Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27367 on 24 September 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.

Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) assessors are due to begin visits to every house in a HIS area in early November, with the exception of those households who have previously responded by other means such as in response to a direct mailing. It is not possible at this stage to accurately estimate the number of visits which will be made by the end of 2009. Our planning and funding framework is based on financial years, i.e. 2009-10 for the first phase. When HIS is underway and data is collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

It is estimated that the cost of the development, implementation, administration and marketing, including publicity and promotion, of the Home Insulation Scheme, by the managing agent for the scheme, the Energy Saving Trust, will be approximately £5.5 million. This funding will provide for a combination of direct delivery of services, including doorstep visits, data collection and tailored energy advice to up to 100,000 households, and management of the delivery of energy efficiency measures by third parties.

The bulk of the remaining funding has been allocated for the provision of energy efficiency measures which will include the cost of both insulation materials and labour costs to install insulation. This will include funding to cover additional costs in island areas. A small proportion of the overall funding will be used for scheme evaluation.

Our target date for completion of door-step assessments of all eligible homes under the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) is 31 March 2010 with delivery of insulation in all suitable homes where owners want them by that date, or shortly thereafter. The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, will work with delivery partners to ensure that these measures are installed to a high standard. Monitoring of the quality of the measures installed will be a feature of HIS.

It is, however, likely that loft and cavity wall insulation will generally not be appropriate for hard-to-treat homes and that such properties will be assisted through the provision of energy audits, benefits advice and social tariff checks where appropriate.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27375 on 24 September 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.

Details on the Scottish Government''s forthcoming household energy efficiency loans scheme shall be announced later this year.

Seven criteria for area selection were agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) following a joint COSLA-Scottish Government workshop for local authorities on 28 April. Local authorities attending this joint session contributed to discussion which helped shape the agreed criteria. Local authorities were then asked to submit bids, providing information relating to their proposed areas against the following selection criteria:

Criteria A: Levels of carbon emissions in an area/neighbourhood

Criteria B: Levels of fuel poverty in an area/neighbourhood

Criteria C: Numbers of dwellings that can be treated with loft insulation and cavity fill

Criteria D: Potential for complementary funding from other sources

Criteria E: Appropriate mix of geographical areas

Criteria F: Ability to deliver within the prescribed timescale

Criteria G: Mechanisms for community engagement.

An assessment panel, consisting of Scottish Government officials and a representative from Energy Action Scotland, was then established to consider bids. To assist the panel, guidance was developed to underpin the seven overall assessment criteria. There then followed a three-stage process “ individual assessment by each panel member; followed by collective assessment of the stronger applications by the panel, and then further discussion with relevant council officers from short-listed councils at interview prior to decision and recommendation. The Energy Saving Trust also supplied expert advice in a non-voting capacity.

In the Scottish Government''s draft budget for 2010-11, published on 7 September, £15 million has been allocated to the Home Insulation Scheme in 2010-11.

If the tenant of a private landlord is within a priority group under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme then no client contribution is required. The anticipation is that private landlords will normally pay any financial contribution towards the cost of insulation measures in cases where such a contribution is required. However, the tenant would be given the option to pay this contribution if the landlord refused to do so.

Door-step assessments in Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) areas will seek to identify households vulnerable to fuel poverty to enable them to be referred to appropriate services such as provision of benefit advice, social tariff checks and insulation measures. Information on the number of households identified as vulnerable to fuel poverty and those referred to, and subsequently receiving services will be available when HIS is underway and data is collected for monitoring purposes. The evaluation process for HIS will then be able to use this information to assess the impact of the scheme on fuel poverty.