Chamber and committees

Administrative data is being used for two purposes in Scotland’s Census 2022: quality assurance and statistical estimation. For Scotland’s Census 2011, administrative data was used solely for quality assurance.

For Scotland’s Census 2011, 12 administrative data sources were used to quality assure census population estimates. More information can be found in the following publication: Overview of Administrative Comparator Data Used in 2011 Census Quality Assurance .

The original design for Scotland’s Census 2022 included the use of 25 administrative data sources from across the Scottish public sector to quality assure census outputs.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) have adapted the original design by extending the use of administrative data and evolving their statistical estimation methodology. In June 2023, NRS published a paper outlining these enhancements.

Guided by the census International Steering Group (ISG), NRS performed a review of UK data sources to identify which would be most appropriate to meet the specific needs of Scotland’s Census 2022.

The ISG identified both essential and desirable administrative data sources. All 6 administrative data sources deemed as essential by ISG were obtained and are being used in the statistical estimation. NRS is also using 2 desirable sources.

The original design for Scotland’s Census 2022 included the use of administrative data from across the Scottish public sector to quality assure the outputs produced from the census data.

Following the collect phase, and working closely with a group of international census experts, National Records of Scotland (NRS) have adapted their statistical methods to deliver estimates which represent 100% of Scotland’s population. This includes the increased use of administrative data alongside the Census Coverage Survey to help estimate how many people did not respond to the census.

In June 2023, NRS published a paper outlining the methodology enhancements to secure high quality census outputs and population estimates .

The Scottish Government’s 2021 Population Strategy sets out the factors driving population decline in some parts of the west of Scotland, recognising the different demographic challenges that individual communities face. It shows that areas are each uniquely shaped by natural change (births minus deaths) and net migration. We know that specific local factors influence population outcomes and that no single solution will apply to all communities.

We are assessing a range of factors affecting population outcomes in parts of the west of Scotland as we develop the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, including: housing; transport and digital infrastructure; local and regional economic development; and public service provision and accessibility. Following this assessment, we will apply a place-based approach within the Action Plan and set out action at a national, regional and local level to address population decline and meet the discrete needs of communities.

The following response sets out the funding information for solar PV/energy storage systems not installed with a renewable heating or energy efficiency measure across the Scottish Government’s heat in buildings schemes for domestic properties.

Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme

The following table sets out the amount of funding through the HES Grant and Loan Scheme (formerly HES Loan and Cashback Scheme) for solar PV/energy storage systems where not installed with a certified renewable heating or energy efficiency measure. These figures include instances where solar PV/energy storage systems have been installed alongside an existing renewable heating system.

Heat Networks are large scale infrastructure projects requiring multiple years of development before reaching capital readiness and beginning construction. Therefore, we have committed multi-year funding though Scotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) which makes £300 million available to support the development and roll out of heat networks across Scotland during this parliamentary term. The fund aims to stimulate investment and grow the low carbon heat sector, whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

To date Scotland’s Heat Network Fund has allocated £6,727,389 to four heat network projects in Scotland. Of these, three are public sector heat networks, receiving a combined £6,339,315. The other is a housing association which received £388,000 in SHNF funding. In addition to this, we currently have several applications undergoing a formal assessment process and are engaging with many pre-capital stage projects through our Heat Network Support Unit.

In September 2022, we launched the Heat Network Support Unit (HNSU) which is already working to develop ambitious heat network projects that will help us progress towards our deployment targets. The HNSU provides advice and grant funding for pre-capital works such as developing feasibility studies and Outline Business Cases. This support is predominantly aimed at the public sector in order to increase the scale and pace of heat network project development across Scotland and build capacity across the sector to deliver successful projects. The Heat Network Support Unit has provided approximately £500,000 of support creating a pipeline of multiple projects that, if found to be viable, may progress towards capital funding and construction in the near future with a potential total capital value of approximately £150 million. Many of these projects may be supported via Scotland’s Heat Network Fund.

Scottish Government is also currently providing approximately £26 million of support to seven heat network projects through the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) which are due to commission by the end of 2024.

Support offered through our heat network funding programmes is reflected within our quarterly reports which provide industry, investors and other stakeholders with a view of the pipeline of heat networks projects progressing in Scotland.

The requested figures for the estimated energy generation of standalone solar PV measures supported by Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme (formerly HES Loan and Cashback Scheme) are set out in the following table. Figures show the estimated energy generation of measures installed that year only, they are not cumulative.

Information on data quality will be included as part of the first release in autumn 2023.

The changes to the methods for producing census estimates have not fundamentally changed the way in which NRS is quality assuring and validating the data before publication.

Professor James Brown, Professor of Official Statistics Sydney, Chair of the International Steering Group noted: “Decisions were made on a sound methodological basis, providing NRS with a strong position for the statistical processing phase.”

In their Statistical Quality Assurance Strategy , NRS made a distinction between quality assurance at every step of the census data processing journey and validation of final estimates. By assessing quality at each step, NRS can be confident that errors are not being introduced while processing the data.

The first release of census data will be in autumn 2023. This release will include:

• Population by age and sex at Scotland and Local Authority level (rounded)
• Number of households at Scotland and Local Authority level (rounded)

Up to date information on future releases can be found on the census outputs schedule webpage .

In line with the requirements of the Code of Practice for Statistics, National Records of Scotland will publish the specific release date and time for each publication at least four weeks in advance.

The following table shows the average processing times for the cases which settled during each quarter since April 2022 and how many of those were processed within the requested timescales.

All applications to HOSF are tested for eligibility for both Mortgage to Rent (MtR) and Mortgage to Shared Equity (MtSE). Due to the circumstances of individuals there have been no Mortgage to Shared Equity cases since 2015, in particular many applicants have high levels of complex unsecured debts and low earnings.

The following table shows the number of applications received during each quarter since April 2022 and the number of applications successfully completed. Mortgage to Rent is a voluntary scheme and participation from applicants, lenders, trustees and social landlords is required for a case to succeed.