Chamber and committees

The regulation of consumer protection is reserved to the UK Government therefore the Scottish Government cannot take all the action it would like to do in this area. However, we recognise the importance of consumers being confident that any work carried out is done to a high standard.

On the matter of advice, we encourage anyone considering energy efficiency upgrades to seek expert advice from trusted sources, such as the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland service. We also fund support for consumers who have such concerns in the form of a Scotland-specific consumer advice service that provides clear, practical advice on all consumer issues, including scams prevention. Anyone seeking this kind of help should contact Advice Direct Scotland at https://consumeradvice.scot/ and also on 0808 164 6000.

Using installers such as TrustMark registered businesses is a requirement of accessing Scottish Government funding for energy efficiency work. By adopting these standards for our own schemes we hope to encourage a greater level of skills and competence in the industry more generally and foster a more secure sector that householders can be confident in regardless of how their work is funded.

The UK Government’s role extends to the ability to legislate in ways that can provide increasing protection for consumers against scams of all kinds, and which it would be expected to review in the face or emergence of specific instances or patterns which require a distinct or additional approach.

The outline business case is currently being considered by Ministers. The re-profiling of budget from 2023-24 will not impact on the timelines for delivery, with the first vessel still expected to enter service in 2026. The total capital cost of the programme, as per the outline business case, includes upgrades for the provision of shore power.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Duty holders are expected to deliver a safe environment for all users of non-domestic buildings including care homes. The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 requires that duty holders carry out a fire safety risk assessment of relevant premises to identify any risks to the safety of persons caused by fire, including the risk posed by combustible cladding.

The Scottish Government has produced guidance for those who have responsibility under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 for ensuring fire safety in care homes in Scotland: Fire safety - existing care homes: practical guidance - gov.scot ( www.gov.scot )

Under Section 29 of the Scottish National Investment Bank Act 2020, the Scottish Ministers must establish and maintain an advisory group to provide Ministers with advice on the Bank’s objects, conduct and performance.

Now that the Bank is fully established, and has a growing portfolio of investments, work is underway to advise ministers on the establishment of the advisory group.

Details such as membership, appointment processes and meeting frequency remain under consideration. We hope to provide an update on this work in the coming months.

Specialist support will be provided from relevant officials within the Legal, Financial and Subsidy Control teams as and when required to complete the necessary due diligence on a potential “Teckal” direct award.

Scottish Government are not required to discuss the current contract for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service with representatives of the UK Government as transport is a devolved matter.

sportscotland’s budget has remained stable this year, with a £100k reduction due to a reduced requirement for non-cash funding and offsetting increase in resource requirement, both relating to recent accounting changes.

We have committed to ensure that the Active Schools programme is free for all children and young people by the end of this Parliament. sportscotland works in partnership with all 32 local authorities to invest in and support Active Schools. Active Schools is dedicated to developing and supporting the delivery of high quality sport and physical activity opportunities to all children and young people, taking an inclusive approach and providing targeted opportunities where there is a need. Data published by sportscotland shows significantly increased participation levels across the past academic year (2022-23), with 4.6 million visits to Active Schools sessions, a rise of 34% on 2021-22.

Ministers are very clear about the importance of supporting ferry services, including those that link Gourock, Dunoon and Kilcreggan.

The Gourock Dunoon Kilcreggan Infrastructure and Vessels Programme is complex and work is underway to develop resilient vessel and port design options. This work is linked to the wider Islands Connectivity Plan, which will set out a long-term investment programme for vessels and ports across our ferry network. Any investment in new vessels and infrastructure will be subject to consideration of a business case considering value for money and affordability.

Specialist support will be provided by Scottish Governments Subsidy Control Team as and when required to complete the necessary due diligence on potential “Teckal” direct award.

The Scottish Government recognises that maximizing the use of recoverable or waste heat, which at present goes unused, remains a priority.

For heat network developers, there are clear incentives to connect to this heat as it can be an economical source of heat, where buildings or the processes operating in them can provide surplus heat to our homes and buildings, potentially lowering the cost of heat for heat network customers and providing an income for heat source providers.

We are seeking evidence in our Heat in Buildings Bill consultation about whether requirements should be placed on owners of unused heat. Following the closure of the consultation we will analyse responses to questions on recoverable or waste heat and use this to guide our development of recoverable and waste heat policy.