Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-23173

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21271 by Patrick Harvie on 28 September 2023, how many (a) referrals (i) have been processed, and, of those, how many were deemed to be eligible applications and (ii) are still awaiting eligibility checks, (b) assessments have taken place and (c) installations (A) have started (B) have been completed and (C) are booked to start.

Please see the following information as of 1 December.

Question reference: S6W-23166

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support will be provided to businesses in Argyll and Bute that have been impacted by damage as a result of Storm Babet, in light of reports of around half being unable to reopen and a cumulative financial deficit of nearly £1.3 million.

We recognise the significant impact on people, businesses and communities in areas affected by storm Babet. The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in helping them through this horrible experience which has destroyed so many people’s property and belongings.

The Storm Babet Ministerial taskforce was established to co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s support of local recovery efforts. Initial focus has been on the worst affected areas; ones that had an exceptionally rare red warning for rain during October’s storm, and especially Angus, which provisionally experienced its wettest day since 1891.

The Taskforce has developed a package of support to assist Scotland’s Councils deal with the immediate recovery as well as consider longer term issues such as repairing infrastructure. This package includes initiating the Bellwin Scheme to help all Councils cover eligible expenditure for urgent repairs; grants for farmers affected by severe flooding in parts of Scotland to help repair man-made flood banks; and Flood Recovery Grants to be administered by eligible Local Authorities to assist people whose homes and businesses have been flooded.

This support is in addition to Scotland’s longer-term investment in flood resilience, where we have committed £150m over the course of this Parliament to deliver improved flood resilience, in addition to the £42m provided annually to councils for flood resilience through the general capital grant.

This flood response sits alongside our ongoing work to support Scotland’s businesses. The Scottish Government has committed up to £25 million to develop the Argyll and Bute economy over the next 10 years through the regional growth deal. Projects supported through the deal will support the development of skills, infrastructure and innovation in key industry sectors like marine tourism and aquaculture to create skilled jobs and attract investment’. Local authorities also have wide-ranging powers to create rates relief schemes to reflect local needs.

Question reference: S6W-23255

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase domestic energy efficiency.

On 28 November, we launched our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill alongside the social housing equivalent. This includes proposals to improve the energy efficiency of Scotland’s homes, which will deliver enduring savings on energy bills and helpmeet our climate change targets.

We have a wide range of grant and loan schemes available, and households can contact Home Energy Scotland to access free, bespoke, impartial advice on making their home more energy efficient. Our Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme is open to all domestic owner-occupied households in Scotland and provides grant funding of up to £7,500 for households to install energy efficiency measures. A rural uplift to the energy efficiency grant of up to £1,500 is available as well as up to an additional £7,500 as an interest free loan.

We have also helped over 150,000 households to benefit from warmer homes that are less expensive to heat through our fuel poverty programmes, Warmer Homes Scotland and Area Based Schemes. We have recently widened the eligibility criteria to the Warmer Homes Scotland programme, allowing a further 100,000 households to become eligible, and relaunched the programme with a significantly increased maximum contract value of more than £700million over up to seven years.

Furthermore, Registered Social Landlords can apply for grant funding from the Social Housing Net Zero Heat fund for the installation of energy efficiency measures and clean heating that deliver both carbon savings and reduction in fuel bills for their tenants. This includes “Fabric First” enhancements which help make homes easier and cheaper to heat.

Finally, we recently consulted on reforming EPCs to make them a more appropriate source of information about the energy efficiency of a building. This included proposals to introduce a metric based on fabric energy efficiency: Energy Performance Certificate reform consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space . These reforms, if introduced, will help building owners understand the energy efficiency of their property, and the steps they can take to improve it . We plan to respond to the consultation in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-22933

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any (a) internal communications involving (i) ministers and (ii) officials regarding Sheriff Alistair Duff’s role as a director of the Judicial Institute for Scotland, in light of the Police Scotland investigation that resulted in him being convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

The Scottish Government has had no involvement regarding Sheriff Duff's role as a Director of the Judicial Institute for Scotland. The judiciary is independent of the Scottish Government. The Lord President delegates responsibility for the delivery of judicial training to the Judicial Institute of Scotland and is responsible for appointments including the role of Director to the Board of the Judicial Institute.

Question reference: S6W-23153

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on its commitment to (a) facilitate a process to co-design high-quality, high-performing household recycling and reuse services by the end of 2023, working with service operators and users, and (b) undertake further consultation on the separate kerbside collection of textiles by 2025.

Through the Circular Economy Bill, the Scottish Government is committed to a co-design process to develop a new Household Recycling Code of Practice with local authorities and other stakeholders to provide a clear strategic direction for recycling in Scotland.

This includes enabling progress against future local recycling and reuse targets, informing how the monitoring and reporting framework for local authority waste services can be strengthened, and consideration of further measures to incentivise waste reduction at a household level.

Engagement with Cosla and local authority representatives is ongoing, and Scottish Government officials are currently developing plans for a local authority workshop to be held in early 2024 to continue this process.

The Scottish Government remains committed to a public consultation on the separate kerbside collection of textiles by 2025. Evidence from the consultation will inform the development of the new Household Recycling Code of Practice.

Question reference: S6W-23167

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include Argyll and Bute Council in the Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce.

We recognise the significant impact on people, businesses and communities in areas affected by storm Babet. The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in helping them through this horrible experience which has destroyed so many people’s property and belongings.

The Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce was established to co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s support of local recovery efforts. It will consider both the immediate recovery response and longer-term issues such as repairing infrastructure.

The Taskforce has developed a package of support to assist Scotland’s Councils deal with the immediate recovery as well as consider longer term issues such as repairing infrastructure. This package includes initiating the Bellwin Scheme to help all Councils cover eligible expenditure for urgent repairs; grants for farmers affected by severe flooding in parts of Scotland to help repair man-made flood banks; and Flood Recovery Grants to be administered by eligible Local Authorities to assist people whose homes and businesses have been flooded.

This support is in addition to Scotland’s longer-term investment in flood resilience, where we have committed £150m over the course of this Parliament to deliver improved flood resilience, in addition to the £42m provided annually to councils for flood resilience through the general capital grant.

The initial focus of the Task Force has been on the worst affected areas; ones that had an exceptionally rare red warning for rain during October’s storm, and especially Angus, which provisionally experienced its wettest day since 1891.We have therefore invited the Chief Executive of Angus Council to attend the Taskforce in her capacity as Chair of the Tayside Storm Babet Recovery Group. While we will continue to review membership of the group, there are no plans to extend membership at this time.

Question reference: S6W-22932

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any (a) internal communications involving (i) ministers and (ii) officials and (b) external communications in respect of the Police Scotland investigation that resulted in Sheriff Alistair Duff being convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable is responsible for the policing of Scotland, and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly. These arrangements are in place to ensure public confidence that the police act independently, free from unwarranted Ministerial interference. The Scottish Government had no involvement in the Police Scotland investigation that resulted in Sheriff Alistair Duff being convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Question reference: S6W-22934

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any (a) internal communications involving (i) ministers and (ii) officials regarding the former First Minister’s appointment of Sheriff Alistair Duff to the Fitness for Judicial Office Tribunal in 2019, in light of the Police Scotland investigation that resulted in him being convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Under the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, it is for the First Minister, with the agreement of the Lord President, to select persons to be members of a Fitness for Judicial Office Tribunal. In consultation with the Lord President, and in accordance with the legislation, the former First Minster appointed Sheriff Duff as a shrieval member of two Fitness for Judicial Office Tribunals in October 2018 and November 2019. On 3 November 2021, the Scottish Government was advised by the Tribunal that Sheriff Duff was unable to fulfil his duties on the Fitness for Judicial Office Tribunal, because of personal matters and requested a new shrieval member be appointed. No further details were provided to the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-23170

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22388 by Mairi McAllan on 6 November 2023, whether it will publish the responses to the consultation on its Report into the Effectiveness of Environmental Governance Arrangements before the end of 2023.

Question reference: S6W-23378

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage young people to register to vote in elections, including through education on registering to vote in the school curriculum.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring everyone who is eligible to vote can do so and is working with partners to look at potential new ways to increase registration levels amongst under-represented groups including young people.

Curriculum for Excellence provides opportunities for young people of all ages and stages to develop their political literacy skills. This is most likely to feature in the social studies curricular area, which, helps young people develop as responsible, informed citizens with a global outlook covering important topics, including democracy and voting.

To support schools and teachers there is an extensive range of materials and resources to draw on, including the “You Decide” Political Literacy resource from Education Scotland, which provides guidance on how to ensure that learners use their voice, participate and contribute to decision-making processes.

The Electoral Commission provides free, impartial resources for schools and youth groups to use to support young people to develop their understanding of the voting process. Their resources include a series of lesson plans linked to the curriculum and interactive activities and videos, which cover topics such as how to register to vote, what happens at the polling place and how to find information about candidates.

The Commission also works with education partners to run a campaign called Welcome to Your Vote Week each year to encourage schools and other organisations to have conversations with young people about democracy. They can get involved in a range of ways, including organising a voter registration event or democracy day. In 2023, 150 schools and youth organisations participated.

The Commission recently began a partnership with Children in Scotland to bring together young people from across Scotland to inform its future work and ensure it meets the needs of young people, including the messaging that will help drive registration levels.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) send Invitations to Register to all those on the schools lists that are eligible to register. EROs report good engagement with schools, particularly those run by local authorities, where they get a good response to invitations to register. The reduction in franchise age to 16 means that all attainers to the local government register are in full time education as they will be under the age of 16. Most EROs are also supplied with lists of all students at Scottish Universities who are resident and eligible to register.

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