Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25147 on 21 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

In April 2022, the Scottish Government published the First National Assessment of Potential Heat Network Zones which identified and characterised potential heat network opportunities across Scotland.

This independent analysis found that up to 340,000 homes and up to 74,000 non-domestic premises may be located in areas with the potential for future heat network developments. The analysis sets out a range of characteristics that these properties have, including whether they are in rural areas which are more likely to be off the gas grid.

However, urban properties such as high-rise flats may also be off the gas grid. Due to this, and as the First National Assessment sought to identify potential areas for district heat networks operating at around 65°C, this analysis is likely to be an underestimate of the number of off-gas grid properties that may connect to a heat network in future.

The First National Assessment can be accessed at: Potential heat network zones: first national assessment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The Scottish Government is supporting local authorities to publish Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, which will provide a clearer picture of heat network opportunities across Scotland, including identifying the main heating fuels currently being used within these areas and mapping them at a strategic level.

The Scottish Government supports new woodland creation through the Forestry Grant Scheme. Planting is recorded in line with financial years. Scottish Forestry has already approved 5,715 hectares of applications to plant new woodland in the 2024-25 financial year, with an additional 6,313 hectares submitted for assessment. A further 3,225 hectares of applications have been received to create new woodland in 2025-26, 2,494 hectares in 2026-27, 2,327 hectares in 2027-28, and 1,244 hectares in 2028-29.

In the information held by the Scottish Government, teaching posts are classified into three employment types: Permanent, Temporary, and Temporary-Teacher Induction Scheme. For the purposes of this response, teachers on the Teacher Induction Scheme have been included in the Temporary category.

Teachers may be employed on a permanent contract but be categorised as Temporary if they are working in a post classified as a temporary employment type.

The following table shows the percentage of permanent and temporary full-time equivalent (FTE) teacher posts across all sectors (Primary, Secondary, Special and Centrally Employed) from 2010.

Percentage of teachers (FTE) with Permanent and Temporary posts

The purpose of our proposals, as set out in our consultation for a Heat in Buildings Bill, is to regulate greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating buildings. We focus on direct emissions to ensure responsibility for eliminating emissions is allocated to those with the ability to act (at the point of use). This approach would place a duty on the building owner to meet the Heat in Buildings Standard.

However in the consultation, we recognise that as a renewable, and potentially net zero, energy source bioenergy may represent the best option to help decarbonise some homes for which clean heating systems are not suitable. We also want to ensure that owners who have taken the proactive step of installing renewable bioenergy systems are fairly treated. This is why, in addition to permitting extra time for those currently using bioenergy to meet the clean heat element of the Standard, we are seeking views on whether a more flexible approach to the use of bioenergy under future regulations is needed. We would need to balance this flexibility with the need to protect and ensure the supply of bioenergy in other sectors of the economy that also rely on bioenergy to remove emissions.

In 2020 we commissioned Element Energy to assess the technical feasibility of Scotland's housing stock for low carbon heating. It produced a comprehensive set of housing archetypes considering characteristics such as property type, size, age, levels of insulation and existing heating fuel. The methodology used is set out in the final report, available here: Technical Feasibility of Low Carbon Heating in Domestic Buildings : Report for Scottish Government’s Directorate for Energy & Climate Change (www.gov.scot) . This assessment was made for two time periods: 2017 (assuming current housing characteristics) and 2040 (assuming properties undergo energy efficiency upgrades to achieve the equivalent of EPC C).

The underlying data was published in 2023 and is available here: Low carbon heating in domestic buildings – technical feasibility: archetype appendix - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . These data show that there are around 170,000 off-gas grid properties using high emissions fuels, of which around 40,000 are not suitable for low temperature air-source heat pumps in the 2040 scenario. The technical suitability was assessed using the criteria summarised in the publication. Note that all modelling is subject to uncertainty, particularly future projections. This includes, for example, potential improvements in heat pump technology.

The Scottish Government and its enterprise agencies understand the strategic importance of Scotland’s tech conferences in attracting talents and showcasing Scottish companies to international investors and markets. That is why we have invested almost £600k in recent years to support their continued growth and internationalisation.

Conferences will remain an important focus in 2024-25 and we are particularly keen to form new partnerships with industry to grow the quality and scale of Scotland’s offer.

The vast majority of Link Workers in general practice in Scotland are funded from the Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF). We have not prescribed a specific employment model for Community Link Workers. It is the responsibility of each Health and Social Care Partnership to decide how it invests its allocation from the PCIF to deliver all of the services set out in the Memorandum of Understanding. Many factors will be taken into consideration such as local need.

The Scottish Government supports new woodland creation through the Forestry Grant Scheme. Planting is recorded against financial years; the hectarage of new woodland creation approved for planting in the 2024-25 financial year, and each subsequent year, is shown in the following table.

The information requested regarding former prisoners who were held in custody as transgender women and have de-transitioned since being released from prison is not collected or held centrally.