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The Scottish Government has carried out an assessment in our paper Housing Benefit changes: Scottish Impact Assessment which estimates that, as a result of the initial tranche of reforms to be introduced this April, 55,000 households claiming Local Housing Allowance in the private rental sector could be directly adversely affected losing an average of £10 per week. This represents around 2.4% of all households in Scotland and 97% of households claiming Local Housing Allowance.

The impact of all the Department for Work and Pensions measures, including changes to be introduced later that impact on other tenures and which may adversely affect many more households, is assessed in the paper, which is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/supply-demand/chma/marketcontextmaterials/hbchangesscottishimpact/.

Further roll-out of the Home Insulation Scheme will depend on the financial support for the scheme from future administrations.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish House Condition Survey measures the impact of all energy efficiency measures installed in the housing stock each year.

In order to tackle fuel poverty, the Home Insulation Scheme provides intensive promotion of a range of energy efficiency programmes and related support to householders on the door-step in specific areas. In addition to insulation measures, HIS ensures that households that are likely to be fuel poor in targeted areas are systematically offered support from the Scottish Government''s fuel poverty programme, the Energy Assistance Package. In respect of HIS areas supported by 2009-10 budgets, this has provided:

- 4,503 referrals to benefits checks to increase incomes

- 10,419 referrals for tariff checks to reduce fuel costs

- 4,226 referrals for heating systems and other measures.

As well as contributing to the UK Government''s Housing Benefit impact study for the UK, we have carried out a Scotland specific assessment. The findings are set out in the paper entitled Housing Benefit changes: Scottish Impact Assessment, which is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/supply-demand/chma/marketcontextmaterials/hbchangesscottishimpact/.

Home energy advisers had visited 72,453 properties at least once by 31 December 2009 and completed 19,285 home energy checks. Reports providing an overview of all Home Insulation Scheme activity are published monthly on the Energy Saving Trust website: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.

The appointment of Home Insulation Scheme contractors followed a competitive procurement process “ as required under EU rules given the scale of the scheme “ to source the best deal possible for customers. The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, which conducted the procurement process, divided the contract into lots to allow organisations to tender to be the delivery partner for individual HIS areas. This provided opportunities for smaller installers, who could not bid for multiple areas, to bid for their local area if they wished.

As a result, locally-based contractors were appointed as the sole nominated installers in Orkney and Glasgow.

The most recent round of procurement also built in a requirement that bidders provide evidence of local knowledge and an ability to deliver in local areas.

Other delivery partners are by definition local, including local authorities and the network of Energy Saving Scotland advice centres across Scotland and the doorstep energy assessors who are based in the areas where they work.

It is estimated that householder contribution to measures provided under the 2009-10 Home Insulation Scheme are a minimum of £420,000.

The Home Insulation Scheme is managed by the Energy Saving Trust from its Scottish office. While based in Scotland, as part of its policies on equal opportunities the Energy Saving Trust employs both Scottish workers and those of other nationalities.

The appointment of Home Insulation Scheme contractors were required to follow a competitive procurement process under EU law.

The Scottish Government currently seeks advice from Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the carbon impacts calculated by developers for applications for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Scottish Natural Heritage considers the broader implications of climate change and the need to generate renewable electricity when responding to consultations but does not routinely consider the effect that particular developments would have on greenhouse gas emissions.

Details are as follows:

External Body	Amount
Local councils	£1,234,8781
Energy companies (through Carbon Emissions Reduction Target)	£1,700,0002
Housing Associations	£0
Scottish Government “loans	£1,000,0003
Scottish Government “ Energy Assistance Package Social Sector for insulation works	£87,000

Notes:

1. Based on returns from local councils. Includes cash estimates of in-kind contributions.

2. Energy suppliers consider the amount of their spending to achieve their obligations under the CERT to be commercially confidential. Based on the assumptions on costs for measures provided by DECC, it is estimated that energy suppliers provided in the region of £1.7 million investment through CERT towards the cost of measures provided under the 2009-10 HIS programme.

3. Scottish Government allocated £1 million for loan funding in HIS areas which is being promoted as part of the HIS offer. This is additional to the HIS 2009-10 budget.