Question reference: S6W-05803
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 20 January 2022
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Current status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 1 February 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, ahead of the publication of its Heat in Buildings Strategy, whether it (a) consulted any bodies, organisations or individuals representing rural and remote communities and (b) surveyed, or consulted by other means, rural householders.
Answer
We consulted on a draft of the Heat in Buildings Strategy in February 2021. 178 individuals and organisations responded. This consultation asked for views on the impact of the strategy on island and other remote communities. We have published the analysis of the consultation alongside the Strategy.
Alongside the consultation, we organised a series of 7 consultation workshops, including one on Place, one on Communities and one on Islands. These were open to all interested participants, aiming to communicate the vision and actions planned as part of the Strategy and collect feedback.
The consultation events were attended by 156 individuals in total, and included representatives of organisations, community groups, housing associations and local authorities located in rural and island areas of Scotland.
We have also published an Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) drawing on the engagement and responses generated from the Draft Heat in Buildings Strategy consultation. Officials also met with islands representatives from Highlands and Islands Enterprise during the initial stages of the ICIA. Where possible negative impacts on island communities were identified, relevant mitigating actions were outlined. The ICIA also noted multiple positive impacts heat decarbonisation will bring to islands communities.