Chamber and committees

Given the high level of demand for the projects in the pilot phase, it was not possible for every application received to proceed to the next stage. The following councils submitted applications to Scottish Futures Trust to develop full Tax Incremental Financing business cases for Ministers’ consideration, but have not been invited at this stage to progress their pilot projects: Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, Orkney Islands, Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian.

Scottish Ministers have agreed two pilot projects so far on the basis of recommendations from the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT): Edinburgh Waterfront and, provisionally, Ravenscraig Phase Two.

Following recommendations made by SFT (as part of a joint evaluation team), Falkirk Council, Fife Council and Argyll and Bute Council are being invited to work with SFT to develop full Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) business cases for their proposed projects for detailed consideration by Ministers.

Work on developing Glasgow City Council's TIF pilot project for the Buchanan Quarter remains under way.

In addition, Ministers have asked that Aberdeen City Council’s plan to use TIF for the Union Terrace Gardens project be progressed for their detailed consideration, provided public support for the project can be demonstrated.

SFT will make further recommendations to Ministers about all of these potential projects in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question to S4W-04017 on 23 November 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Scottish Ministers have regular and ongoing bilateral discussions with each of the main energy companies and consumer bodies in Scotland on a range of issues, including energy process. Consumer Focus Scotland also led a discussion on fuel prices at the First Minister's Scottish Energy Advisory Board.

In addition, Ministers held specific discussions on energy price with Scottish Power, Scottish and Southern Energy, EDF Energy and British Gas. As a result, Scottish Power made available an additional £10 million Community Energy Savings Programme funding to help low income households in Scotland improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel bills. British Gas identified an additional £20 million of funding to be directed into Scotland, for the installation of solid wall insulation in properties for the most vulnerable householders, in off-gas areas.

Scottish Ministers also met collectively with the main energy companies, the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum, Consumer Focus Scotland, and Ofgem on helping Scottish consumers. As a result, further work is underway to simplify and clarify information for consumers, for each company to set out what it is doing to help consumers in Scotland and to help vulnerable people change to the cheapest fuel tariffs.

Help is available for tenants of private landlords who are in fuel poverty through Scottish Government energy efficiency and fuel poverty schemes, including: the Energy Assistance Package (EAP), the Universal Housing Insulation Scheme (UHIS) and a further £500,000 dedicated to a new Boiler Scrappage Scheme targeting private landlords, helping to drive lower carbon emissions and reduce fuel poverty this winter. In addition, the Scottish Government funded Energy Savings Trust provides interest free loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including private landlords, to install renewable energy technologies or measures which reduce energy consumption.

All social landlords, including local authority landlords, must ensure that all their dwellings pass all elements of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) by April 2015. This will ensure all their properties meet a minimum level of energy efficiency to help make homes warmer and reduce fuel poverty. The Scottish Government is supporting landlords to achieve these standards in a number of ways, including:

- supporting landlords through publishing detailed technical guidance on the application of SHQS for landlords

- supporting landlords through liaising with the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) and with social landlord forums to promote awareness of SHQS and to address technical issues raised by landlords

- working with the Scottish Housing Regulator and Analytical colleagues to ensure there is an effective monitoring system in place through the Scottish House Condition Survey and data collected from landlords.

The Scottish Government does not produce projections of fuel poverty because of the difficulties in identifying future fuel prices, future income levels and stock condition at a household level.

The Scottish Government recently announced a review of fuel poverty. Scottish Government analysts are working closely with the Fuel Poverty Forum to scope out the analytical requirements that can be delivered in support of the review.

Final allocations under the fuel poverty budget for 2012-13 and future years are still to be made. Our current programmes will also be reviewed by the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum and recommendations made to me early in the New Year.

The answer is shown in the following table:

Expenditure shown in 2007-08 to 2010-11 correlates to the information provided in boards final monthly monitoring return for the appropriate year and relates solely to capital expenditure on medical equipment.

Capital funding made available to NHS boards for the provision of medical equipment in each year between 2007 and 2011 is as shown in the following table:

It is for individual NHS boards to determine annually the level of funding required for new and replacement medical equipment taking into account other local priorities. NHS boards can use both formula capital and revenue resources to meet equipment costs. Given the revision of capital planning arrangements issued under cover of CEL(32)10, NHS boards have not been given a specific allocation for medical equipment in 2011-12, which is included in their core capital formula allocation.