Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23076 on 5 May 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 Technology Partnership (ETP) is a partnership of Scotland''s universities dedicated to collaborative research across the energy field. The partnership''s members currently employ 250 academics and 650 researchers across several higher education institutions, the largest power and energy grouping of its kind in Europe.

One of the key strategic objectives of the ETP is to achieve economic benefit for Scotland from its activities, through knowledge exchange, new company formation and working with industry to commercialise its science base. The ETP is actively supporting the creation of indirect jobs in Scotland, through participation in inward and outward trade missions with Scottish Development International and working closely with our colleagues in Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Island Enterprise to develop closer working relationships with the 2500 energy related companies in Scotland.

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre will create 10 direct and 60 indirect jobs over the next five years. These direct posts will work across the range of activities of the centre, to promote collaborative research opportunities between Scottish companies, universities and their European counterparts; to secure funding for this research, and to disseminate the results of this research across the EU.

I also refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23078 on 5 May 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23136 on 29 April 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22157 on 1 April 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.

Local authority officials, at a meeting of the Scottish Houses in Multiple Occupation Networking Group and in direct contact, have informed the Scottish Government of concerns, based on their experience, that some landlords may be evading the requirements for licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) by claiming that properties are let on a short-term basis and that tenants have principal residences elsewhere. This was identified as a particular concern in relation to the accommodation of migrant workers.

As previously stated, we will be considering the options for implementing new HMO provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 later this year. The issue of short-term lets, and what types of accommodation require to be licensed under those provisions, will be part of our discussions with stakeholders.

Part 7 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 (the 2004 Act) provides that a local authority can issue an Antisocial Behaviour Notice (ABN) on the landlord of a relevant house where the tenant or occupant is engaging in antisocial behaviour. We consider that a house occupied under a holiday let would be included in the definition of a relevant house for the purposes of the 2004 act.

Legislation on the energy performance of buildings was introduced under the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 as a result of an EU Directive. This legislation came into force for existing buildings on 4 January 2009. Energy performance certificates are therefore not required for buildings subject to new leases or renewal of existing leases prior to that date.

The Scottish Government, however, recognises its leadership role for the wider public sector and we will be working to produce EPCs for the main buildings on our core estate during 2009. This approach will mean that the Scottish Government has gone beyond the minimum statutory requirements, underlying its commitment to leading by example.

Legislation on the energy performance of buildings was introduced under the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 as a result of an EU Directive. This legislation came into force for existing buildings on 4 January 2009. I refer the member to my answer S3W-22032 that notes no new leasing arrangements or renewals were entered into by Core Scottish Executive over 2007 and 2008. Energy performance certificates are therefore not required.

The Scottish Government, however, recognises its leadership role for the wider public sector and we will be working to produce Energy Performance Certificates for the main buildings on our core estate during 2009. This approach will mean that the Scottish Government has gone beyond the minimum statutory requirements, underlying its commitment to leading by example.

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.

Within the context of the licensing of houses in multiple occupation, if there were to be any changes to the definition of a licensable property, a legal definition of a holiday let would be drafted if that proved necessary to distinguish such a property from licensable properties. If such a definition proved to be necessary, we expect that it would reflect the distinction between properties occupied by tenants who are living and working in an area and those occupied by people who are visiting an area for a short period for the purposes of a holiday.

In her speech on 2 April 2009, Sarah Boyack MSP referred to an alleged loophole in the licensing process for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), because that regulatory regime does not cover short-term lets, in which antisocial behaviour may take place.

HMOs are required to be licensed primarily to ensure they meet standards designed to protect their residents from the risks of living in this type of accommodation. In order to obtain a licence, the owner of the property may, for example, be required to carry out alterations to the property to make it suitable to be the home of the relevant number of occupants.

As the Scottish Government has previously made clear, we have concerns about the position of tenants in multiply-occupied short-term lets, who may be living and working in Scotland, but are excluded from the protection of HMO licensing because landlords claim that the property is not the only or principal residence of the occupants. This particularly affects migrant workers. We will discuss with stakeholders the possibility of including such short-term lets in licensing, in order to extend to such tenants the protection it affords. Landlords of these properties are already required to register with local authorities.

We have no plans to extend HMO licensing to holiday accommodation, where the occupants are merely visiting an area, not living and working there. Such regulation would have a considerable impact on the tourism sector. Under antisocial behaviour legislation, local authorities have powers to deal with antisocial behaviour in such premises, including issuing on the spot fines and seizing noise-making equipment.

The implications of including any category of property within HMO licensing go far beyond issues relating to antisocial behaviour and it would not be appropriate to extend HMO licensing to any category of accommodation solely to address such issues.