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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-23687

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19954 by Patrick Harvie on 9 August 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown of the data included in the table by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-23659

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it anticipates that it will spend on any revisions to the current marketing plans for the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23653 on 21 December 2023. Marketing plans for Home Energy Scotland grants are currently in development. As such there are no plans requiring revision. 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 .

Question reference: S6W-23681

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what specific action points have arisen from meetings between the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights and the energy efficiency sector in the past year.

Question reference: S6W-23653

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22629 by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023, whether it is considering making any changes to its marketing strategy to further raise awareness of the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme.

Question reference: S6W-23658

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on the most recent marketing campaigns for the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme.

Question reference: S6W-23660

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of energy efficiency businesses that are (a) located and (b) operating in Scotland, and how many of these are SMEs, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-23673

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22663 by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether it is undertaking any targeted marketing to those aged over 55, and, if so, what specific forms these marketing activities take.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23652 on 21 December 2023 regarding targeted marketing at the over 55 age group. I further refer the member to my answer to question S6W-23657 on 21 December 2021 regarding the part of his question regarding specific forms of marketing activities.

The Home Energy Scotland ‘Warmer Homes Scotland’ campaign includes a specific target audience of the over 60s. This campaign includes a digital advertising strand targeted at this age category who live in the 20% most deprived postcodes in Scotland. In addition, press is included to help target those who are not digitally engaged, alongside TV advertising on daytime STV and C4 Scotland.

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 .

Question reference: S6W-23676

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the potential impact that maintenance costs may have on the longevity of green heat systems in low-income households when developing its Heat in Buildings Bill consultation.

Clean heating system maintenance costs will vary depending on factors including the type of system and usage. We are proposing a technology-neutral approach to decarbonising homes across Scotland, with homeowners able to choose the technology which is right for them. We do not expect the cost to households of maintaining a clean heating system to be significantly different from what they would pay for a polluting heating system. The estimated maintenance costs in existing homes in 2020 used by the Climate Change Committee Sixth Carbon Budget, and developed with latest available evidence and input from a range of industry stakeholders, are the same (£100 per year) for both air source heat pumps and gas boilers. Of course many low income households rent their properties through private or social landlords, and while these maintenance costs will be comparable to those living in owner occupied homes, they will typically sit with the landlord.

Question reference: S6W-23686

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22647 by Graeme Dey on 16 November 2023, in light of the targets presented in the Heat in Buildings Bill consultation, whether it will begin to collect data on how many students who have completed energy efficiency qualifications have remained in Scotland and are currently employed within the energy efficiency sector.

As highlighted in the Heat in Buildings Monitoring and Evaluation Framework release from 28 November, existing data on further and higher education enrolments and apprenticeship starts may give an indication of the scale of the skills pipeline for the sector, however since educational groupings can be quite broad, there are data limitations. The Scottish Government will continue to engage with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and post-school learning and training providers to better understand those who complete courses that are relevant to the framework. Destinations data can then be analysed to better understand outcomes for these students.

Question reference: S6W-23682

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons a funding offer under the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme would be declined.

Applications to the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme can be unsuccessful due to the failure of a credit check. Credit checks are only carried out when an applicant is requesting loan funding.

An application may also be declined if the application fails to meet the conditions of the scheme. For example, if the applicant were to apply to use a non-accredited installer or if the measures applied for were not recommended for their property.