Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-21361

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much Transport Scotland has spent on private consultants to advise on the (a) design, (b) specification, (c) procurement and (d) tendering of public ferry contracts in Scotland, in each year from 2006 to date.

Question reference: S6W-21357

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what advice Transport Scotland has received to date from consultants, Turner and Townsend, on tendering the next contract for Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services.

Question reference: S6W-21360

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request an update from CMAL on the (a) delivery dates and (b) costs of the contracts with Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for new ferries on the (i) Islay and (ii) Skye triangle routes.

Regular updates are provided by CMAL to The Scottish Government and the new ferries at the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for the Islay and Little Minch routes are on schedule and on budget.

Following the recommendations by the Net Zero Energy and Transport Committee in its report on A Modern and Sustainable Ferry Service for Scotland, Ministers have agreed that quarterly reports will also be shared with the Committee. The format of these reports is currently being finalised.

Question reference: S6W-21359

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request an urgent update from (a) CMAL and (b) Ferguson Marine on the (i) delivery dates and (ii) costs for MV (A) Glen Sannox and (B) Glen Rosa.

Scottish Government is in regular communications with Ferguson Marine and CMAL around the delivery of MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa.

The CEO of FMPG provided his latest formal update to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 22 August 2023 with a commitment to provide a detailed follow up by the end of September 2023 following completion of a detailed review of costs and delivery timescales.

Question reference: S6W-20436

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 7 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly did not undertake any consultation or issue a warning before deciding to close the photovoltaic (PV) panels loan scheme for applications that are not part of a package of measures.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme offers funding for a range of zero direct emissions heating systems, energy efficiency measures and additional measures, including solar PV and energy storage systems in some circumstances.

The Scottish Government has not closed this scheme, but has changed the conditions for funding of solar PV and energy storage systems.

For an answer to the question asked, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19952 on 9 August 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website .

Question reference: S6W-20435

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 7 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has closed the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels loan scheme for applications that are not part of a package of measures.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme offers funding for a range of zero direct emissions heating systems, energy efficiency measures and additional measures, including solar PV and energy storage systems in some circumstances.

The Scottish Government has not closed this scheme, but has changed the conditions for funding of solar PV and energy storage systems.

For the reason behind this decision, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19607 on 28 July 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website .

Question reference: S6O-02508

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of any barriers to achieving a national house-building programme for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-20433

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 5 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the benefits of the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels loan scheme.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme offers funding for a range of zero direct emissions heating systems (ZDEH), energy efficiency measures and additional measures, including solar PV and energy storage systems in some circumstances.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of energy generated from solar PV in contributing to the decarbonisation of Scotland’s electricity supply, offsetting energy bills, and contributing to emissions reductions in cases where it supports ZEDH.

From 27 June 2023 funding offered for solar PV/energy storage systems through the HES Grant and Loan Scheme has been limited to where a household is installing these measures alongside a certified renewable heating system, or where one is already in place. In these cases, solar PV and energy storage can be used to generate and store some of the electricity required to run the ZDEH measure, supporting their uptake by reducing grid electricity demand and the running costs for the householder. Previously, applicants could claim interest free loan funding for solar PV as a standalone measure.

This decision was taken to prioritise finite funding to those uses of solar which best support our Heat in Buildings Strategy, reduce carbon emissions and for which there might be more limited delivery without government support, as solar PV is an increasingly established technology which is often viable without government subsidy.

Due to the range of measures supported through the scheme, the Scottish Government does not hold specific analysis for solar PV/energy storage system measures. Benefits are assessed on a scheme wide basis.

Energy Saving Trust estimate that across the 6,447 ZDEH and renewable measures that had been paid or committed through grants and loans in 2022-23, the lifetime CO2 savings were estimated to be 199,488 tonnes. In addition, it is estimated that the savings on lifetime fuel bills across the supported households to be £23.3 million.

Question reference: S6W-20434

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 5 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken of the amount of carbon emissions that have been prevented as a result of the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels loan scheme.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme offers funding for a range of zero direct emissions heating (ZDEH) systems, energy efficiency measures and additional measures, including solar PV and energy storage systems in some circumstances. While solar PV installations often have other benefits such as reducing electricity bills, they do not directly reduce carbon emissions in the absence of a ZDEH system.

From 27 June 2023 funding offered for solar PV/energy storage systems through the HES Grant and Loan Scheme has been limited to where a household is installing these measures alongside a certified renewable heating system, or where one is already in place. In these cases, solar PV and energy storage can be used to generate and store some of the electricity required to run the ZDEH measure, supporting their uptake by reducing grid electricity demand and the running costs for the householder. Previously, applicants could claim interest free loan funding for solar PV as a standalone measure.

Due to the range of measures supported through the scheme, the Scottish Government does not hold specific analysis for solar PV/energy storage system measures. Benefits are assessed on a scheme wide basis.

Energy Saving Trust estimate that across the 6,447 ZDEH and renewable measures that had been paid or committed through grants and loans in 2022-23, the lifetime CO2 savings were estimated to be 199,488 tonnes.

Question reference: S6W-20431

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 5 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many households have successfully applied to the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels loan scheme since it was established.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme offers funding for a range of zero direct emissions heating systems, energy efficiency measures and additional measures, including solar PV and energy storage systems in some circumstances.

From 27 June 2023 funding offered for solar PV/energy storage systems through the HES Grant and Loan Scheme has been limited to where a household is installing these measures alongside a certified renewable heating system, or where one is already in place. Previously, applicants could claim interest free loan funding for solar PV as a standalone measure.

From the launch of the HES Grant and Loan Scheme in December 2022 to the end of July 2023, 2107 legally committed offers have been made for standalone solar PV/energy storage systems. Legally committed offers are where an application has been submitted, approved and a funding agreement has been put in place.

Note these figures include some instances where an application was submitted under the previous HES Loan and Cashback Scheme, but were processed and became legally committed under the HES Grant and Loan Scheme.

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