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Where an application to the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme is unsuccessful, the applicant will be informed why they have been unsuccessful. Applicants have the right to appeal and can provide further information to help progress their application.

If an application has been unsuccessful, the HES Advice Service can provide further information and support. Unsuccessful applicants are not precluded from applying to the scheme again in the future.

The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme was launched in December 2022 as an update to the Home Energy Scotland Loan and Cashback scheme.

Across these schemes, since May 2017 to August 2023, a total of 8315 applications for energy efficiency funding have been received and 5908 have been successful.

The Scottish Government has recently responded to several parliamentary questions relating to the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Landlords Loans Scheme. Recently answered questions relating to funding allocated and provided through the PRS Scheme include: S6W-20397, S6W-20398, S6W-20399, S6W-20400, S6W-20401, S6W-20402 on 31 August 2023.

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

For information relating to the question asked, please refer to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, under bib number 64462.

The Green Heat Finance Taskforce will continue to meet over the autumn as it works towards producing its final report in early 2024, as discussed in response to S6W-21001 on 20 September 2023.

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

The Green Heat Finance Taskforce final report is expected to be published in early 2024.

The Taskforce’s part 1 report, which will be published shortly, will focus on potential finance and funding solutions for individual property owners. It will include consideration of the structure, availability and demand for green finance products; identify barriers which impede the flow of private finance at present; and make recommendations on how to reduce these constraints. It will cover financing mechanisms like green mortgages, equity release, green leases and property linked finance.

The Taskforce’s part 2 report will set out conclusions on communal and place-based financing solutions which can apply to multiple properties, for example, heat networks, municipal bonds and heat as a service subscription models. It will also consider options for the social housing sector, as well as further discussing how mechanisms like blended financing can help utilise public funding to crowd in additional private finance.

I would refer initially to the statement I made on this topic to Parliament on 7 September.

Where the presence of RAAC is confirmed in a public building, we expect the owner to take appropriate measures to assess and manage any risk identified, following the Institution for Structural Engineer’s current guidance on this process.

We remain in regular contact with organisations across the public sector to seek reassurance on this matter, directly and through our cross-sector working group.

Information on RAAC and the work of our cross-sector working group, as an activity of the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety, will be published on our website.

We have previously noted that it is for organisations responsible for buildings to make information on this issue available for affected buildings.

Survey work is underway across public buildings and is at various stages of discovery in different sectors.

Where the presence of RAAC is confirmed in a public building, we expect the owner to take appropriate measures to assess and manage any risk identified, following the Institution for Structural Engineer’s current guidance on this process.

We remain in regular contact with organisations across the public sector on this matter, directly and through our cross-sector working group.

The results of the initial Desktop survey of NHS Scotland buildings was shared with the Scottish Government on 9 June 2023.

Building safety is an issue the Scottish Government takes very seriously and we are fully aware of significant issues with some Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). A survey programme across NHS Scotland is underway, to be completed by November, so we can all fully understand the scope of RAAC. The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion will be surveyed as part of this prioritised discovery survey programme. NHS Lothian will continue to manage their Estate to provide a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.

CSL engaged with a wide range of stakeholders including the Scottish Government, SEPA and producers on a regular basis. However as a private company their policies and practices were a decision for their management team and their board.

The Scottish Government received CSL’s application to be scheme administrator as referred to in S6W-20273. However, following the application process and in line with the DRS regulations, the Scottish Government did not have a role in providing authorisation to any of CSL’s policies as they were a private company.