Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-27145

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-27141

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-26359

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the roll-out of smart meters to households.

This inconsistency in meter installation may well mean that customers with older meters find it more difficult to switch supplier in future. There is also a real possibility that those who do not have smart meters installed, whether for technical reasons or because they refuse to do so, may face higher bills. This may cause a particular risk that pensioners pay more which would be wholly unacceptable.

The Scottish Government is of the view that the most vulnerable are the most in need of a smart energy solution, so particular caution must be exercised to ensure that the rollout is designed for their needs.

I raised these issues in a phone call to the UK Energy Minister, Lord Bourne, on 22 July 2015 and I will continue to press the UK Government to ensure that the programme is delivered at the lowest possible cost to the greatest number of Scottish consumers whilst enhancing the benefits to the most vulnerable in our society and those at risk of fuel poverty.

Question reference: S4W-26361

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on its decision to create a single data collection company for smart meter data.

Question reference: S4W-26363

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the potential for increasing the number of modern apprenticeships in the energy sector through training people to install smart meters.

A properly conceived scheme, that enables the most up to date technology to be used and takes steps to address the considerable criticisms that have been made, could provide a significant number of employment and training opportunities in Scotland.

The relevant trade association, British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers’ Association, expects that the number of jobs currently involved in the assembly of meters will double, creating an additional 750 to 1,000 jobs including highly skilled jobs in assembly, testing, research, logistics and product development and the Department of Energy and Climate Change has stated that up to 10,000 jobs could be supported during peak installation¹.

This potential to create jobs is at risk and the criticisms of the programme raised by the Scottish Government and others must be taken seriously and properly addressed to ensure that these considerable benefits are realised.

1. delivering energy investment report

Question reference: S4W-26366

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost would be of the roll-out of smart meters to every household.

According to the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s latest impact assessment of the smart meter roll out from 2014, the roll-out is expected to result in a small bill increase in the short term, peaking at an average increase of around £6 per household in 2015, and will be followed by bill reductions from 2017. The Department for Energy and Climate Change estimates average bills savings of approximately £43 per household by 2030.

The assessment claims total net benefit across domestic and non-domestic sectors is expected to amount to £6.2 billion with estimates for worst to best case scenarios ranging from £1.3 billion to £11.4 billion.

The very wide range in these estimates make them hard to confidently rely on, but further to this the costs and expected benefits are likely to have changed significantly since the impact assessment was undertaken. The Scottish Government does not believe that these figures accurately reflect the costs of the smart meter programme and we are concerned that costs could potentially be much higher.

Question reference: S4W-26362

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on the potential for new smart meter technology to reduce consumer costs associated with pre-payment energy meters.

Question reference: S4W-26368

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Smart Energy GB’s emphasis on raising awareness of smart meters with households vulnerable to fuel poverty.

Question reference: S4W-26364

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage innovation in the design of smart meters.

The Scottish Government does not have a direct role to play in the design of smart meters. We are committed to supporting innovation in Scotland however. We do this through the Scottish Funding Council, the network of Innovation Centres, through our enterprise agencies and through the new ministerial-led Scotland CAN DO Innovation Forum which held its first meeting on 20 May 2015.

We are pressing the UK Government to encourage the installation of the most up to date technology in smart meters to avoid issues that could be faced by consumers who have had older meters installed.

Question reference: S4W-26360

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on its decision to mandate the roll-out of smart meters.