal and, in June, we widened the programme to include solar photovoltaics.

To help householders install solar panels and other microgeneration and energy saving equipment, we will be launching a new home help service in the Autumn. This service will offer one to one support to help people make the right decisions when considering installing any microgeneration technology, and assist them from the initial planning stages through to post installation support.