Seòmar agus comataidhean

We remain committed to driving down waiting times. We have increased investment in frontline NHS boards by more than half a billion pounds in the draft Budget. We will continue to target resources to reduce waiting times, particularly for those waiting longest for treatment, through maximising productivity and additional resources.

We are working with Health Boards on detailed annual plans to demonstrate how waiting lists will be managed to see reductions, improved productivity and clear evidence on how this will help free additional capacity.

The Scottish Government continues to protect investment in digital within health services, as shown in the published budget. Planning remains underway to fully assess the impact on planned activity for 2024-25 that takes into account the considerable financial challenges facing the Scottish Government in the forthcoming financial year, and we will publish our Delivery Plan for Digital Health & Care in April 2024. This will confirm delivery priorities for the year ahead using the investment available.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Under The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 enforcement, and how this is undertaken across territories is a matter for Local Authorities and relevant enforcement agencies. It is within the power of any Local Authority who find a dog without a microchip to serve a notice.

The Scottish Government does not routinely hold this information as it is a matter for the relevant enforcement agency.

It is a fundamental priority for the Scottish Government to ensure that people take up their full entitlement to social security benefits. This includes UK reserved benefits such as Attendance Allowance, where promotion and delivery remains the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Welfare advice services work closely with people across Scotland who may be entitled to benefits but have not yet applied. This year, we have allocated funding of £12.5 million to support free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice services, helping people to access social security and maximise incomes.

Social Security Scotland also work extensively with local and national stakeholders to promote Scottish payments. This includes engagement with a group of stakeholders representing Energy Limited Chronic Illnesses, which brings together a number of organisations supporting people with fibromyalgia.

Whilst the Scottish Government is supportive of a new station in Winchburgh, it is our understanding of the station proposal that it is and has always been a developer led station, as outlined in Winchburgh Developments Ltd.’s original Masterplan for further development.

I can confirm, the Scottish Government welcomes the collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach and I and my officials in Transport Scotland will continue to support the process of exploring options for the delivery of a new station at Winchburgh.

A good level of energy efficiency is defined in the Heat in Buildings Strategy as equivalent to EPC C (based on current Energy Efficiency Rating on an EPC).However, the current Energy Efficiency Rating is not an appropriate basis on which to set an energy efficiency standard because it is based on the modelled cost to run a property, not energy efficiency.

In 2022, in response to feedback from the Climate Change Committee and other stakeholders, the Scottish Government commissioned the Building Research Establishment(BRE) to evaluate options for a new fabric energy efficiency metric to be used on EPCs in Scotland. As part of this work BRE analysed the energy efficiency of the Scottish housing stock’s building fabric. BRE’s report showed that the average house at the entry-point to EPC band C had a heating and cooling demand of approximately 120kWh/m2/year (not including energy needed to provide hot water).

The consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill includes the option of meeting a Fabric Energy Efficiency standard based on this heating and cooling demand, as an alternative to the ‘List of Measures’ approach. Research carried out by the BRE shows that when installing the measures suggested in the list, a clear majority (around 66%) of Scottish homes could achieve this good level of energy efficiency.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Student Loans Company (SLC) collects and publishes data on student loan outlays, repayments, and borrower activity for Scottish SLC customers each year.

Student Loans in Scotland: Financial Year 2022-23 (Table 3) provides (i) the number and (ii) the percentage of borrower who received loans as Scottish domiciled students studying in the UK or as EU domiciled students studying in Scotland by repayment status.

Note: These statistics only include information on loan products and do not include information regarding grants and bursaries which make up part of the student support package offered to students in Scotland.

The Scottish Government wants all homes in Scotland to reach a good level of energy efficiency where possible and is consulting on proposals to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard that would apply to all privately owned housing by the end of 2033.

The proposed minimum energy efficiency standard is at a level that is broadly equivalent to EPC C. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2022 shows that 48% of the owner-occupied housing stock (around 788,000 dwellings) is already in EPC band C or better. It is likely that for many of these homes not yet meeting the new standard, the amount of work needed to be carried out is modest.

We are also seeking views in our consultation on whether to introduce flexibility to the standard for specific groups or based on personal circumstances. These mechanisms may reduce the number of homes which need to meet the standard. In addition, we are proposing that any owner-occupied homes which have already installed clean heating systems before 2033 won’t be required to meet the standard. All owner-occupied new homes built under a building warrant on or after 1 April 2024 will already meet the clean heat requirement and will therefore not be required to meet the minimum energy efficiency standard.

The consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill includes a proposal to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard. Landlords of private rented housing would be required to meet this standard by the end of 2028.

The intention is to set a minimum energy efficiency standard at a level that is broadly equivalent to EPC C. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2022 estimates that around 50% of privately rented homes are already in EPC band C or better. It is likely that for many homes which do not yet meet the proposed standard, the amount of work needed to be carried out is modest.

We are also seeking views in our consultation on whether to introduce further flexibility to the standard for specific groups or personal circumstances. These mechanisms may reduce the number of homes which need to meet the standard.