The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S4W-19829

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the likely impact of changes to the energy company obligation on its ability to (a) tackle fuel poverty and (b) meet the emissions targets set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

On fuel poverty: the UK Government’s proposed changes to the energy company obligation (ECO) will have implications for the delivery of our Home Energy Efficiency Programme (HEEPS). We are working closely with delivery partners to better understand their likely impact. We will continue to use our HEEPS funding to maximise leverage under ECO and have relaxed the criteria for accessing Scottish Government funding to ensure support for those in fuel poverty continues.

On emissions targets set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009: we expect the policy framework we have developed, as set out in the second Report on Proposals and Policies will allow us to meet our targets. Its flexibility allows us to deliver more where we can and we will continue to seek additional ways in which we can maximise the impact of the investments we make. Scottish households have received a greater than pro-rata share of the measures delivered under ECO.

Question reference: S4W-19828

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what alternative funding sources it is investigating for the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland in the event that funding from the energy company obligation declines.

The Scottish Government is currently working closely with local authorities, obligated energy companies and other delivery partners to assess the impact of the changes to the energy company obligation (ECO) on the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS).

There is a fixed budget within Government and we are unable to compensate for the decline in ECO caused by Westminster policy changes. However, we will attempt to meet the challenge by exploring all possible routes of funding including Green Deal, Scottish Government funding streams for community renewables, European funding and other relevant public and private sources of finance.

Longer term, we have set out our commitment in Scotland’s Future about what we would do in an independent Scotland. We plan to remove certain obligations from energy bills and maintain current funding levels from central resources.

Question reference: S4W-19827

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether additional funding will be made available for the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland in the event that funding from the energy company obligation declines.

The Scottish Government is currently working closely with local authorities, obligated energy companies and other delivery partners to assess the impact of the changes to the energy company obligation (ECO) on the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS).

We will continue to use our HEEPS funding to maximise leverage under ECO and have relaxed the criteria for accessing Scottish Government funding to ensure support for those in fuel poverty continues.

Longer term, we have set out our commitment in Scotland’s Future about what we would do in an independent Scotland. We plan to remove certain obligations from energy bills and maintain current funding levels from central resources.

Question reference: S4W-19826

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 10 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it has engaged with stakeholders in Scotland to assess the impact of changes to the energy company obligation.

We have regular meetings with a range of stakeholders to discuss the energy company obligation (ECO) and to work closely with delivery partners on the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland. Stakeholders with whom we engage regularly include, amongst others: local authorities, registered social landlords, the National Insulation Association, energy companies, the Fuel Poverty Forum and its energy company obligation (ECO) sub-group. We also keep stakeholders up to date on ECO activity through our regular Scottish Government ECO newsletter and we encourage stakeholders to join the newsletter’s mailing list.

These contacts will inform our response to the UK Government’s consultation on their proposed changes to the ECO.

Question reference: S4W-19825

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the likely impact of changes to the energy company obligation on the funding of the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland.

We are in regular discussion with the delivery partners for the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS), including local councils, to assess the likely impact of the UK Government’s proposed changes to the energy company obligation (ECO) on HEEPS and how to mitigate this.

ECO is a UK Government scheme which places legal obligations on energy companies. It operates across England, Scotland and Wales and there is no separate funding allocation for Scotland. Statistics on delivery of ECO over the first nine months of the obligation show that Scotland has received a greater than pro-rata share of the measures funded by energy companies under the obligation across Great Britain.

Question reference: S4O-02939

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Coping with the cuts? Local government and poorer communities.

Question reference: S4O-02868

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there was a delay in the publication of the business case for the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme.

Question reference: S4W-19123

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 22 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities it consulted and in what form in advance of its announcement on 7 January 2013 regarding the provision of school meals.

Extending the entitlement of free school meals to children in primary 1 to 3, has been a Scottish Government commitment since 2007 and there has been an on-going dialogue between COSLA and the Scottish Government about it.

Following the UK Government’s autumn statement on 5 December 2013, Scottish Ministers carefully considered how to use the consequential funding to the optimum benefit for children and young people. This included the consideration of the views previously expressed by COSLA and the views of the 5 local authorities that piloted free school meals for primary 1-3 pupils in 2007-08. These views are contained within the ‘Evaluation of the free school meals trial for primary 1-3 pupils’ which was published in 2008 and can be accessed on the Scottish Government website at:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/08/29114033/0.

Question reference: S4F-01848

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 January 2014

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to strengthen the powers that local authorities and communities have to purchase land.

Question reference: S4W-19071

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 14 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-18312 by Keith Brown on 25 November 2013, what funding it will provide to local authorities to help deliver parking enforcement services.

The Scottish Government is providing local government in Scotland with over £10.3 billion in 2013-14. The vast majority of this funding is being provided by means of a block grant.

It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives.

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