Chamber and committees

The Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) is an independent body that provides 25 year guarantees for cavity wall insulation (CWI) fitted by registered installers across the UK. It is one of a number of agencies offering guarantees for cavity wall insulation which are listed by Ofgem as 'appropriate guarantees' for the purpose of assessing carbon savings notified by suppliers. Both UK and Scottish Government-sponsored schemes require an Ofgem-listed guarantee to be in place for wall measures. Guarantee schemes each have their own arrangements for inspections and quality control.

Installers of CWI (and individuals/organisations carrying out assessments recommending it) receiving financial support through ECO and/or Scottish Government schemes must be certified to PAS 2030 standards – the Publicly Available Specification for energy efficiency standards published by the British Standards Institute. The standard specifies how businesses should operate, the processes they must go through for each installation they do, how they should engage with and manage their customers, and how problems, risks and issues are dealt with. It also provides measure-specific requirements (including the necessary competencies/qualifications) for each individual type of measure. Responsibility for monitoring compliance with PAS 2030 sits with a number of bodies accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and registered on the Green Deal Orb. A new version of PAS 2030 has recently been published (PAS 2030: 2017 Edition 1) and from 1 June 2017, measures must be installed in accordance with this new version.

As part of the development of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP), and in the light of the conclusions and recommendations of the UK Government’s recent report, Each Home Counts: Review of Consumer Advice, Protection, Standards and Enforcement for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Scottish Government will be assessing the situation with respect to consumer protection and quality of energy efficiency installations, in Scotland. If further regulation or improved inspection/enforcement arrangements are identified as being required, they will be developed and implemented in partnership with a range of industry and consumer bodies and consulted on, before being brought before parliament.

The Scottish Government offers a range of schemes to support people who have difficulty paying their fuel bills or keeping their home warm.

These schemes help to increase the take-up of home energy efficiency measures and reduce fuel poverty. As far as the effectiveness of individual installations of cavity wall insulation is concerned, Scottish Government and UK energy efficiency programmes each have their own arrangements in place for inspection and quality monitoring, which vary from scheme to scheme.

The Energy Saving Trust manages a number of these schemes for the Scottish Government. It also offers advice on the amount householders can save, on fuel bills and CO2, by making energy efficiency improvements, including installing cavity wall insulation. These saving figures are either calculated using models or are based upon evidence from field trials of products.

If a householder has concerns about the technical quality or effectiveness of cavity wall insulation installed in their home, they should in the first instance contact their installer. If they are unable to resolve the matter, or are unable to identify the installer, or the installer has gone into liquidation, they should contact Home Energy Scotland for advice. Where a guarantee is in place the next step would normally be for the guarantee agency to arrange for an independent inspection.

Householders who are considering energy efficiency improvements are encouraged to contact Home Energy Scotland, who can offer free, impartial advice on how they can save money and make their home warmer.

SDS is committed to improving the success of individuals with dyslexia as set out in out in their five year MA Equality Action Plan, published in December of 2015.

Skills Development Scotland recognise the additional supports, including in the workplace that are required to optimise success for people with learning difficulties. Contracted training providers are supported in accessing various funding routes relating to access programmes such as the ASN Discretionary Fund that allows tailored support measures to be put in place for those with learning difficulties as well as support in accessing Access to Work Funds. Further information and advice can be found on SDS’ diversity pages on Our Skillsforce. SDS also has an employer’s equality toolkit.

SDS offers care sector employers and other employers support to recruit Modern Apprentices and tailor their workplace appropriately. To further optimise their chances of success there is Structural Funding available to recruit MAs with learning difficulties. For example, SDS work through their employer engagement routes including the regional Developing Young Workforce groups to encourage apprenticeship recruitment through the Scottish Employer Recruitment incentive and ensure they are supported in helping MA employees to apply for Access to work funding where required.

The rules governing the use of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals remain largely reserved to the UK Government. The Scotland Act 2016 includes only a limited power that would allow Scottish Ministers to set the maximum number of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in new betting shops only.

We have taken action using Scottish Planning legislation. Provisions that came into effect in February take into account concerns over the number and clustering of betting shops. Anyone intending to change the use of premises to a betting shop is now likely to have to apply to their local planning authority for permission.

The eligibility criteria for a Blue Badge do not focus on whether an individual has a particular kind of medical condition. Instead, the criteria are designed to assess the impact on a person’s mobility. For this reason, the information you request is not gathered as part of handling a blue badge application and is therefore not known.

Blue Badges are issued to individual disabled people or (at the discretion of the local authority) organisations that transport people entitled to a Badge in their own right. They are not issued to family members or carers of disabled people.

There have been no discussions with the care sector regarding this topic.

A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People, our Disability Delivery Plan to 2021, published in December 2016, sets out our ambitions and commitments to supporting disabled people - including those with dyslexia and other learning difficulties and disabilities - into sustained employment.

Skills Development Scotland is also committed to improving the success of individuals with dyslexia as set out in in their five year Modern Apprenticeship Equality Action Plan, published in December of 2015.

The Scottish Government as a matter of routine exchanges information and best practice on the blue badge scheme with UK Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive colleagues. Each Administration has its own guidance because the scheme is fully devolved to each administration and there are differences in the guidance because of differences in applicable legislation.

Guidance on the operation of the Blue Badge scheme in Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish Government. Changes to legislation or guidance can be made without the need for discussions with other Administrations; however, in practice we do take pains to have such discussions to test out ideas and exchange views.

The information requested is not held centrally.

SDS is committed to improving the success of individuals with dyslexia as set out in out in their five year MA Equality Action Plan, published in December of 2015.

SDS are doing this through a number of channels designed to minimise structural barriers, both real or perceived, to enable people with learning difficulties to be successful in being recruited onto an MA and also optimising their chances of success in achieving their qualification. This includes partners representing learning disabilities and is formalised in the Equality Advisory Group.

SDS has launched a targeted marketing campaign which encourages young people and their key influencers (including parents) of the potential MA opportunities for people with learning difficulties. There are also tailored employability routes, designed with regional partners which prepare young people with learning difficulties for MA opportunities.

Following my announcement in December 2016 of enhanced MA contribution rates for those with disabilities or experience of care up to the age of 29, SDS have now rolled out these enhanced funding contributions for all MA frameworks the enhanced funding rate recognises the longer journey into the workplace that people with learning difficulties may have.

Skills Development Scotland recognise the additional supports, including in the workplace that are required to optimise success for people with learning difficulties. Contracted training providers are supported in accessing various funding routes relating to access programmes such as the ASN Discretionary Fund that allows tailored support measures to be put in place for those with learning difficulties as well as support in accessing Access to Work Funds.

Skills Development Scotland has built into its contracting and quality assurance reviewing processes a requirement for MA providers to demonstrate how they are taking positive action and developing their own understanding of how to support disabled MAs, including those with learning difficulties.

To further support employers who recruit Modern Apprentices to recruit and tailor their workplace to optimise their chances of success there is Structural Funding to recruit MAs with learning difficulties. For example, SDS work through their employer engagement routes including the regional Developing Young Workforce groups to encourage apprenticeship recruitment through the Scottish Employer Recruitment incentive and ensure they are supported in helping MA employees to apply for Access to work funding where required.