- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken regarding any impact of its proposal for buyers to install clean heating systems if their property does not already have one on the ability of buyers to secure a mortgage.
Answer
This proposal is contained within the current public consultation Delivering net zero for Scotland's buildings - Heat in Buildings Bill: consultation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . A draft business and regulatory impact assessment has been published to support this consultation Heat in Buildings Bill consultation: business and regulatory impact assessment (partial) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
This draft impact assessment and a range of other relevant impact assessments will be developed and then finalised based on the outcome of the consultation. Further development of proposals will then occur and will be the subject of detailed final impact assessments.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to energy efficiency SMEs to (a) identify and (b) apply for support to upskill or re-skill their current workforce.
Answer
Information on public sector support available to businesses in Scotland can be found on FindBusinessSupport.gov.scot.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what funding currently exists for energy efficiency SMEs to upskill or re-skill their current workforce.
Answer
Information on public sector support available to businesses in Scotland can be found on FindBusinessSupport.gov.scot.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to developing a regulatory framework with compulsory qualification requirements in low-carbon heating technologies for installers.
Answer
We have worked with industry to define a set of recommended minimum skill sets and qualifications which is published as part of the Installer Skills Matrix .
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to developing specific training within colleges and universities to develop skills in the delivery of heat networks.
Answer
Colleges and universities are responsible for setting their own provision based on regional and national demand, however Energy Skills Partnership, the college sector agency in Scotland for energy transition, zero carbon transport, engineering, construction and STEM, lead a low carbon heat training network across Scotland’s colleges to share best practice.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing compensation to heat pump installer companies to cover lost income while staff participate in training programmes.
Answer
Our Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan sets out practical steps that we will take to support the growth of the green heat sector. We continue to work in partnership with the sector to ensure that the appropriate support and training provision are aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reviewing the effectiveness of current funding allocations for energy efficiency and low-carbon heating courses.
Answer
Our Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan sets out practical steps that we will take to support the growth of the green heat sector. We continue to work in partnership with the sector to ensure that the appropriate support and training provision are aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider publishing the research, Scottish Supply Chain Opportunities in the Low Carbon Heat Sector, which was carried out by Delta-EE for Scottish Enterprise in 2020.
Answer
The report was commissioned by Scottish Enterprise as internal analysis to inform policy development. As such, this will not be published externally.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a list of public procurement projects within the low-carbon heating and energy efficiency sectors that it anticipates undertaking in the next (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years.
Answer
The information requested is not available. The Scottish Government does not currently plan to directly procure any specific low-carbon heating or energy efficiency projects on behalf of the sector over the time periods specified. Scottish public authorities can access funding and project development support for clean heating and energy efficiency proposals through our Non-Domestic Public Sector Energy Efficiency Framework and Project Support Unit. This framework is designed to provide value for money and a standardised approach for public bodies undertaking improvements to their estate.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of rural homes it anticipates have the potential to access district heating networks under the current proposals within its consultation on a Heat in Buildings Bill.
Answer
The First National Assessment of Potential Heat Network Zones (2022) found that up to 340,000 homes may be located in areas suitable for heat networks in future. This included over 11,000 homes in rural areas, and more information can be found in the First National Assessment here: First National Assessment of Potential Heat Network Zones (www.gov.scot)
Local authorities finalising their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES), which will identify heat network opportunities across Scotland.