Chamber and committees

There is no limitation on the property size that could qualify for support to install measures via the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme.

The information requested is not collated by Energy Savings Trust, who administer the scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) training procedures are an operational matter for the service to consider. SFRS consults both internal and external subject matter experts to ensure that all latest technologies, developments, lessons learned, and health and safety events are captured to ensure firefighter and public safety.

I should firstly say that the Scottish Government do not have a specific policy on the provision of Minor Injury Units in communities. It is for local health boards and integrated joint boards to get the best combination of local and specialist services that meets the needs of their population in line with the National Clinical Strategy.

There is currently a Minor Injury Unit (MIU) in south Aberdeenshire at Jubilee Hospital in Huntly. The minor injury units at Aboyne Hospital and Kincardine Community Hospital in Stonehaven were paused in December 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Board report demand for the minor injury service from these two units was low and with the increase in the complexity and demands on community hospital in-patient wards, NHS Grampian are prioritising services that have the greatest demand to provide the best treatment and care for local communities.

NHS Grampian have confirmed that all services are subject to regular monitoring and that data is used to evidence that the care provided makes effective use of resources. For the future of minor injury service provision at Aboyne and Stonehaven, there are ongoing plans to progress this in combination with Community Treatment and Care Services (CTAC). This model would involve an appointment system rather than a drop-in service. It is worth noting that minor injury services are also available at the majority of the local GP practices.

As a consumer led scheme, the choice of material for insulation measures funded through the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme is the sole choice of the applicant, and therefore some may choose to install spray foam.

During the advice and application process, applicants interested in spray foam are made aware of the RICS guidance on spray foam and encouraged to discuss any proposed works with their mortgage company and/or insurer before proceeding. If you are installing solid wall, underfloor, flat roof or room-in-roof insulation through the scheme then you have to use a TrustMark or Green Deal accredited installer.

Warmer Homes Scotland and the Area Based Schemes funded by the Scottish Government do not support spray foam insulation in lofts. In some circumstances spray foam insulation may be offered for underfloor insulation. Where local authorities are delivering these measures, they are asked to undertake additional monitoring and ensure that work is delivered in line with best practice guidelines as published by the UK Government The link can be found here: Retrofit Floor Insulation – Suspended Timber Floors: Guide to Best Practice (publishing.service.gov.uk) .

The information requested on how many registered (qualified) physiotherapists there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence

Energy Savings Trust (EST) have not reported to the Scottish Government any instance of a computer virus affecting the online application portal for Heat in Buildings Grant and Loan Schemes since the portal was introduced in December 2023. EST met the technical award criteria for cyber security requirements when the current contract was procured in 2023. In addition, their subcontractor who administers the online portal and their cloud service provider both hold Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 certifications, which include anti-virus measures.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) undertakes Training for Operational Competence on Lithium-ION batteries as a standalone training module and has an electricity module which includes battery storage unit sites. SFRS consults both internal and external subject matter experts to ensure that all latest technologies, developments, lessons learned, and health and safety events are captured to ensure firefighter and public safety.

The provision of court transcripts to those involved in the case, other than a person convicted at the trial, is governed by Section 94(2)(b) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 which allows for, on payment of the relevant costs, and subject to the Transcripts of Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Order 1993, the Clerk of Justiciary to direct that a transcript be made and sent to the person who requested it. A cost is therefore incurred whenever a transcript is prepared, and in common with other parts of the UK, unless in specific circumstances, those costs currently require to be met by the requester as opposed to the wider public finances.

That having been said, we have listened to campaigners and survivors on a number of concerns that have been raised about the financial challenges associated with the access to transcripts for rape and sexual offences complainers.

From 1 March 2024, the Scottish Government will be in the first in the UK to launch a pilot which will allow complainers in High Court cases involving charges of rape or sexual assault to have free access to transcripts of their court cases.

The pilot will improve our understanding of the reasons why applications are being made in these particular cases. This will include understanding the potential volume of applications and the extent to which cost has been a barrier for applying previously.

The pilot and associated evaluation process will help inform future policy and operational development, including how the criteria for accessing free transcripts may develop, the potential implications on the public finances, and whether there is a need for a change to existing legislation.

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service outsource the provision of Audio Transcription Services and the provider offers a number of turnaround service levels depending on urgency of the requirement. The standard service used costs £91.23 per hour or £1.52 per minute of audio, plus VAT, and has a turnaround time of 15 days. The figure of £129.29 per hour is for a turnaround of 24 hours and would therefore only be used where a transcript is required urgently.