Chamber and committees

The following response sets out the funding information for solar PV/energy storage systems not installed with a renewable heating or energy efficiency measure across the Scottish Government’s heat in buildings schemes for domestic properties.

Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme

The following table sets out the amount of funding through the HES Grant and Loan Scheme (formerly HES Loan and Cashback Scheme) for solar PV/energy storage systems where not installed with a certified renewable heating or energy efficiency measure. These figures include instances where solar PV/energy storage systems have been installed alongside an existing renewable heating system.

The original design for Scotland’s Census 2022 included the use of administrative data from across the Scottish public sector to quality assure the outputs produced from the census data.

Following the collect phase, and working closely with a group of international census experts, National Records of Scotland (NRS) have adapted their statistical methods to deliver estimates which represent 100% of Scotland’s population. This includes the increased use of administrative data alongside the Census Coverage Survey to help estimate how many people did not respond to the census.

In June 2023, NRS published a paper outlining the methodology enhancements to secure high quality census outputs and population estimates .

The Scottish Government routinely publishes the latest data and information on the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland, including the number of people who have disembarked welcome accommodation on the MS Victoria since it became operational on 26 July 2022.

By 5 June, 1,215 guests had disembarked M/S Victoria since 26 July 2022. The contract for M/S Victoria ended on 11 July 2023, with the MS Victoria being successfully disembarked by 4 July 2023.

See Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics - June 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) for full details and notes.

Work to collate and improve operational data on disembarkation destinations from MS Victoria including breakdowns by local authority and property type is ongoing with a view to publishing these data as experiential statistics in due course, in line with guidance from the Office for Statistics Regulation.

The requested figures for the estimated energy generation of standalone solar PV measures supported by Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme (formerly HES Loan and Cashback Scheme) are set out in the following table. Figures show the estimated energy generation of measures installed that year only, they are not cumulative.

The Scottish Government is committed to a just transition to net zero, which means working with people, businesses and communities across Scotland to ensure they can access support and advice, and that the costs and benefits of the transition are spread fairly.

Our Public Engagement Strategy for Climate Change sets out our vision: for all of Scotland to understand the challenges we face and embrace their role in our transition to a net zero and climate ready Scotland. Our people-centred approach to climate change policy, moves from encouraging incremental changes in attitudes and behaviours, to supporting a society-wide transformation.

Of particular relevance to SMEs, this year we will publish our new Heat in Buildings Public Engagement Strategy setting out how we will work with a range of partners and wider trusted messengers to increase awareness and understanding of Scotland’s net zero ambitions and associated heat decarbonisation targets with the public and organisations alike. This will include explaining what these changes will mean for property owners on the ground, and how they can access existing advice and support.

The Scottish Government currently funds a substantial service for SMEs to receive advice on reducing their energy costs, installing energy efficiency and renewable heating measures through Business Energy Scotland. In October, we increased the funding available in the SME Loan scheme where SMEs can now apply for a £20,000 cashback grant for energy efficiency measures up to 75% of the cost of the installation.

Administrative data is being used for two purposes in Scotland’s Census 2022: quality assurance and statistical estimation. For Scotland’s Census 2011, administrative data was used solely for quality assurance.

For Scotland’s Census 2011, 12 administrative data sources were used to quality assure census population estimates. More information can be found in the following publication: Overview of Administrative Comparator Data Used in 2011 Census Quality Assurance .

The original design for Scotland’s Census 2022 included the use of 25 administrative data sources from across the Scottish public sector to quality assure census outputs.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) have adapted the original design by extending the use of administrative data and evolving their statistical estimation methodology. In June 2023, NRS published a paper outlining these enhancements.

Guided by the census International Steering Group (ISG), NRS performed a review of UK data sources to identify which would be most appropriate to meet the specific needs of Scotland’s Census 2022.

The ISG identified both essential and desirable administrative data sources. All 6 administrative data sources deemed as essential by ISG were obtained and are being used in the statistical estimation. NRS is also using 2 desirable sources.

Scottish Government do not provide direct funding to STV as they are an advertiser funded broadcaster.

We do however provide funding to Screen Scotland who have themselves provided funding to STV Studios. STV Studios is separate to the broadcasting element of STV and is the television production arm of the STV Group plc. They work with a range of broadcasters and streamers, not only STV. All funding decisions of Screen Scotland are made independently of Scottish Government.

In addition, all Scottish Government media buying and planning is undertaken via agencies appointed through the Media Planning, Buying and Associated Services 2019 to 2023 framework. Therefore, this is not conducted directly with STV.

1. Diversion is a process by which prosecutors are able to refer a case to social work or other identified agency as a means of addressing the underlying causes of offending when this is deemed the most appropriate course of action.

2. Such intervention can be particularly effective in cases of children’s offending, changing the direction of young lives for the better and is consistent with the obligations on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

3. I have ordered a review of how prosecutors deal with diversion from prosecution in cases of serious sexual offences such as rape. The review is timely in ensuring we are continuing to consider the rights of both accused and complainers particularly where they are children.

4. COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis, and the information within it is structured accordingly.

5. Due to the way that decisions on diversions are recorded on this database, in order to provide an accurate response to the question regarding rape cases, a manual check of the relevant cases has been undertaken.

6. Based on the results of those manual checks, the following table has been compiled. It includes numbers of cases in which the accused was offered diversion and following that offer, the diversion was considered completed, or is still considered ongoing.

7. The overall numbers of cases containing an allegation of rape (which have not been checked) are provided as a point of comparison.

There are different types of affordable housing programmes and schemes in Scotland and across the UK, and statistics on stock levels for each of these different types are not readily available. Information is published on social sector housing stock levels across each of the countries.

The following table sets out information on the number of social rented dwellings compared to population figures, based on the latest available comparable year of data for 2020 from UK housing stock tables published by the Office for National Statistics.

This shows that the 608,000 social sector dwellings in Scotland in 2020 equates to 1,112 dwellings per 10,000 population, higher than the equivalent per head of population figures of 729 in England and 726 in Wales in the same year.

Rediscover the Joy was set up in 2019 with the creation of the Shetland Hub, this was followed by the creation of the NHS Highland Hub in 2021-22.

GPs are recruited directly into the hubs and they assist with matching GPs to vacant posts. There are currently 7 health boards signed up to the project. NHS Shetland, NHS Tayside, NHS Highland, NHS Western Isles, NHS Grampian, NHS Orkney and NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

The number of GPs recruited to the hubs since 2019 are: