Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00298 on 14 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

We have spent £85.6 million (excluding VAT) with our main IT delivery partner.

We have also spent approximately £15.5 million (excluding VAT) on other external contractors to support the programme through the Scottish Government procurement framework.

The Scottish Government is currently considering what next steps would be most helpful in terms of any potential wider issues arising from the recent Edinburgh school closures, taking into account the City of Edinburgh Council’s plans to undertake a review over the coming months.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00171 on 3 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Fines from the EU can take the form of late payment penalties or disallowance for inaccurate calculations.

Our focus continues to remain 100 per cent on getting payments out to farmers and crofters ahead of the EU’s deadline of 30 June 2016.

On the topic of disallowance for inaccurate payments or inadequate controls, all the decisions that have been taken in the CAP Futures programme, for example on prioritisation, use of contingency arrangements, have been based around minimising the risk of disallowance.

Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme, the cornerstone of the national infrastructure priority, is in its development phase and is building on our existing energy efficiency and heat generation programmes. In January 2016 we made available up to £14 million to councils to support pilot projects to test different and more integrated approaches to energy efficiency. As well as supporting programme development these projects will deliver actual energy efficiency improvements to homes and non-domestic premises, helping tackle fuel poverty and reduce emissions. We expect awards to be made later in June 2016.

Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme will play a central role in reducing energy demand in the built environment. It will form an important component of the Scottish Government’s forthcoming energy strategy, as well as the development of the Third Report on Proposals and Policies (RPP3) which will set out how the climate change annual targets up to 2032 will be met.

We are listening to a wide range of stakeholders as we develop Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme, the new energy strategy, and RPP3. An initial stakeholder event took place in December 2015. We have also set up the short life Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group and the Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force. Both groups will report their findings by end of 2016 and their recommendations will provide important inputs to the programme’s development.

The Scottish Government remains committed to taking forward consultation on proposals for minimum energy efficiency standards during this parliamentary session.

The setting of standards is one of the key elements of the ongoing development of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme. The Scottish Government is considering the appropriate timing for consultation within that context.

Development of the third report on proposals and policies is underway. Our approach builds on existing evidence, including research, analysis and experience of how emissions reduction measures have worked in practice, and advice from the independent Committee on Climate Change.

To support consideration of proposals and policies, the Scottish Government commissioned an energy modelling system (TIMES) which provides insight into future technologies and is being used to build scenarios for achieving Scotland’s climate change targets.

We will also be engaging with the public to understand their feelings and thoughts about climate change, through the use of climate change conversations.

The Scottish Cabinet is the forum for consideration of key policy issues, including major cross-cutting issues such as climate change, and decisions on whether to delegate responsibility for specific issues to a cabinet sub-committee is a matter for the cabinet.

While no decision has yet been made by the incoming cabinet, the new appointment of a cabinet secretary for environment, climate change and land reform will ensure that the challenge of climate change is addressed at the highest level of government.

The Scottish Government welcomes the advice the Committee on Climate Change has provided in its publication dated 15 March 2016: Scottish emissions targets 2028-2032 – The high ambition pathway towards a low-carbon economy. We note the committee's acknowledgement that Scotland would have met all of its fixed annual targets to date, had it not been for technical changes to the way greenhouse gas emissions are accounted for.

The committee's advice relates to the setting of future annual emission targets and limits on the use of carbon units, as required under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. This advice will be taken into account when these targets and limits are set.