Chamber and committees

The building regulations in Scotland require that the materials used must be durable, and fit for their intended purpose. The regulations and supporting guidance also restrict the use of highly combustible materials depending on where the products are used in the building. More detailed information is provided in the Technical Handbooks available on the Scottish Government website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.gov.scot/policies/building-standards/monitoring-improving-building-regulations/ .

Construction products regulation is a matter reserved to the UK Government. Insulation products are generally tested and certified to relevant British and / or harmonised European tests, including being tested for reaction to fire properties.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have published ‘Spray foam insulation: a clear, impartial guide’, to inform surveyors and building owners on application and risks when used in existing buildings. The guide is available on the RICS website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.rics.org/news-insights/rics-release-new-spray-foam-consumer-guide.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. It is publicly available from Public Health Scotland on the incidence publication page for blood cancers: Leukaemias, Hodgkin lymphoma, Non-hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

Scottish Government is committed to improving health and tackling inequalities, working together with partners to ensure that inclusion strategies strengthen efforts to reach those at higher risk or from under-served communities.

The national flu Programme and Health Boards continue to recognise and support the needs of minority ethnic communities in planning and delivering the programme. Support includes translated resources in a wide range of languages, outreach clinics in community venues and collaborative working with the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) mobile vaccination units to reach those who experience barriers to uptake.

The Scottish Government has published a Financial Memorandum for the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill which includes information on the range of costs linked to the assessment and remediation of buildings in scope of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Financial Memorandum accessible (parliament.scot) We are working with Homes for Scotland and developers to identify their buildings within scope of the Programme.

The Scottish Government intends to consult on the policy design of a devolved Building Safety Levy once an agreement has been reached with the UK Government on the transfer of legislative competence.

In line with our New Deal for Business and Framework for Tax, we will work collaboratively with those operating in the residential development sector and other stakeholders to ensure that the design and delivery of the Levy is informed by the widest possible range of views.

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance (DFM) has written to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and other UK Government Ministers to formally request the devolution of the requisite power under section 80B of the Scotland Act 1998 (“Power to add new devolved taxes”).

We remain in discussion with the UK Government on the process and timelines through which powers can be devolved. The DFM will provide an update to Parliament once agreement on these matters has been reached.

The Programme for Government 2023-24 committed to the implementation of an infrastructure levy by spring 2026. Preliminary work to inform the preparation of regulations under Part 5 of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 will commence later this financial year. Formal stakeholder engagement and discussions have not yet taken place.

The Scottish Government will set out options for calculation of a devolved Building Safety Levy as part of the consultation on the policy design of the Levy. The consultation process will commence once an agreement has been reached with the UK Government on the transfer of legislative competence.

The Scottish Government’s Home Report Review is expected later in the current parliamentary term. The review will take account of the recommendations outlined in the five-year review published in 2015 and be informed by work on wider housing considerations including Housing Standards.

Since being established in the winter of 2020 as part of the wider Winter Support Fund, the Scottish Government has made available a total of £48.47 million to date, to our third sector partners to deliver the Fuel Insecurity Fund. We have agreed a flexible approach to the delivery of support which ensures the Fund can be distributed quickly to those households who are at risk of self-rationing or self-disconnecting their energy use.

The Scottish Government does not hold the breakdown by local authority area, of individual fuel vouchers or household support payments made through our partners.

Our Fund partners work with their network of Scotland-wide referral partners to carefully assess eligible households for crisis support based on their individual circumstances and actual need.