Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government provides support for energy efficiency measures and zero emissions heating in Scotland’s homes and businesses, including for traditional and heritage buildings. Home Energy Scotland (HES) is funded by the Scottish Government to offer free, impartial, bespoke information and advice on the installation of energy efficiency and renewables measures, and to act as a gateway to all our domestic energy efficiency funding schemes. For businesses, the Scottish Government offer free, impartial advice and support to Scottish SMEs through the Energy Efficiency Business Support Service, delivered by Zero Waste Scotland. Through this service, businesses can access the SME loan scheme which provides funding support for energy efficiency measures and zero emissions heating installations.

In order to meet our net zero ambitions, we will continue to invest in our advice services to increase their reach and support. We recognise that improving the energy efficiency of traditional and heritage buildings in Scotland may require a bespoke approach and we will work with stakeholders, such as Historic Environment Scotland, to understand the future support necessary to upgrade these buildings.

We are working with operators to monitor the impact on service levels and changes in vacancy levels. My officials are also in regular contact with the Department for Transport regarding issues about delays to licence applications and driver testing, which have affected recruitment and training.

In addition, officials across the Scottish Government are working with the bus sector to facilitate solutions to workforce issues through the Labour and Skills Shortages Action Plan, and connecting Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) who are aware of opportunities in their areas with bus service operators (through the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)).

Examples of good practice are being shared across the network of both LEPs and members of CPT to encourage more local level collaboration that matches the needs in each area. For example, all LEPs have been made aware of the successful recruitment fairs run for McGills/Xplore Dundee by Dundee LEP.

The Scottish Government funds Energy Saving Trust (EST) to deliver the EST E-bike Grant Fund. Grants provided to local authorities since 2018 are presented in the following table:

Transport Scotland has undertaken to evaluate the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme following the first full year of operation. The evaluation will assess the short, medium and long term impact of the scheme by comparing conditions at different stages.

Baseline data collection is under way, including an online survey with children, young people and parents, secondary data collection, and assessment of travel behaviour, attitudes and perceptions of travel prior to the scheme’s starting on 31 January 2022.

During the first year of operation, short term outcomes such as uptake of entitlement and travel behaviour will be evaluated. This will be followed by a more thorough evaluation following the first full year of operation which will assess medium and long term outcomes such as changing travel behaviour and improving access to education, training and employment.

Further evaluations are planned to take place periodically to ensure that the scheme is meeting its stated objectives and offers public value.

We are working with owners and representatives to fund the Single Building Assessments in the pilot phase. All £97.1m received in consequentials will be spent on assessments and cladding remediation over the lifetime of the programme.

Whilst currently closed to new applications, Places for Everyone continues to fund over 250 projects as they progress through stages of development. Officials have met regularly with Sustrans to ensure these existing projects maintain momentum, and also plan for new projects. Sustrans has confirmed that they will re-open for new applications by Summer 2022.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05094 on 5 January 2022. 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 Scottish Government has commissioned National Services Division (NSD) to undertake a programme of activity to assist in identifying the capacity needs of NHS Boards and staff in delivering safe, effective and person-centred support for people with long COVID.

As part of this activity, a Short Life Working Group on managing the long-term effects of COVID-19 was set up. The Short Life Working Group identified the need to establish a Strategic Network to support the delivery of the policy framework outlined in ‘Scotland’s Long COVID Service’, which includes exploring how a care co-ordination model might be able to enhance the way in which primary, community and secondary care services work together in order to meet the needs of people living with complex needs as a result of long COVID.

The Strategic Network will then support experts, clinicians and lived experience and will have a key role in identifying and ensuring that the £10m long COVID Support Fund is targeted at areas where this additional resource is most needed and can make the biggest impact.

Identifying and ensuring that the £10m long COVID Support Fund is targeted at areas where this additional resource is most needed will make the biggest impact for those people with long COVID. That is why a Strategic Network is being set up to support the delivery of the policy framework outlined in ‘Scotland’s Long COVID Service’.

Transport Scotland has produced extensive guidance on travelling safely for all forms of transport since the start of the pandemic and this is available via the following web links (for operators and passengers respectively).

https://www.transport.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/guidance-for-transport-operators/

https://www.transport.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/advice-on-how-to-travel-safely/

Transport Scotland has also worked closely with operators across all modes to help reinforce the messaging to transport users and staff.

Enforcement of the law remains the responsibility of Police Scotland and the British Transport Police. Officers can issue a fixed penalty notice to anyone 18 or over if they have reason to believe an offence has been committed. Throughout the pandemic, Police Scotland officers have continued to use the “4Es” approach (to engage, explain, encourage and only enforce as a last resort to protect public health).