Chamber and committees

The purpose of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) is to rate the energy efficiency and environmental impact of a particular dwelling and recommend cost effective ways to improve the energy performance of that dwelling. They are a labelling system to allow prospective buyers and tenants to compare the energy efficiency of different properties.

Fuel poverty levels are based on the ratio of household income required to heat a dwelling to a standard heating regime. A ratio above 10% means that a household is considered to be fuel poor. EPCs do not provide the energy costs nor the income level of the household resident in the dwelling and so cannot be used to measure fuel poverty.

Indicative targets set for the Energy Savings Trust were to achieve 75,000 individual contacts for the Energy Assistance Package in 2009-10. Targets for the number of households were not specified.

Energy Saving Trust (EST) has developed and is managing a campaign to raise awareness of the Energy Assistance Package (EAP) among fuel poor households and their influencers. Since April 2009 a number of initiatives have been underway such as direct mailings, health centre promotions, PR, print advertising and radio. An integrated campaign based on customer insight will be launched in September and will go out via television advertising, partnerships and direct mail. Information about the package is also available online at www.energyassistancepackage.com and has been sent to all MSPs.

Sufficient resources are in place to meet the call volumes anticipated under the Energy Assistance Package with the Energy Saving Trust having recruited and trained many new advisors to work on the Package. One of the strengths of delivering EAP through the EST advice network is the availability of trained advisors who can handle the wide variety of energy advice calls to the network; this arrangement provides flexibility at times of high demand. Reflecting this combination of investment and flexibility the advice network has responded successfully to recent direct mail activity which resulted in a doubling of call volumes to the 0800 number for the package.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26896 on 10 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The changes which have been made to the eligibility criteria for student bursaries and loans since May 2007 can be found at the following link.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Funding-Support-Grants/FFL/PMB/Completed.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26904 on 9 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26904 on 9 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26904 on 9 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

A roundtable discussion took place on the 14 April 2009 in St Andrews House, where ministers discussed with third sector leaders how the sector is responding to the downturn, its longer term resilience, and how to ensure the maximum alignment between government, the third sector, local authorities and other public bodies, in both weathering the downturn and making the most of the emerging opportunities.

Scottish ministers considered carefully the issues emerging from the roundtable discussion, and have agreed a set of actions to take forward the key issues. (The agreed set of actions can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/15300/ProposedActions).

The Scottish Government is currently developing with it''s third sector partners a Resilience Fund for third sector organisations providing front line services that have been affected by the recession, through either seeing an increased demand for their services or experiencing cash flow difficulties.

Funding of £1.6 million to £1.7 million will be available and it is intended would be targeted at third sector organisations who can clearly demonstrate, and describe, how a shock caused by the recession has led to increased demand or significantly undermined their services.

An announcement about the parameters for the fund will be made soon.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26904 on 9 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.