- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 July 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 11 August 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all new (a) affordable homes and (b) socially-rented houses that it plans to deliver in the current parliamentary session will be built under the National Housing Trust initiative.
Answer
Homes built through the National Housing Trust initiative (NHT) will be available for rent below the levels of housing benefit limits which makes them accessible to households on lower incomes. The homes will form part of the overall programme of affordable housing supply receiving financial support from the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 July 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 11 August 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many affordable homes will be (a) built and (b) available for social rent in the current parliamentary session.
Answer
We aim to deliver 30,000 affordable homes – an average of 6,000 per year over the next five years. We plan to build 5,000 new council houses during this parliament, but have not set an overall target for council/housing association homes for social rent.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 July 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 August 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made since 2007 in reducing carbon emissions.
Answer
Information on progress toward reducing carbon emissions arising from operations on the Scottish Government estate is detailed in the Scottish Government’s Environmental Performance Annual Report for 2008-09; copies are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50874).
Information in respect of progress during 2009-10 is currently being collated for publication later this year.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 July 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 4 August 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to reach its proposed interim target of 42% emissions reduction by 2020.
Answer
Scottish ministers set out their policies and proposals for meeting annual emissions reduction targets for 2010-22, including the interim target of 42% by 2020, in the Report on Proposals and Policies, a statutory requirement of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting the Emissions Reduction Targets 2010-2022 was laid in draft in Parliament on 17 November 2010, and laid in its final form in Parliament on 14 March 2011.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 July 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating systems it estimates will be installed under the Energy Assistance Package scheme over the next five years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
We do not hold this information. The Energy Assistance Package is a demand led scheme. The volume and location of installations depends on the receipt of eligible applications, along with the available budget. Future funding for EAP will be a matter for the forthcoming Spending Review.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 22 July 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive when will it appoint a chair to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum.
Answer
I am happy to confirm that Professor David Sigsworth has agreed to take up the post of Chair of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum. He will be ably assisted by Norman Kerr, who has agreed to become Vice Chair.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 20 July 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has in place to mitigate the impact of the recent energy price increases announced by Scottish Power.
Answer
Scottish ministers have expressed their concern over the recent price increases announced by Scottish power and its impact on fuel poverty. In meetings with Scottish Power up to £10 million has been secured for energy efficiency programmes in Scotland. This government’s fuel poverty programmes continue to deliver assistance to vulnerable households. The Energy Assistance Package has grant funded over 20,000 heating installations since April 2009 and improved the annual income of pensioners and families by over £4.2 million. The Home Insulation Scheme and universal Home Insulation Scheme have helped over 500,000 people since November 2009.
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance has also issued a letter to Ofgem voicing concern over this alarming trend in utility pricing, especially the impact on vulnerable customers.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 20 July 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households it estimates will benefit from the Universal Home Insulation Scheme in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013, (d) 2014, (e) 2015 and (f) 2016.
Answer
We estimate that up to 200,000 households will be offered the opportunity to benefit from UHIS in 2011-12. It is not possible to estimate for subsequent years as funding beyond 2011-12 will be a matter for the Spending Review, and subsequent reviews.
Invitations to local authorities to bid for funding for UHIS in 2011-12 were issued on 1 July 2011, with a submission deadline of 12 August 2011.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 20 July 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive when the application process will be available to eligible groups to apply to the proposed warm homes fund.
Answer
The warm homes fund will deliver renewable energy and energy-efficient homes in those areas worse affected by fuel poverty. The operational details, including the criteria and the application process, are being worked on and will be announced in due course.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 20 July 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be allocated to the Universal Home Insulation Scheme in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013, (d) 2014, (e) 2015 and (f) 2016.
Answer
In 2011-12, a budget of £12.5 million will be available to support the Universal Home Insulation Scheme. Funding beyond 2011-12 will be a matter for the Spending Review, and subsequent reviews.
Invitations to local authorities to bid for funding for UHIS in 2011-12 were issued on 1 July 2011, with a submission deadline of 12 August 2011.