Seòmar agus comataidhean

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.

The HES Grant and Loan Scheme is open to all owner occupier households in Scotland and we do not collect socioeconomic data as part of the application process.

The HES advice service acts as the gateway to the Scottish Government’s heat and energy efficiency schemes. HES will refer households to a scheme suitable to their circumstances, including our Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme and Area Based Schemes, which are targeted at those in fuel poverty.

Information on the number of buildings in the programme is published and can be found here:

Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Information is provided on a regional basis in line with requests from residents and homeowners to protect their privacy.

Local authorities currently provide six monthly reports on school counselling services which include information around number of children accessing the service, improved outcomes, counsellor numbers and the types of issues young people are presenting with.

A summary of the reports submitted in 2022 will be published on the Scottish Government website in the coming weeks at: Access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people’s community mental health services – summary reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government does not recognise these reported claims.

The Scottish Government worked closely with the teaching unions, including the EIS, and local government partners to reach a historic 28-month pay deal that has a cumulative value of 14.6%, which is the largest pay package for teachers in over twenty years.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. It is statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate.

However, the proportion of schools in “good” or “satisfactory” condition has increased from 61% in April 2007 to 90.4% in April 2022.

Our new strategy takes a fresh approach to tackling the inequalities that lead to suicide. This is reflected in our key priorities for 2023-24 which include a commitment to support new peer support groups across Scotland; drawing on the extensive feedback and evidence we considered when developing our strategy.

We are providing funding of £389,150 to the Scottish Recovery Network over the next 3 years to continue its vital work to build peer support capacity across Scotland. The innovative Creating Hope With Peer Support project is developing and co-designing peer support training with a range of community based suicide prevention groups and services. Our aim is to enable high quality peer support to be provided across the country for those in crisis, contemplating suicide or who have been affected by suicide.

The training will be piloted in winter 2023-2024 and rolled out to other groups and services across the country when finalised, helping to increase the number and range of people who can access peer support.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20716 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

Scottish Ministers have set out our public commitment to ensuring that every penny of consequential funding received from the UK Government is invested in assessing buildings and making unsafe buildings safe. Information on expenditure on the programme is published quarterly and can be found here:

Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The most recently published figures show a spend of just over £3.6m. This publication also includes information on the number of buildings in the programme. Information is provided on a regional basis in line with requests from residents and homeowners to protect their privacy.

The summary of 2022 reports will be published in the coming weeks at: Access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people’s community mental health services – summary reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The statutory responsibility for the planning and delivery of social care, including that care home capacity meets the needs of the population, sits with the NHS and local Councils, and not the Scottish Government. Where there are care home closures in any local area including Glasgow, the Scottish Government expects professional leads from the local Health and Social Care Partnership to work together to implement the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and Care Inspectorate national good practice guidance on managing the closure care homes (Good Practice Guidance on the Closure of a Care Home): https://www.careinspectorate.com/images/documents/1477/cosla_-_good_practice_guidance_on_closure_of_a_care_home.pdf .

This is to ensure any closures are managed smoothly and suitable alternative placements are found for care home residents based on their needs and preferences.

The Scottish Government is providing nearly £13.5 billion in the 2023-24 Local Government Settlement. Following the flat-cash position set out in the 2022 Resource Spending Review, the Scottish Government listened to councils and increased the resources available to Local Government this year by over £793 million.