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The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme offers funding for a range of zero direct emissions heating systems, energy efficiency measures and additional measures, including solar PV and energy storage systems in some circumstances.

From 27 June 2023 funding offered for solar PV/energy storage systems through the HES Grant and Loan Scheme has been limited to where a household is installing these measures alongside a certified renewable heating system, or where one is already in place. Previously, applicants could claim interest free loan funding for solar PV as a standalone measure.

From the launch of the HES Grant and Loan Scheme in December 2022 to the end of July 2023, 2107 legally committed offers have been made for standalone solar PV/energy storage systems. Legally committed offers are where an application has been submitted, approved and a funding agreement has been put in place.

Note these figures include some instances where an application was submitted under the previous HES Loan and Cashback Scheme, but were processed and became legally committed under the HES Grant and Loan Scheme.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme offers funding for a range of zero direct emissions heating (ZDEH) systems, energy efficiency measures and additional measures, including solar PV and energy storage systems in some circumstances. While solar PV installations often have other benefits such as reducing electricity bills, they do not directly reduce carbon emissions in the absence of a ZDEH system.

From 27 June 2023 funding offered for solar PV/energy storage systems through the HES Grant and Loan Scheme has been limited to where a household is installing these measures alongside a certified renewable heating system, or where one is already in place. In these cases, solar PV and energy storage can be used to generate and store some of the electricity required to run the ZDEH measure, supporting their uptake by reducing grid electricity demand and the running costs for the householder. Previously, applicants could claim interest free loan funding for solar PV as a standalone measure.

Due to the range of measures supported through the scheme, the Scottish Government does not hold specific analysis for solar PV/energy storage system measures. Benefits are assessed on a scheme wide basis.

Energy Saving Trust estimate that across the 6,447 ZDEH and renewable measures that had been paid or committed through grants and loans in 2022-23, the lifetime CO2 savings were estimated to be 199,488 tonnes.

I have discussed the national picture on teacher recruitment with COSLA and the Strategic Board for Teacher Education. I will continue to work with Councils on this important issue, recognising that it is they who employ our teachers.

Over the past 10 years the number of teachers in permanent posts has remained stable at over 80%. It is important to note that temporary teachers play a role in providing flexibility in the teaching workforce for absence cover, including sickness and maternity leave, ensuring continuity of provision of learning for our young people. For some teachers, supply work is a personal choice to suit their own individual circumstances.

I have tasked the Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is made up of a range of education bodies, to look at issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail. This includes, for example, geographical and subject-specific issues, as well as how we can increase diversity within the profession and improve support for early career teachers.

The Scottish Government is not aware of these reported comments from the EIS. The up to date national picture on Behaviour in Scotland’s Schools will publish later this year.

We are working with key partners to implement the recommendations of the 2022 evaluation of the first-year of the Suicide Prevention Bereavement Support Services. This showed how well the service meets the needs of family members, whilst also flagging a number of operational aspects (such as support for staff and young people) where further work would be helpful in order to inform roll out planning.

We are therefore investing a further £255,000 in 2023-24 to extend the pilot Suicide Bereavement Support Service until March 2024. This ensures continuity of service and we will use this time to gather further evidence about its impact. The final independent evaluation report is due to be published in early 2024. This will inform subsequent roll out of support for families bereaved by suicide across Scotland.

This forms part of our ambitious work on suicide prevention, which is underpinned by significant investment of £2.5m in 2023-24, and a Programme for Government commitment to double suicide prevention annual funding to £2.8 m by 2026.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20718 on 5 September 2023. 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

Where a person chooses a care home that does not accept the National Care Home Contract, the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 and associated guidance Charging for Residential Accommodation Guidance (CRAG) allows for topping up of care home fees. The Act and guidance also sets out the conditions around the top up of care home fees and states that these arrangements should be sustainable.

Any contract agreed when an individual enters residential care should clearly set out what happens if any top up fees can no longer be paid, and this contract is covered by consumer protection laws. The Local Authority also has a statutory responsibility for the delivery, commissioning and charging for care home services.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20573 on 5 September 2023. 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20573 on 5 September 2023. 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 .

The Edinburgh festivals are an essential part of Scotland’s yearly calendar and we are confident that the powers granted to the City of Edinburgh Council, and all of the local authorities, to deliver short term let schemes are appropriate to reflect local circumstances, whilst guaranteeing a level of good quality standards that will bring assurance to guests and visitors staying in Scotland. As the policy is set and delivered by the council, no central assessment has been made on impact to the festivals. To date, no short term let licence applications have been refused in Edinburgh. Those hosts that have been operating since before October 2022 are eligible for transitional arrangements and, as long as they make a licence application before the deadline of 1 October 2023, can continue to accept bookings and receive guests after October 2023 until their application is determined.

Local authorities have powers to set their own licensing fees on a cost recovery basis. The Scottish Government does not hold information on how much has been raised from short-term let application fees in each local authority area.

The following table provides a breakdown of the licence application fee structures set by each local authority area.