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.

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Question reference: S6O-01087

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to improving data gathering and data management across government as part of the development of policies relating to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6W-08149

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to provide training opportunities to existing heating engineers to gain the qualifications required to install and/or maintain heat pumps.

There are a number of current initiatives funded by Scottish Government aimed at providing support to industry to upskill their workforce and gain the necessary qualifications to effectively install/ maintain low carbon heating systems.

Current initiatives include the National Transition Training Fund (NTTF); The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF); and, the Heat Pump Skills Grant and MCS Certification Fund.

NTTF was established as a reactive response to Covid-19’s immediate impact on the labour market. The fund offers industry-recognised qualifications and training in growing employment sectors. Individuals can apply direct for training opportunities, while employers are encouraged to apply on behalf of their team. We have provided over £1.3m through the NTTF for energy efficiency and zero emissions heating retrofit skills. This includes a Low Carbon Learning Programme delivered by the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre which provides free training access for tradespeople to increase their skills in retrofit and Passivehaus construction methods, as well as funding through the Energy Skills Partnership to support heat pump training in Scottish Colleges.

FWDF is available to employers to address priority skills gaps in their organisation. The fund provides funding to UK Apprenticeship Levy-payers and SMEs in Scotland which they can use to access flexible workforce development training opportunities. Training programmes can be delivered in partnership with their local college, The Open University in Scotland or an independent training provider.

The Heat Pump Skills Grant and MCS Certification Fund is offered to assist Scottish SMEs installing heat pumps in achieving MCS certification for the first time. This funding is for installers who are not currently MCS certified for heat pumps and who want to become MCS certified for any heat pump technology (air, water, or ground source).

Question reference: S6W-08147

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to rapidly increase the number of engineers that are qualified to maintain heat pumps.

A broad range of different skills are needed to support the heat in buildings transition, however we are aware that the installer skills for zero emissions heating and energy efficiency represent the largest gap.

Unlocking investment in the supply chain must start with clear demand for its products and services. Our investment of at least £1.8 billion, as outlined in the Heat in Buildings Strategy, will strengthen demand and support an increase in jobs and skilled workers.

We have provided over £1.3m through our National Transition Training Fund for energy efficiency and zero emissions heating retrofit skills. This includes a Low Carbon Learning Programme delivered by the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre which provides free training access for tradespeople to increase their skills in retrofit and Passivehaus construction methods, as well as funding through the Energy Skills Partnership to support heat pump training in Scottish Colleges.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund provides employers with access to a range of heat and energy efficiency courses and is open both to UK Apprenticeship Levy paying employers and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland.

We have invested in heat pump training equipment for Scottish colleges with new capacity for training provision due to come online later this year.

Finally, Scottish Government officials and Skills Development Scotland are collaborating with the industry under the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan to define new pathways, and work is underway to develop new, targeted financial support for skills development in this sector.

Question reference: S6W-08145

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement the recommendations contained in the Final Report of the Heat Pump Sector Deal Expert Advisory Group.

Question reference: S6W-08146

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the reportedly relatively low number of qualified heat pump engineers on the average maintenance costs for a heat pump, compared to a conventional gas heating system where a greater number of qualified engineers can deliver greater competition in the market.

It is vital that the supply chain for the installation and maintenance of zero emission heating systems is equipped with the necessary skills and qualifications to provide a high quality and responsive service to consumers. We estimate that the supply of skills is largely balanced at existing levels of heat pump demand, but will need to grow substantially to match the pace and scale of the heat transition.

We have partnered with Skills Development Scotland to undertake a ‘Heat in Buildings Workforce Assessment Project’ which will help us better understand the timing of workforce growth and how best to support people transitioning into key sectors, including low carbon heating. This work is at an advanced stage and we will publish the findings in due course.

We have committed to publishing our Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Delivery Plan later this year which will detail actions and public support to aid workforce growth through a combination of reskilling, upskilling and youth employment.

Question reference: S6W-08148

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given any consideration to offering funding for maintenance and aftercare of heat pumps through the Warmworks programme to offset the potential for higher costs due to the reported scarcity of qualified engineers.

All boiler and heating systems, including Air Source Heat Pumps installed under Warmer Homes Scotland are guaranteed for a 2 year period. Warmworks, the Managing Agent for the scheme provide a one year maintenance warranty with the installer and this runs from the date of the installation for 12 months. Once this 12 month period is up, there is a further 12 month warranty with the boiler/heating system manufacturer. This means the boiler/heating system is covered for a full 2 years from the date of installation.

At the end of this 2 year warranty period all Warmer Homes Scotland customers become responsible for the maintenance of their boilers and heating systems together with any associated costs.

Question reference: S6F-01063

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the return of disability sport in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-01025

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support people who are experiencing poor mental health as a result of long COVID.

Question reference: S6W-07878

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its seafood strategy.

Question reference: S6O-01008

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to support the food and drink supply chain in order to increase the percentage of Scottish products in the food and drink that it is responsible for supplying to local authorities, NHS boards and other public bodies.