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Installing solar panels on owned Scottish Government buildings will be considered as part of holistic approach to decarbonising our buildings. Feasibility studies will be carried out to look at the suitability of roof structures, roof orientation, available space and shading. Not all buildings will be suitable for installing solar panels. We will continue to pursue innovative solutions which may provide opportunities to support the broader energy transition.

Scottish Government core owned estate has six buildings with solar panels installed.

They are in the following local authority areas:

The City of Edinburgh Council – 3 buildings (Victoria Quay, St Andrews House, SASA)

Scottish Borders Council – 1 building (Tweedbank)

Aberdeenshire Council – 1 building (Thainstone)

Argyll and Bute – 1 building (Cameron House, Oban)

The Scottish Government does not hold data on solar panels installed on buildings owned or occupied by its agencies or other public bodies.

The following tables have been produced in answer to the question above. Table 1 shows figures for charges reported under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022, Table 2 shows figures for charges reported with aggravations under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022. It should be noted that cases which are reported in any given year may not result in prosecutions or convictions until subsequent years. Figures for 2025 cover the period from 01 January 2025 to 03 February 2025.

Table 1 Charges reported under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022

The latest data on pupil support assistants is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-support-staff-statistics/

The total cost of installing solar panels on core Scottish Government buildings in the last five years is £49,787, all delivered in 2021. There was no spend in the other 5 years.

The Scottish Government intends to refresh and modernise the School Premises Regulations (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) to ensure that they meet the needs of pupils and schools in Scotland. The Scottish Government still intends to re-consult this year on the Regulations.

Scottish Government officials are taking steps to engage with relevant stakeholders and will be reaching out to further interested parties.

The following tables have been produced in answer to the question above. It should be noted that cases which are reported in any given year may not result in prosecutions or convictions until subsequent years.

Explosives Act 1985

The solar panels installed on core Scottish Government buildings have an output warranty of 25 years. The panels will continue to operate past 25 years, however their output will be lower than new panels. Maintenance costs are included in the overall building maintenance costs and cannot be disaggregated. The cost of replacing the panels at the end of their life cannot be estimated due to the timescales involved.

The electricity generated by solar panels on core Scottish Government owned buildings is

2023-24 – 227,433 kWh

2022-23 – 506,430 kWh

2021-22 – 269,187 kWh

2020-21 – 177,409 kWh

2019-20 – 81,246 kWh

Local authorities have the statutory responsibility for delivering education and the statutory duty to make special arrangements for any affected pupils to receive education elsewhere than at a school or other educational establishment as a result of prolonged ill health. The Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities primarily by means of a block grant and it is for local councils to manage the allocation of their resources and the level of services that are delivered, including for education. In the 2023-24 financial year, the latest figure available, spending by local authorities reached a record high of over £1 billion from the Scottish Government for additional support for learning. This represents an increase from the £540 million spending allocated for this purpose in 2012-13.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government has published guidance on the education of children and young people unable to attend school due to ill health. The purpose of our guidance is to provide advice and information for local authorities in relation to their statutory duty to make special arrangements for any affected pupils/ This includes guidance on making alternative arrangements in instances where a child or young person is either staying in hospital, or they have a health condition which means they are often in and out of hospital. Our guidance is available through the following web link: Introduction - Education of children unable to attend school due to ill health: guidance - gov.scot.