- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential for so-called zero bill homes of combining the deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, batteries and heat pumps, and whether it will publish any such analysis.
Answer
The Scottish Government is supportive of market innovations which deliver lower bills for households as well as providing benefits to decarbonisation and our New Build Heat Standard has created regulatory certainty for developers and energy suppliers to innovate.
As part of the development of our Heat in Buildings Strategy and Delivery Plan, we will continue to set outa clear pathway for heat decarbonisation in Scotland.
The high cost of electricity is the biggest obstacle to reducing household bills and encouraging the uptake of clean heating at scale. Despite promises, the Warm Homes Plan did not set out how the UK Government plans to reduce electricity prices for the long term.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any potential Barnett consequential funding arising from the forthcoming UK Warm Homes Plan, and whether it will publish any records of those discussions.
Answer
All Warm Homes Plan funding was announced in the UK Government's Autumn Budget on 27 November 2025. Scottish Budget allocations were confirmed in the Scottish Budget published on 6 March, which included an allocation of £300 million for Heat in Building programmes.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether its heat decarbonisation policy supports the deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, alongside batteries and heat pumps.
Answer
We support the use of solar PV panels, alongside a range of technologies including batteries and heat pumps, to decarbonise existing homes. To allow us to target finite budgets where they have the greatest impact, we fund these technologies through our fuel poverty schemes, Warmer Homes Scotland and Area Based Schemes. As support to tackle fuel poverty is tailored to the circumstances of individual households and localities, the package of measures installed in any property will be the best fit for that household.
Our New Build Heat Standard also encourages solar PV, where appropriate and cost-effective, in new build properties.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, should any Barnett consequential funding arise from the forthcoming UK Warm Homes Plan, whether it plans to use that funding to support solar and battery deployment programmes.
Answer
All Warm Homes Plan funding was announced in the UK Government's Autumn Budget on 27 November 2025.
Scottish Budget allocations were confirmed in the Scottish Budget published on 6 March, which included an allocation of £300 million for Heat in Building programmes.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the cumulative removal of specialist deaf-led provision in Edinburgh.
Answer
All organisations, including local authorities, must meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to avoid placing deaf people at a disadvantage when making decisions about services. The Scottish Government continues to engage with Edinburgh City Council to ensure appropriate services remain in place. The Scottish Government has provided more than £1.7 million to improve access to services for deaf people across Scotland since 2021.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what specific long-term modelling it has selected, alongside Scottish Water, to undertake an assessment of drought risks over the next 25 years.
Answer
Scottish Water has recently updated its projections for the availability of water from its sources, using the UK Climate Projections (UKCP18) based on 2-degree and 4-degree scenarios, in line with advice from the Climate Change Committee. For areas where demand is predicted to outstrip the amount of water available from sources by 2050, the shortfall will total 280 megalitres per day during drought events equivalent to the worst on record. Scottish Water’s Long-Term Strategy recognises these pressures, and work will continue during the next Strategic Review period (2027 – 2033) to identify how to address the deficit.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, in partnership with Scottish Water, to plan for and respond to long-term water resource pressures highlighted in the recent UN report on global water scarcity, and what assessment it has made of any impact of the reduction in Scottish Water’s budget on future resilience and infrastructure planning.
Answer
Scottish Water’s Long-Term Strategy recognises the pressures on its water resources and supplies over the next 25 years as a result of climate change and changing demographics across Scotland. Options to address these challenges will consider a range of measures including ways to reduce the demand for water in Scotland, improving connectivity across systems and potentially establishing new water sources. This work will continue during the next Strategic Review period (2027 – 2033) through a Draft Ministerial Objective to provide a report setting out options for addressing the deficit between supply and demand, as well as developing detailed options for areas which are considered not to be resilient to drought.
The Scottish Government works closely with Scottish Water and SEPA to monitor and mitigate long-term water resource pressures. This work is supported by weekly and seasonal water scarcity reporting and regular cross-agency coordination.
As reported in the answer to S6W-43601 on 12 February 2026, there is no reduction in spend that would negatively impact on future resilience and infrastructure planning. 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
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Scottish Water’s 25-year sustainability plan is adequately funded, monitored and stress tested against worst-case climate scenarios.
Answer
The Scottish Government is currently consulting on draft Ministerial Objectives for 2027-33. These are proposed to help address the challenges faced by the water industry, including adapting to climate change. They are aligned with our long-term Water Sector Vision and Scottish Water’s Long-Term Strategy. Scottish Water is responsible for preparing and delivering plans that meet these objectives and setting out how it will play its part in achieving the sector vision. These plans are scrutinised by the independent economic regulator, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS), to determine if they are sufficient to achieve the Ministerial Objectives while meeting the standards required by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). It is through this review process that WICS ensures Scottish Water is adequately funded to deliver on the objectives of Ministers at the lowest reasonable overall cost.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure transparent public reporting on water scarcity indicators, drought risk levels and associated infrastructure vulnerabilities.
Answer
Scotland’s National Water Scarcity Plan sets out how water resources are managed prior to, and during, periods of prolonged dry weather. Water scarcity indicators and seasonal conditions are reported publicly through SEPA’s weekly and seasonal reports, providing early insight and transparency for stakeholders.
In terms of public water infrastructure vulnerabilities, Scottish Water has recently updated its supply-demand balance forecasts based on UK Climate Projections (UKCP18) as reflected in the recently published Final Business Plan for 2027 – 2033. This follows initial presentation of previous data through the Long-Term Strategy and Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Work is ongoing to update drought risk levels for water resource zones across the country.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the regulatory framework currently in place to monitor the development and operation of data centres in Scotland, in relation to ensuring that their energy use, water consumption and any environmental impacts are being effectively controlled.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2026
