Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 770 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-22656

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to creating a funding scheme to assist with ongoing maintenance costs of renewable heating solutions installed under the current government capital support schemes for (a) housing associations, (b) private homeowners and (c) landlords.

The purpose of the current capital support schemes is to offer applicants funding to support the installation of energy efficiency measures and zero emissions heating.

We recognise that our supply chains will have to grow substantially to meet the future demand for both installation and maintenance. 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.

Question reference: S6W-22661

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the suitability of (a) whole-house renewable heating systems and (b) other renewable solutions for retrofitting on existing housing stock, and how many existing homes it estimates there currently are that are not suitable for retrofitting these systems.

On behalf of the Scottish Government, Element Energy conducted analysis of the technical suitability of low-carbon heating technologies in Scottish domestic buildings. A copy of this report is available here: Scottish Government (2020). Technical Feasibility of Low Carbon Heating in Domestic Buildings, www.gov.scot/publications/technical-feasibility-low-carbon-heating-domestic-buildings-report-scottish-governments-directorate-energy-climate-change/ .

We have recently published research by ClimateXchange that considers options for a methodology to assess the suitability of whole-building heating systems and we are currently undertaking work to develop options for such a methodology for further consideration.

We will consult during 2023 on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill to phase out polluting heating systems in Scotland’s homes and buildings and move to clean heating systems. Any regulations introduced will be technology-neutral since different homes and buildings will require different clean heat solutions (including heat pumps, heat networks and direct electric heating systems).

Question reference: S6W-22670

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) further information on the demographics of the 1,900 funding offers through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme since its launch in August 2023 and (b) a breakdown by (i) the age of applicants, (ii) the median household income of applicants and (iii) local authority area.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme was launched in December 2022. The figures provided show the number of heat pump funding offers issued between this launch date and the end of August 2023.

The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme is available to all domestic owner occupied households in Scotland, therefore data on household income and age of applicants are not collected during the application process. In the following table, the data requested has therefore been supplied for local authority area only.

Local Authority Area	Heat Pump Funding Offers
Aberdeen City	32
Aberdeenshire	144
Angus	62
Argyll and Bute	218
City of Edinburgh	132
Clackmannanshire	8
Dumfries and Galloway	71
Dundee City	21
East Ayrshire	25
East Dunbartonshire	33
East Lothian	45
East Renfrewshire	25
Falkirk	21
Fife	104
Glasgow City	36
Highland	237
Inverclyde	7
Midlothian	31
Moray	68
Na h-Eileanan Siar	37
North Ayrshire	28
North Lanarkshire	38
Orkney Islands	48
Perth and Kinross	93
Renfrewshire	26
Scottish Borders	80
Shetland Islands	34
South Ayrshire	40
South Lanarkshire	75
Stirling	45
West Dunbartonshire	7
West Lothian	52
TOTAL	1923

Question reference: S6W-22672

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported statements from industry that current funding for energy efficiency retrofit projects needs to be more flexible and distributed from fewer sources.

Question reference: S6W-22662

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Building, which reportedly found that 39% of respondents had not heard about Home Energy Scotland schemes.

Question reference: S6W-22644

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21208 by Patrick Harvie on 26 September 2023, what the (a) smallest, (b) median and (c) largest (i) grant and (ii) loan issued under the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme was in the period from September 2022 to date, broken down by (A) local authority area, (B) household income and (C) council tax band.

The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme is available to all domestic owner occupied households in Scotland, therefore data on household income and council tax band are not collected during the application process. In the following table, the data requested has therefore been supplied for local authority area only.

Funding issued through the scheme often comprises a combination of loan and grant funding.

	Grants Issued (£)			Loans Issued (£)
Local Authority Area	Smallest	Median	Largest	Smallest	Median	Largest
Aberdeen City	400	4,200	12,525	600	6,118	17,754
Aberdeenshire	100	6,688	13,889	70	9,257	18,000
Angus	400	7,500	19,000	499	7,759	18,541
Argyll and Bute	40	4,697	12,000	90	2,500	19,080
City of Edinburgh	234	4,000	11,500	319	8,000	23,861
Clackmannanshire	307	4,200	10,000	375	9,250	16,000
Dumfries and Galloway	300	7,500	23,000	440	6,204	20,537
Dundee City	400	6,000	10,000	520	7,682	16,300
East Ayrshire	400	4,600	11,500	500	8,845	14,780
East Dunbartonshire	269	3,000	11,362	180	5,820	17,000
East Lothian	400	5,276	17,500	500	9,075	18,696
East Renfrewshire	270	4,200	14,748	505	6,338	18,693
Falkirk	378	4,200	9,000	390	10,000	15,293
Fife	173	4,200	11,500	248	9,590	21,186
Glasgow City	136	1,477	16,500	360	4,005	20,181
Highland	300	7,500	17,832	367	5,796	26,358
Inverclyde	400	3,900	7,701	375	6,490	12,150
Midlothian	400	5,500	10,847	281	10,000	17,000
Moray	400	7,500	20,600	1,250	7,499	22,000
Na h-Eileanan Siar	345	7,500	9,000	895	2,500	13,798
North Ayrshire	750	4,200	11,500	1,406	6,000	15,847
North Lanarkshire	190	4,200	14,025	500	9,800	17,000
Orkney Islands	400	7,500	11,097	1,250	2,560	12,000
Perth and Kinross	91	6,524	11,958	547	8,500	20,100
Renfrewshire	257	3,977	13,000	308	7,050	17,000
Scottish Borders	370	7,500	12,080	644	7,350	24,870
Shetland Islands	2,233	6,788	16,500	1,250	2,500	13,206
South Ayrshire	400	7,100	10,388	361	7,012	17,000
South Lanarkshire	269	4,200	11,790	308	7,500	17,345
Stirling	400	6,600	20,000	254	7,500	17,000
West Dunbartonshire	400	4,000	8,280	500	7,500	14,099
West Lothian	139	6,900	17,500	103	9,973	19,500

Question reference: S6W-22650

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of registered energy efficiency businesses in Scotland, and how many qualify as SMEs, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-22659

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for homes seeking to install renewable heating systems, but for which current renewable solutions are technically unsuitable for retrofitting on their current heating system in a way that can provide both heating and hot water, in a whole-house heating system.

Our Heat in Buildings Strategy recognises that some properties may have fewer technology options available as a result of location and property type, impact on the fabric of historic buildings and electricity grid capacity.

The cost of converting to a clean heating system is likely to vary according to property type, size and condition. We therefore have a broad range of delivery programmes to provide advice and financial support for householders related to energy efficiency and clean heating.

The Scottish Government funds Home Energy Scotland (HES), administered by Energy Saving Trust, to provide free and impartial advice on energy efficiency, renewable heating and fuel poverty support in Scotland. Within HES there are specialist renewables advisors with training on home renewables systems, home energy efficiency; and solutions for hard to treat and historic buildings. These specialists provide an in-depth service to Scottish homeowners, which can include on-site assessments.

Our Warmer Homes Scotland programme takes a bespoke, whole house approach to support those at risk of fuel poverty through installing insulation and heating measures. A retrofit assessment in accordance with PAS 2035 quality standards is prepared for each home and only where renewables or zero direct emissions heating are technically appropriate, and would not increase running costs, will we offer those to the householder. A wide range of measures is available under the programme and where renewables are not appropriate then the assessor will recommend a suitable package of insulation and/or other heating options.

We will consult before the end of the year on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. Any regulations introduced will be technology-neutral since different homes and buildings will require different clean heat solutions (including heat pumps, heat networks and direct electric heating systems).

Question reference: S6W-22660

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether regular maintenance and servicing are included as terms in the contracts for the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme.

Funding agreements issued for the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme are between applicants and Energy Savings Trust, who administer the scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government. Funding provided is for the installation of approved measures only.

As a consumer led scheme, the applicant sources the installer and enters into a contract with that organisation. Similarly, any contracts for maintenance and servicing would be for the applicant to arrange.

Question reference: S6W-22664

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of ensuring that the fabric of homes is repaired prior to completing insultation works.

The Scottish Government remains committed to its fabric first approach, set out in our Heat in Buildings Strategy, which prioritises improving the energy efficiency of Scotland’s homes. This is critical to the heat transition, reducing demand for energy, and making homes warmer and easier to heat. However, ensuring that the fabric of a home is in good condition, and adequately repaired if required, prior to completing insulation works is important.