Chamber and committees

Door-step assessments in Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) areas will seek to identify households vulnerable to fuel poverty to enable them to be referred to appropriate services such as provision of benefit advice, social tariff checks and insulation measures. Information on the number of households identified as vulnerable to fuel poverty and those referred to, and subsequently receiving services will be available when HIS is underway and data is collected for monitoring purposes. The evaluation process for HIS will then be able to use this information to assess the impact of the scheme on fuel poverty.

The Scottish Government has made an initial estimate that the Home Insulation Scheme could save in the region of 24,250 tCO2e in 2009-10. The actual emission savings achieved will depend on a range of factors including levels of uptake by householders. The implementation of the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme will be evaluated with a view to informing its development in subsequent years. The emission savings achieved will be calculated within the framework for standard carbon assessment being developed by the Scottish Government.

If the tenant of a private landlord is within a priority group under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme then no client contribution is required. The anticipation is that private landlords will normally pay any financial contribution towards the cost of insulation measures in cases where such a contribution is required. However, the tenant would be given the option to pay this contribution if the landlord refused to do so.

At this stage, it is not possible to estimate how many households will have insulation measures installed under the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) that will be fully paid for. When HIS is fully underway and data is being collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

All households within Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) 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.

At this stage, it is not possible to estimate how many households will be eligible to receive reduced-cost insulation measures under HIS in the areas selected for 2009-10, as opposed to those eligible for free measures, and what proportion of households in those areas each group represents. Eligibility for free measures is determined both by ability of a property to take HIS measures and the socio-economic status of the householder. 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 welcome the UK Government''s ambition to insulate all cavities and lofts by 2015 (which was reaffirmed in its UK Low Carbon Transition), and indicated that we believe this will not be met in Scotland unless changes are made to the framework for the delivery of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the obligation that supersedes it. The Home Insulation Scheme will contribute towards this ambition, but the degree to which it can be achieved will partly depend on decisions made around the future of CERT.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27367 on 24 September 2009. 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.

Seven criteria for area selection were agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) following a joint COSLA-Scottish Government workshop for local authorities on 28 April. Local authorities attending this joint session contributed to discussion which helped shape the agreed criteria. Local authorities were then asked to submit bids, providing information relating to their proposed areas against the following selection criteria:

Criteria A: Levels of carbon emissions in an area/neighbourhood

Criteria B: Levels of fuel poverty in an area/neighbourhood

Criteria C: Numbers of dwellings that can be treated with loft insulation and cavity fill

Criteria D: Potential for complementary funding from other sources

Criteria E: Appropriate mix of geographical areas

Criteria F: Ability to deliver within the prescribed timescale

Criteria G: Mechanisms for community engagement.

An assessment panel, consisting of Scottish Government officials and a representative from Energy Action Scotland, was then established to consider bids. To assist the panel, guidance was developed to underpin the seven overall assessment criteria. There then followed a three-stage process “ individual assessment by each panel member; followed by collective assessment of the stronger applications by the panel, and then further discussion with relevant council officers from short-listed councils at interview prior to decision and recommendation. The Energy Saving Trust also supplied expert advice in a non-voting capacity.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27384 on 24 September 2009. 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

The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, is currently carrying out a procurement exercise to appoint the supplier offering the best deal for Home Insulation Scheme customers in a given area. This will be an open and competitive process in order to obtain value for money and to reflect EU procedures and regulations. It will be the responsibility of each supplier, when appointed, to enter into contracts as they see fit to ensure that the required skills are available to ensure installation of appropriate insulation measures in each area.