Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021, committed to establishing a Green Heat Finance Taskforce by the end of 2021. The purpose of the Taskforce is to develop a portfolio of innovative financial solutions involving the private, public and third sectors for building owners in Scotland to ensure that by 2045, our homes and buildings no longer contribute to climate change, as part of the wider just transition to net zero.

The Taskforce will forge a new partnership approach between the Scottish public sector, heat decarbonisation experts and the financial sector to explore potential new and value for money innovative financing mechanisms for individual and community level investment in zero emissions heat. The Taskforce has a crucial role in shaping how the transition to zero emissions heat in Scotland’s buildings is financed, therefore the membership of the Taskforce will be drawn from expertise including green finance, the heat and energy efficiency sector and consumer groups. Further details of the composition of the Taskforce will be provided by the end of 2021.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a requirement for evacuation alert systems to be installed in new buildings between 11 and 18 metres in height. See answer to S6W-04133 on 19 November 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 .

On 1 October 2019, the Scottish Government introduced evacuation alert systems in new high rise domestic buildings with a floor over 18m. The government also published Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing High Rise Domestic Buildings. The guidance promotes using a risk based approach to determine the fire safety measures required. Therefore, upgrading existing high rise domestic buildings with evacuation alert systems may be implemented where the level of fire risk is justified, taking into account the time, cost and disruption to building occupants involved.

We are not aware of any recommendation from the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 1 report relating to evacuation alert systems to be installed in new and existing high rise buildings over 11 metres in height.

The data about the efficacy of the Hawick flood defences is not held by the Scottish Government. The scheme is being taken forward and constructed by Scottish Borders Council and they will be able to provide the relevant data.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03854 on 19 November 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

The care experience survey programme, of which the Cancer Patient Experience Survey is part of, is due to be under review shortly to allow for the context of COVID-19.

The Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey is run in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support and is designed to be comparable with Cancer Patient Experience Surveys run in England and Wales. A change in methodology, such as altering the sampling frame, surveying people at different stages of treatment or surveying the relatives of those who have passed away, would result in survey results that are not comparable to the English & Welsh survey results. Such a change would require extensive consultation with stakeholders.

In order to capture the experience of patients with a less survivable cancer we are using tools such as Care Opinion and working with our third sector partners to collate best available evidence.

We will keep the scope of our certification scheme under review to ensure it remains necessary, proportionate, and targeted in order to continue helping to drive vaccination rates up as high as possible; and providing an additional layer of protection over the winter months as we seek to achieve the difficult task of keeping COVID under control while keeping our economy fully open.

Our decisions are taken, and reviewed on the latest data and clinical evidence. Our review process includes consideration of the impact assessments, such as the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment .

Our certification scheme is limited to activities that are a higher risk and is an alternative to the potential closure of higher risk venues. We have made clear that certification will never be a requirement for access to public services.

The Scottish Government continues to encourage all businesses, including hospitality businesses, to encourage their customers to use the Check-In Scotland and Test and Protect systems. This activity includes engagement with businesses and sector organisations by officials and Ministers, the ongoing revision of supporting guidance and communications campaigns on the importance of the Test and Protect system in reducing transmission of Covid-19. The Scottish Government is thankful to the large majority of hospitality businesses who are using the Check-In Scotland scheme and to the very large numbers of people who are regularly ‘checking in.’

The Scottish Government is not currently undertaking research into aquaponics, however, we are very supportive of technological innovations and we are aware of recent aquaponics developments in Scotland.

We continue to monitor and assess the pandemic closely and carefully. The Scottish Government develops a range of epidemic scenarios to provide the best public health advice to Ministers. These are presented in the Modelling the Epidemic report published by Scottish Government. These models consider a range of influences on the epidemic, of which COP26 is one. The Scottish Government will continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the NHS in the next few weeks in terms of estimated number of infections, hospital bed demand, and ICU bed demand. The scenarios within the Modelling the Epidemic report account for the start of the COP26 conference beginning in Glasgow on 31 October.

Based on current results, we do not have any concerns about COVID rates among Blue Zone passholders. As of 13 November, the cumulative test positivity for Blue Zone passholders, based on lateral flow tests, was 0.08%.

The Scottish Government continues to explore all options for how it will respond to the evolving pandemic and we will not hesitate to strengthen the protective measures in place if it proves necessary to do so. Given the uncertainty and risk we face as winter progresses, it would not be responsible to rule anything out at this stage.

Our Health and Social Care Winter Overview published in October outlines a package of over £300 million of investment in NHS and care services this winter to help address these pressures. This is shaped by our four key principles: maximising capacity; supporting staff wellbeing; supporting effective system flow, and improving outcomes.