Chamber and committees

Although there is no fixed definition of what a hard to treat home is, we estimate that the average cost of upgrading an off-gas grid property with an initial EPC rating between Band E and Band G to an EPC Band C could be in the region of £17,000.

As set out in our draft Heat in Buildings Strategy, the cost for an individual dwelling can differ from this average depending on the building type, materials, existing levels of energy efficiency and type of heating systems being replaced.

On the 22 December 2020, the Scottish Government published research that assessed the suitability of low carbon heating technologies in residential buildings in Scotland. It found that , of the 507,000 homes off the gas network, around 105,000 would require a low carbon heating technology other than a heat pump.

Table 1: Number of homes located away from the gas grid, not suitable for heat pump technologies,

We are currently analysing responses to the consultation. We will publish the final Heat in Buildings Strategy in due course, which will include our response to the consultation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01651 on
‎ 18 August 2021. 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

As the operator, CalMac Ferries Ltd will determine how to deploy or cascade vessels during any period of disruption to maintain lifeline ferry services across the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) network.

Since 2014, there has been a 45% increase in household plastic waste recycling. Plastic recycling rose to 57,379 tonnes in 2019, which is the most recent data available, continuing the trend of increasing each year for the last eight years. While we don’t have a detailed breakdown of the impact, the measures outlined below will have made a positive contribution.

The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 set requirements for the separate collection of key materials and prohibit separately collected material going to incineration or landfill.

In 2015, Scottish Government launched the Scottish Household Recycling Charter, supported by a Code of practice. This aims to bring more consistency to household recycling services, which deliver local and national benefits and encourage high levels of citizen participation in waste prevention, recycling and reuse.

The Scottish Material Brokerage Service was introduced in 2015 to deliver collaborative contracts for waste and recyclable materials from local authorities and other public bodies of sufficient scale to help local authorities and public bodies achieve a better deal, and reduce risk from price volatility. It supports the business conditions for investment in domestic reprocessing in Scotland by providing certainty in the volume and duration of supply of valuable materials.

Additionally, the statutory Code of Practice for Materials Recovery Facilities introduced a sampling procedure to improve transparency on material quality in the supply chain and to improve the quality of materials arriving for sorting.

A feasibility study has not been carried out on building a new plastic recycling plant. As part of the assessment identified in the answer to S6W-00674, Zero Waste Scotland have commissioned work to better understand and forecast the volumes of materials, including plastics, collected for recycling. Once this work has been finalised, we will consider the next steps.

In the meantime, we will continue to work with local authorities and Circularity Scotland Ltd, as scheme administrator of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme, to explore options that could unlock investment in plastics reprocessing, such as pooling recyclate and longer contractual periods.

Any remuneration paid to Professor Iain Docherty in relation to the production of his Scotland’s Railway after the pandemic report is a matter between Mr Docherty and Abellio ScotRail.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to the decarbonisation of its vehicle fleet, including vehicles used in the Government Car Service.

The 2019/20 Programme for Government outlined our commitment to phase out the need for all petrol or diesel cars in the public sector fleet by 2025 and for all other new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. Investment in ultra-low emitting and electric vehicles is necessary to meet that commitment.

Prior to procuring any replacement vehicles, evaluations and trials are conducted to identify potential future options for fleet replacement. This approach identifies vehicles that are fit for purpose, meet current and expected future business requirements and ensure that the Scottish Government continues to honour its commitment to decarbonisation.

At the time they were purchased, Tesla Model 3s had been identified as the most suitable fully electric vehicle capable of meeting operational needs. The Scottish Government will continue to investigate available options before purchasing any further vehicles for its vehicle fleet.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01690 on
‎ 16 August 2021. 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