- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 21 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a response to its energy performance certificate (EPC) reform consultation.
Answer
The Scottish Government published the Government response to the EPC Reform consultation on 21 January 2025 [1]. This confirms that we will lay revised EPC regulations in Parliament during 2025, to come into force in 2026. These regulations will introduce an improved EPC rating system to give consumers better information on the fabric energy efficiency of their building and on the emissions and efficiency of their heating system, as well as on potential improvements they could make to both. We will also retain the rating on modelled energy costs which consumer testing tells us is so important to them at this time of sustained high energy prices. That user testing has, in addition, allowed consumers to tell us how to make the design and accessibility of EPCs better, and we can confirm that introduction of a redesigned certificate will coincide with the regulations bringing the new rating system into force.
[1] https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836912408.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 21 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported link between increases in plant imports and the rise of tree diseases, whether it and its agencies will consider adopting the UK and Ireland Sourced and Grown Standard (UKISG) to improve biosecurity of planting stock and support the nursery sector, for example by committing to an uplift in grant rates for creation schemes that use UKISG trees.
Answer
The Scottish government recognises the importance of a UK wide partnership approach to plant health. The establishment of the UK Plant Health Alliance, in collaboration with industry, and publication of a best practice biosecurity standard, the Plant Health Management Standard and associated assurance schemes was an important step to strengthen biosecure procurement. The UKISG is just one of a number of assurance schemes that are in place to help promote responsible sourcing in the plant supply chain.
Under the Scottish Plant Health Strategy 2024 -29 there is a commitment to explore opportunities for biosecure procurement. If and how this can be integrated into Scottish government grant options for woodland creation, including assurance schemes, will be considered as part of work on future grant support for forestry.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 21 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is helping to tackle ash dieback.
Answer
The Scottish Government is continuing to work collaboratively to provide information on ash dieback and guidance on the management of trees affected by this disease. Scottish Forestry chairs the Ash Dieback Risk Group Scotland, bringing together practitioners from local authorities and the forestry, arboriculture, transport, utilities, research and nature conservation sectors to share knowledge, experience and examples of best practice in managing ash dieback. Scottish Forestry engaged The Tree Council to work alongside the Ash Dieback Risk Group, producing a toolkit for the preparation of ash dieback action plans by local authorities and other large-scale landowners and asset managers. The toolkit provides a framework for preparing action plans, and contains recent case studies and resources created by a number of Scottish local authorities and other organisations. A suite of guidance tailored for Scotland has been published and further information on safety when working on ash trees affected by ash dieback has been developed with input from stakeholders and is due to be published shortly.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish independent analysis of its consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill.
Answer
We are currently considering all the issues raised in response to our recent consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. We will publish the commissioned independent analysis of these responses as soon as practicable.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 16 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a built environment and construction just transition plan.
Answer
We are building on our legally binding commitment to just transition principles by developing Just Transition Plans for specific sectors. Our latest Programme for Government sets out our intention to publish Just Transition Plans for energy, transport, built environment and construction, and land use and agriculture. We are staggering the publication of these sectoral plans, to ensure that sufficient time and focus is dedicated to each. We are proposing to publish Just Transition Plans for transport, and land use and agriculture in early 2025, and will develop plans for the remaining sectors subsequently.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 16 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the results of the Scottish Climate Survey carried out in 2024.
Answer
The Scottish Climate Survey gathered data on public awareness and understanding of a variety of climate-related topics. Data collection began in October 2024 and ended in January 2025. A report of findings is expected to be published in April 2025.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address wait times in temporary accommodation.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2024
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to re-opening the passenger railway link to Grangemouth.
Answer
The re-introduction of passenger services onto the existing freight only rail line to Grangemouth was considered as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). The option was taken forward to the Preliminary Options Appraisal stage but was not selected as an STPR2 Recommendation on the basis of its performance against the appraisal criteria and the fact that it would have adverse impacts on the freight capacity and the Glasgow – Edinburgh mainline. It was also deemed unlikely to generate sufficient passenger demand.
Instead, recommendations set out in STPR2 for rail focus on the decarbonisation of the remainder of the network; measures to increase the amount of freight travelling by rail and on improving connectivity between our major cities.
However, there remains a path for regional or local rail projects to come forward, and Transport Scotland will consider these subject to a strong business case being developed in accordance with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and suitable funding being available.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 4 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to provide a determination on the section 36 consent application for the Berwick Bank offshore wind farm project, and whether it plans to do this in sufficient time to ensure the best possible outcome for energy consumers in the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round, AR7.
Answer
A decision on Berwick Bank will be taken by Ministers in due course. We cannot comment on a live application. We are aware of the importance of projects being able to apply for Contract for Difference (CfD) Rounds and will take this timing into account in the decision making process, where possible to do so.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that there are as many Scottish offshore wind projects as possible eligible for the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round, AR7.
Answer
It is vital that maximum support, sufficient budget and greater long-term certainty are provided by the UK Government (UKG) to allow Scottish projects to succeed in CfD AR7 and future rounds.
We must build on the positive results of this year’s Allocation Round, which were a step in the right direction and demonstrate the importance and capability of Scotland to deliver zero carbon power.
We will continue to work with the UKG to secure project delivery as well as investor and supply chain confidence, which includes encouraging the UKG to expedite work to ensure timely grid connections and strengthened grid infrastructure.
We also welcome the UKG’s Clean Industry Bonus (CIB), which will be incorporated into the CfD scheme for AR7. We expect Scottish offshore wind projects and supply chain to benefit from this new initiative and look forward to seeing the results.
