Chamber and committees

The 2021 consultation on the draft Heat in Buildings Strategy included 7 consultation workshops, which were open to all interested participants. Of the 156 attendees, 147 identified themselves as representing an organisation. Workshop attendees were not asked to register their personal circumstances, so information on how many were off-grid householders was not recorded.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy confirms our intention to introduce, subject to consultation, regulations requiring Scotland’s homes to meet EPC Band C equivalent, where that is technically feasible and cost effective from 2025. We plan to consult during 2022 on our proposals for such regulations, and this will include details of any exemptions including those linked to cost and availability of finance, clarity on the burden of responsibility, and matters relating to compliance and enforcement.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy confirms our intention to introduce, subject to consultation, regulations requiring Scotland’s homes to meet EPC Band C equivalent, where that is technically feasible and cost effective from 2025 onwards, with a range of backstop dates from 2028 to 2033. We plan to consult during 2022 on our proposals for such regulations, and this will include details of any exemptions, definitions of properties in scope, and matters relating to compliance.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Ahead of the introduction of any legislation on minimum energy performance standards, the Scottish Government will undertake a suite of impact assessments on its proposals, which will have been informed by consultation to be undertaken over the next year. These impact assessments will enable any mitigating actions to be considered.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy confirms our intention to introduce, subject to consultation, minimum energy efficiency regulations, equivalent to EPC C where that is technically feasible and cost effective from 2025.

These regulations will apply to private-rented homes by 2028. We plan to consult during 2022 on how these regulations will work in practice, considering whether any obligations may apply at the end of a tenancy, how long landlords may have to comply with any requirements, and the effects on tenants.

The requirement to meet the proposed energy efficiency standard will be predicated on it being technically feasible and cost effective as we recognise that some properties may be more constrained in terms of technology options available, or limited by location, impact on the fabric of historic buildings, property type or, space.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy confirms our intention to introduce, subject to consultation, regulations requiring Scotland’s homes to meet EPC Band C equivalent, where that is technically feasible and cost effective from 2025 onwards, with a range of backstop dates from 2028 to 2033. We plan to consult during 2022 on our proposals for such regulations, and this will include details of any exemptions, definitions of properties in scope, and matters relating to compliance.

The Scottish Government is committed to resourcing and supporting local authorities (LAs) through a mix of competitive and other funding programmes, as well as direct resource to support commitments to statutory targets. Specifically, we are committed to providing appropriate resource to all LAs to drive area-based planning and delivery of the heat transition, under our Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies programme. We are also committed to provide appropriate resource to enable them to deliver the provisions of the Heat Networks Act. Over this parliamentary session, £300 million will be available, including to LAs, to support the development and roll out of zero emission heat networks.

The Scottish Green Public Sector Estate Decarbonisation Scheme is designed to support leadership for decarbonisation of public buildings, with the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund accelerating the delivery of energy efficiency measures and zero emission heating systems to existing homes in the socially rented sector (including LAs). Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and LAs are also supported by the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Development Fund to develop zero emission heating projects and strategic plans ready for capital funding. We have extended the scope of projects funded through our Area Based Schemes to include delivery of low carbon heating and microgeneration measures (solar PV) as part of a `whole house retrofit’. This includes costs associated with the whole house assessment, design, coordination and evaluation of retrofit measures. Lastly, we have non-competitive funding for investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and decarbonisation of public sector fleets available to all LAs, with over £65 million of funding awarded over the last decade.

The Scottish Government recognises that the proposals to set minimum energy efficiency and zero emissions targets for domestic properties will affect a range of stakeholders, and will consider relevant impacts during our planned consultation on the regulatory pathway and the setting of standards, as laid out in the Heat in Buildings Strategy. This will include the building insurance industry, mortgage lenders and all those impacted by the proposals.

Scottish Government officials are continually engaging with NHS Boards and Health and Social Partnerships (HSCPs) to identify particular areas of concern. Aberdeenshire HSCP, which has operational responsibility for delivering services at Chalmers Hospital in Banff, advises that it is working closely with the staff group to develop a sustainable model of service delivery for the Banff community.

We have announced a substantial new investment of over £300 million in hospital and community care to support the NHS and social care system. The new funding will support a range of measures to maximise capacity in hospitals and primary care, reduce delayed discharges and ensure those in the community who need support receive effective and responsive care. NHS Grampian is receiving a share of direct workforce investments introduced through this plan including the recruitment of 1,000 additional healthcare support staff to support patients in hospitals and in community health teams.

Over and above this funding we have provided NHS Grampian with £1.1 million to support two new specialist programmes – Interface Care and Discharge without Delay – which will speed up the hospital discharge process or provide an alternative to hospital care altogether. This work is currently underway and we are working collaboratively with the Board to ensure robust actions are in place which support the reduction of long delays and improve patient care.

In addition, Grampian has received a £944K share of a further £10 million which has been allocated to Health Boards to support the delivery of timeous and optimal care. This will support Health Boards to put in place a range of measures including ensuring appropriate levels of staffing are in place across the system to facilitate efficient and effective patient care.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03956 on 15 November 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers