Chamber and committees

There is no such proposal.

As was made clear in the letter to the Committee, an undercut of a door was only one element of the example set of remedial measures used to illustrate the appropriate level of overall additional funding that might be needed to tackle problematic spaces. The other elements that formed part of the example were temporary use of an air cleaning device and installation of small mechanical ventilation units.

Local authorities are fully aware that they should undertake any remedial work in line with Scottish Government guidance on ventilation and expert input.

The name of the short-life group was the Materials Shortages Working Group.

The purpose of the group was to examine where the immediate shortages were most acute and to identify opportunities to remove barriers and build capacity within Scotland. The minutes for this group were not published.

The group was set up in June 2021 and met a total of 12 times with the final meeting taking place on Tuesday 28 September 2021.

A letter summarising the key findings from the Materials Shortage Working Group’s work was sent to the Economy and Fair Work committee on 25 January 2022 and has been published on the Scottish Parliament website. Details of this letter can be found in the following link.

Construction Materials Shortages Working Group | Scottish Parliament Website

recognise how difficult self-isolation for 14 days has been for those who live in care homes and their loved ones. While self-isolation has been necessary for minimising the risk of Covid-19 transmission, I understand that restrictions on visiting during isolation periods can be distressing for and negatively affect the wellbeing of care home residents and their loved ones. This is why it is important that restrictions are not in place for any longer than necessary and Scottish Government Officials have worked with clinical experts to keep restrictions under close review throughout the pandemic.

Self-isolation periods for care home residents was, in January, reviewed by clinical experts. The result of this review was a recommendation that there could be a reduction of the self-isolation period for individuals identified as cases or contacts of a Covid-19 case, who live in adult care homes, from 14 days to 10 days. On 19 th January 2022 the Scottish Government communicated this updated guidance to care homes and confirmed that care homes should adopt this change in guidance with immediate effect.

I appreciate the isolation period still differs from the general public, which may be disappointing for individuals living in care homes. This change is in line with guidance issued by Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland and the UK IPC cell and reflects the ongoing risks facing vulnerable people living in a communal setting. To minimise the impact isolation periods can have on residents, they can choose a friend or family member to be a named visitor, to visit them during their self-isolation periods. Scottish Government Officials have worked with Public Health Scotland to normalise visiting by named visitors and emphasise that this is the default approach and care homes and health protection teams should support these visits, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

In addition to this, following a review by Public Health Scotland, people transferring from hospitals to care homes will no longer need to isolate, if they have had a negative PCR test in the previous 48 hours, so long as they have no symptoms of a respiratory virus and have had no prior exposure to COVID-19, over the previous 14 days.

Scottish Government Officials continue to work with Public Health Scotland and ARHAI to review all remaining restrictions including self-isolation periods for residents.

The example scenario used to generate overall costings for the up-to-£5m funding was developed with input from the Scottish Futures Trust, and drew on the costings that had already been developed for the Business Ventilation Fund with input from the expert Covid-19 Ventilation Short Life Working Group.

As was made clear in the letter to the Committee, an undercut of a door was only one element of the example set of remedial measures used to calculate the up-to-£5m fund. The other elements that formed part of the example were temporary use of an air cleaning device and installation of small mechanical ventilation units.

Inclusion of the potential for a door undercut in the example is fully in line with expert advice. This makes clear that undercuts (small gaps at the bottom of a door) allow air pressure to be equalised on each side of the door, to ensure that additional force on one side does not make the door difficult to open. This includes cases where the pressure increase caused by mechanical ventilation systems – another key element of the example scenario – could impair the normal safe operation of a door. It was for this reason that this element was included in the example scenario.

In August 2021, the first six pilots commenced, meeting the 100 day commitment set by this government. A further four pilots have been launched since then. These pilots will run for up to 12 months, testing different approaches and delivery models to help inform a national rollout. The latest figures calculated show that 988 free bikes have been issued across the ten pilots so far.

There has been no specific evaluation of the contribution of solar thermal and solar PV to the heat network targets for 2027 and 2030.

Our Heat in Building Strategy sets out that technologies, such as solar thermal and solar PV, can work well when used in conjunction with primary heating technologies, such as heat pumps.

As set out in our draft Heat Networks Delivery Plan, from the point that the heat networks legislative framework is in place, any new heat network as well as additional plans for heat network extensions will be required to be powered using low and zero emissions sources of heat. The plan also notes that license holders who operate existing networks will be required to prepare and implement a Heat Network Decarbonisation Plan, which will include milestones for making significant reductions in emissions by 2030 and 2035. To support development of these plans, we will commission work to test and develop an approach to preparing them during 2022.

We will consult on the draft Islands Energy Strategy during the summer of 2022.

The Strategy will set out an approach to supporting island residents and communities to decarbonise, and to develop renewable energy solutions that can promote resilience, enhance sustainability, and meet their energy needs.

In developing the draft Strategy, we will engage with our island stakeholders, to ensure we reflect their differing needs and priorities and work alongside the Carbon Neutral Islands initiative to maximise impact and shared learning.

We will consult on the draft Islands Energy Strategy during the summer of 2022.

The Strategy will set out an approach to supporting island residents and communities to decarbonise, and to develop renewable energy solutions that can promote resilience, enhance sustainability, and meet their energy needs.

In developing the draft Strategy, we will engage with our island stakeholders, to ensure we reflect their differing needs and priorities and work alongside the Carbon Neutral Islands initiative to maximise impact and shared learning.

As part of the Scottish Government’s Seaweed Review, a scenario mapping exercise exploring areas of growth for the seaweed sector and wider possible impacts of growth scenarios was undertaken. The report setting out the findings from that exercise has now been published, alongside a statement setting out the next steps for the Seaweed Review.

The publication of these documents contributes to the Programme for Government commitment to report on any changes required to marine planning and licensing processes, as well as to the continued sustainable development of the blue economy.

These documents are available at:

• Understanding the potential scale for seaweed-based industries in Scotland– https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781802018837
• Statement on the Seaweed Review– https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781804350720

The report exploring potential areas for growth has been informed by stakeholder consultation and engagement with the Seaweed Review Strategy Group (“SRSG”). The SRSG comprises of representatives from various sectors representing conservation, science, enterprise, biotechnology, fisheries and the Seaweed Industry Association. I want to thank the members of the SRSG for their invaluable contributions and continued engagement with the review process.

The review points to the need for a more comprehensive policy and regulatory framework for both seaweed harvesting and cultivation activities, as well as input from the seaweed industry and other stakeholders, to support the future development of a sustainable seaweed industry.

There is a long history of harvesting seaweed in Scotland and growing interest in the sector supports our decision to include seaweed as part of the first stage of the aquaculture review by Professor Griggs which was published earlier this month. The future of Scotland’s seaweed cultivation sector will also be considered as part of the development of the Scottish Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture.

Other pieces of work, including the new seafood strategy to be published later this year, underline our commitment to ensure that existing and emerging seaweed activities fit into our broader framework for managing multiple uses of the sea, including fishing and renewable energy.