Chamber and committees

The following table sets out the total number of applications approved and paid for the rural uplift in each month from September 2022 to October 2023.

The rural uplift has only been included as part of the HES Grant and Loan Scheme since the launch of the Scheme in December 2022, meaning data only goes back to this date. Four applications from November 2022 received the rural uplift as these had not yet progressed to a formal offer when the rural uplift was introduced.

Payments are often made in the months following an approved application, which means that the number of applications approved in a month will not be equal to the number of applications paid in a month.

There is no requirement for energy efficiency businesses to be registered. Businesses may become TrustMark registered and information on these businesses is available on the TrustMark website.

The Scottish Government does not hold or have access to information on how many students have completed specific energy efficiency qualifications or where they are currently working. As energy efficiency would typically form part of a wider course syllabus for a diverse range of qualifications including engineering, technology, science and construction, the Scottish Government is unable to identify which courses include an energy efficiency component and therefore does not have the information required to answer the question accurately.

All the current means of heating homes and buildings require replacement and recycling of units and component parts, and this will continue to be the case.

All the current means of heating homes and buildings require replacement and recycling of units and component parts, and this will continue to be the case.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. 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 undertakes regular engagement and consultation with the teaching profession, Scotland’s national education bodies, professional associations and wider stakeholders.

The June 2021 report from the OECD, “Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: into the future”, set out a series of recommendations which have informed education reform focused on outcomes for learners, through improved learning and teaching. Similar conclusions were reached by Professor Ken Muir in his report "Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education". Professor Muir concluded that, “An enhanced focus on ensuring high quality learning and teaching and increased collaboration among practitioners, based on the adoption of a continuous learning mindset” was essential for Scottish education to become successful in meeting the needs and ambitions of children, young people and adult learners.

In May 2023, the Scottish Government published "All Learners in Scotland Matter", the final report of Scotland’s National Discussion on education. The National Discussion undertook extensive engagement with over 38,000 people and heard that high teaching standards and the centrality of good pedagogy was the basis for effective learning. Participants also expressed an appetite to explore approaches to improve university-school partnerships to support the future generations of teachers.

In order that each child, young person and adult in Scotland has high-quality learning experiences, excellent learning and teaching must be the foundation of Scottish education. The consultation and engagement undertaken to date, including that which underpinned these independent reports, has informed a renewed focus on learning and teaching in Scotland and the creation of a Centre for Teaching Excellence.

The Centre will be co-designed with teachers and practitioners, professional associations, local government and Scotland’s national education bodies, to ensure it meets the needs of its users and stakeholders. The announcement of the Centre lays the foundation for that engagement.

There is no requirement for heat pump installation businesses to be registered. The Renewables Installer Finder tool, funded by Scottish Government, provides information on Microgeneration Certification Scheme certified installers who operate in Scotland and wish to list their information on the tool. The tool can be found at: Renewables Installer Finder (est.org.uk) .

The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme is available to all domestic owner occupied households in Scotland, therefore data on household income and council tax band are not collected during the application process. In the following table, the data requested has therefore been supplied for local authority area only.

Funding issued through the scheme often comprises a combination of loan and grant funding.