Chamber and committees

Our target date for completion of door-step assessments of all eligible homes under the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) is 31 March 2010 with delivery of insulation in all suitable homes where owners want them by that date, or shortly thereafter. The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, will work with delivery partners to ensure that these measures are installed to a high standard. Monitoring of the quality of the measures installed will be a feature of HIS.

It is, however, likely that loft and cavity wall insulation will generally not be appropriate for hard-to-treat homes and that such properties will be assisted through the provision of energy audits, benefits advice and social tariff checks where appropriate.

The bulk of publicity and promotion costs under the Home Insulation Scheme will be delivered by the managing agent and funded by the Scottish Government. However, in some cases, local agencies are providing complementary support for publicity and promotion.

At this stage it is not possible to estimate what the expected total householder contribution will be to measures part-funded by the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) in 2009-10. The householder contribution will depend on factors such as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target offer for able to pay households that it is possible to secure as part of the procurement process. When HIS is fully underway and data is being collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

We recognise the need to make substantial progress in our existing housing stock to meet our climate change ambitions. Whilst resources are tight, we have made a significant start by identifying resources for the Home Insulation Scheme in the 2009-10 Budget, and, subject to parliamentary approval, in 2010-11. Again subject to parliamentary approval, we intend to continue in budgetary terms year by year towards the achievement of a step-change in energy efficiency and insulation by 2020. The first phase of investment and the associated evaluation will assist in determining the best way of taking this forward in future years.

Our initial estimate of potential emission savings under the Home Insulation Scheme remains as stated in my answer to question S3W-23534 on 12 May 2009. The Scottish Government''s analytical framework for carbon assessment is under continuing development and this may affect the calculation of future estimates.

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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

All households within Home Insulation Scheme areas are eligible to receive insulation measures either free, or at a reduced cost compared to the normal market cost of installation, providing that their house is suitable for the relevant measure. While able-to-pay households will receive insulation at reduced cost, they will be required to make a financial contribution to the costs of installation, if they wish to receive the measures. The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, is currently carrying out a procurement exercise to appoint the supplier offering the best deal for HIS customers in a given area. The level of householder contribution will be determined by the outcome of a procurement exercise which is not yet complete.

Eligibility for free insulation measures will be similar to that applied by the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme, which focuses on benefit entitlement, but also includes the over-70s as a priority group.

Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) assessors are due to begin visits to every house in a HIS area in early November, with the exception of those households who have previously responded by other means such as in response to a direct mailing. It is not possible at this stage to accurately estimate the number of visits which will be made by the end of 2009. Our planning and funding framework is based on financial years, i.e. 2009-10 for the first phase. When HIS is underway and data is collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

The first insulation installations under the Home Insulation Scheme are expected to be carried out in early December 2009.

Contributions to the Home Insulation Scheme, which will be in addition to the £15 million allocated by the Scottish Government, will be delivered mainly from Carbon Emissions Reduction Target activity and owner contributions. The amount of investment contributed from these sources will depend on factors such as the uptake of measures under the first phase of the scheme, which will cover around 100,000 homes.

Complementary investment will also be provided from local councils and other local partners in the selected areas. Complementary investment from some of the local councils selected for the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme is subject to final confirmation and approval. However, at this stage, our provisional estimate is that in the region of £750,000 of complementary investment will be contributed from local agencies.

In the Scottish Government''s draft budget for 2010-11, published on 7 September, £15 million has been allocated to the Home Insulation Scheme in 2010-11.