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Work to develop an Islands Energy Strategy was delayed during the pandemic. In the interim period there have been significant changes to the policy landscape, including the commitments to take forward an Energy Strategy Just Transition Plan for Scotland and the Carbon Neutral Islands Project. An Islands Energy Strategy will follow and build on these pieces of work in 2023 allowing alignment with Scotland's national plans. Stakeholder engagement is ongoing.

The Scottish Government and COSLA jointly developed and published the response to the independent report ‘A New future for Scotland’s Town Centres’. The ‘Town Centre Action Plan Review – Joint response from Scottish Government and COSLA’ sets out a new vision for town centres that ‘Towns and town centres are for the wellbeing of people, planet and economy’. The response outlines actions directed to better embed a ‘Town Centre First approach’ to ensure the economic, social and environmental health of town centres is at the heart of investment decision making. The response was agreed by all Council Leaders.

In addition, we have established the Place-Based Investment Programme to accelerate ambitions for place, 20-minute neighbourhoods, town centre action, community led regeneration and community wealth building. Investments are also expected to contribute to net zero, inclusive economic development, wellbeing, tackling inequality, and community involvement and ownership. Local government is a key partner in delivering this Programme and receive a funding allocation. All Council Leaders agreed to support the aims and objectives of the Programme.

Community ownership is an important aim of the Scottish Government and there are numerous examples of communities thriving after being given the opportunity to own and manage their own assets. This leads to better local outcomes, which focus on local needs. It is important that we align our policy in respect of increased community ownership to help deliver the vision and outcomes set out in our new Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. If we are to meet our ambitious target of halting the decline in Scotland’s biodiversity by 2030 and reverse it by 2045 all land owners and managers across community, private, voluntary and public sectors will have a part to play.

The Scottish Government has committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill to ensure that the rights of autistic people, people with learning disabilities, and neurodivergent people are respected and protected.

Across our work, we involve organisations led by disabled people and charities representing the views of a wide range of people who come under the learning disabilities, autism and neurodiversity umbrella.

Our intention is that the Bill will be fully co-designed with people with lived experience, and we ran 30 events with 18 different organisations during the scoping work which took place between May and July 2022.

We are also establishing a lived experience advisory panel to support the development of the Bill. Details about the recruitment process for the panel will be available shortly.

The Scottish Government has committed to invest at least £1.8 billion in heat and energy efficiency over the course of this parliament. This funding is delivered via a range of support options, which are available to households and businesses across Scotland, including those in rural areas.

Business Energy Scotland (BES) provides support to Scottish SMEs for implementing energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures. The service is delivered by Energy Saving Trust (EST) on behalf of the Scottish Government and has at least one dedicated Business advisor in each of its regional call centres. BES provides a gateway for SMEs to access funding for energy efficiency and zero emissions heating through the SME loan scheme and access to the Green Network for Business.

For household support, we continue to invest in our Home Energy Scotland Loans with Cashback scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland and Area-Based Schemes and we recognise the need to tailor support to specific challenges in remote rural areas, where we know installation and labour costs are higher. Our flagship domestic energy advice service, Home Energy Scotland (HES), administered by EST on behalf of the Scottish Government, provides a single point of access for free, bespoke, impartial advice on energy efficiency, renewable heating, funding for energy efficiency and zero emissions heating systems and fuel poverty support in Scotland. HES advisors in five regional advice centres provide tailored energy advice that is location specific and takes account of the different energy use requirements of properties in different parts of Scotland, taking rurality into account.

It is vital that the supply chain is equipped with the necessary skills and qualifications to provide a high quality service to consumers and we are supporting workforce growth through a combination of reskilling, upskilling and youth employment. Skills support and training provision must be aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands. This year, we will publish a new Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Delivery Plan, which will outline specific actions and support focussed on strengthening the broad supply chains needed to deliver at the pace and scale of our transition.

The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent price rises in the cost of energy will have on people, especially those using medical equipment at home, such as CPAP machines for the treatment of sleep apnoea.

Decisions about the reimbursement of energy costs associated with CPAP machines and other medical machines in individuals’ homes are made by NHS Boards. The Scottish Government continues to work with NHS Boards to address financial pressures across the healthcare system, including the impacts of the increase in energy costs. In May 2022, we published our Resource Spending Review that set out investment of £73 billion in health and social care to 2026-27.

The Scottish Government will also use the Emergency Budget Review to increase the Fuel Insecurity Fund to £20 million in 2022-23. The Fuel Insecurity Fund is aimed at helping people who are at risk of self-rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely because they cannot afford their energy bills.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-01331 on 7 September 2022. The answer to the Oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the Official Report can be viewed at:

https://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=13875

The number of deaths where malnutrition was the underlying cause in any death over the past 10 years is as follows (TABLE 1):

The Scottish Government is committed to establishing and maintaining a dignified and accessible disability and carer benefits system. This includes support for those aged over 65 whose awards are transferring to Adult Disability Payment.

“Non-physical activity disability allowance” is not a recognised term applying to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment. In line with our established case transfer principles, people transferring to Social Security Scotland, from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), will continue to receive the correct payment at the correct time.

This means that clients will continue to receive the same mobility and care component of support when they transfer to Adult Disability Payment as they would have continued to receive on PIP after reaching state pension age. Relevant age rules will apply to any review after transfer, which means that on-going entitlement to the mobility component of Adult Disability Payment will be in line with the condition and/or disability under their previous PIP award. Where an individual's award was selected for transfer because they reported a change to the DWP, they were due to have their award reviewed, or their award was due to end, we will start the review process soon after their Adult Disability Payment award begins. In all other cases, review dates will be as far as possible aligned with their previous PIP review or end dates.

Although entitlement rules for Adult Disability Payment largely replicate PIP entitlement rules, we are confident that overall client experience will be much improved as a result of the less intrusive and client-centred assessment processes and our new forms of support and advice to help people provide relevant information when applying or having their entitlement reviewed.

Security of electricity supply is a reserved policy area, delivered through UK Government electricity policy, Ofgem as the independent GB energy regulator, and National Grid ESO (the GB Electricity System Operator), as noted in the response to your question on 25 August.

Scotland has an abundance of renewable electricity generation that exceeds our average annual demand. Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will set out further analysis on electricity security, in light of increased decarbonisation of heat and transport.

However, based on current rates of new build development, a ban on the use of direct emission heating systems in new build properties could equate to an additional 100GWh of demand every year. This would add just 0.3% to our total electricity demand remaining well within the margin of our maximum supply capacity of 10GW.

Similarly, based on Transport Scotland’s electricity demand scenarios, the average annual additional electricity demand from EV’s (cars and vans) is just 186GWh for the period 2022 – 2030.

It is also important to highlight that network companies are investing to ensure that our infrastructure can support our transition to net zero. Both Scottish Distribution Network Operators have worked closely with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders to ensure that their business plans reflect the scale and pace of deployment necessary to meet Scotland’s net zero and interim targets.

These plans are being assessed by the energy regulator Ofgem, and we expect a final decision on proposed investments by November this year.