- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government from where, and by what mechanism, it will source the quantity of non-variable, firm, reliable electricity, that is currently generated by Hunterston power station, following its closure, which is due to take place within the next 12 months.
Answer
This is a reserved policy area. Responsibility for security of supply sits with National Grid ESO (the GB electricity system operator), which works closely with generators and network operators across Scotland to ensure that there is always enough electricity to meet demand.
This includes preparing for the closure of individual generators several years in advance, to ensure that closures do not impact electricity supplies. National Grid ESO has worked closely with EDF, owners of Hunterston and Torness, and with Scotland’s electricity network owners, to ensure that the network is able to respond to and support the closure of these nuclear power stations in the coming years.
National Grid ESO is currently overseeing a “Stability Pathfinder”, the second phase of which is looking at network and commercial options to replace the various network stability requirements currently provided by existing generation. This is designed to ensure that the networks are ready for the greater share that Scotland’s renewable resources will constitute in the future.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the increase in online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic on the deliverability of its Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer
In designing Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), we were mindful of the potential for future growth in the proportion of single-use drinks containers sold online. To ensure that our DRS is successful and fair, it is important that online retailers charge the deposit and provide a service to allow it to be redeemed and the container returned.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consider the impact of Circularity Scotland’s policies on small businesses.
Answer
In line with the principle of producer responsibility, it is for Circularity Scotland Ltd as scheme administrator of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) to put in place policies that will allow it to discharge its obligations under the DRS Regulations.
We are confident that, as set out on page 32 of the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) for DRS, our ‘scheme has been designed with features that mitigate the potential impact on smaller producers and retailers’. The BRIA is available here: A Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland - Full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (www.gov.scot)
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what help it has made available to potential first-time home buyers since the First Home Fund closed to new applicants, and what support it provides to them when (a) the average price of a home in their area is above the maximum threshold price for the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme, (b) there are no suitable properties available under the New Shared Equity Scheme and (c) they do not have sufficient time or income to set up a lifetime individual savings account.
Answer
First-time buyers can access a variety of support to become a home owner, including the Help to Buy Smaller Developers Scheme and the Low Cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers (LIFT). In addition, the first-time buyer relief for Land and Building Transaction Tax means that an estimated 8 out of 10 first-time buyers pay no tax at all.
Despite being closed to new applications, the main Help to Buy scheme and First Home Fund continue to benefit first-time buyers across Scotland with settlements occurring throughout this financial year.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a strategic wood-use policy, and, if so, what this is.
Answer
One of the three overarching objectives within Scotland’s Forestry Strategy 2019-29 is to Increase the contribution of forests and woodlands to Scotland’s sustainable and inclusive economic growth , with Improving efficiency and productivity, and developing markets identified as one of the six priority areas for action.
Scotland’s Forestry Strategy Implementation Plan 2022-22 includes a commitment to: Support the Scottish Forest and Timber Technologies Industry Leadership Group to deliver its strategy “Roots for Further Growthand increase the sector’s contribution to inclusive economic growth ; and a further commitment to: Work with construction industry professionals and others to identify opportunities to increase the use of wood products in construction .
As part of the current Programme for Government, we are committed to increasing the annual volume of Scottish timber going into construction from 2.2 million cubic meters in 2018 to 2.6 million cubic meters by 2022. We are working in partnership with the forestry sector to deliver this target by supporting research into timber engineering, increasing the understanding of timber as a building material among architects and supporting efforts to increase demand for home grown wood products through the Wood for Good initiative.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many property factors have been registered, as required by the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011, in each year since 2011, broken down by (a) those remaining on the register, (b) those who have been newly admitted to the register, and (c) those who have been removed from the register.
Answer
The information requested is contained in the following table:
Year (See Note 1) | Number registered | Number remaining on register | Number newly admitted to register | Number removed from register (See Note 2) |
2011 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2012 | 242 | N/A | 242 | 0 |
2013 | 326 | 242 | 84 | 0 |
2014 | 365 | 326 | 39 | 0 |
2015 | 381 | 365 | 36 | 20 |
2016 | 384 | 381 | 41 | 38 |
2017 | 403 | 384 | 38 | 19 |
2018 | 404 | 403 | 25 | 24 |
2019 | 387 | 404 | 27 | 44 |
2020 | 393 | 387 | 22 | 16 |
Note 1:
The register of property factors opened in October 2012 so no registration data is available for 2011.
Note 2:
The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011, allows that a property factor can be removed from the register for the following reasons:
- under section 4(7) (a) - where registrations are removed as no further application is received before expiry of the previous registration.
- under section 8(1) - for no longer being a fit and proper person or failing to demonstrate compliance with:
o the property factor code of conduct, or
o any property factor enforcement order.
- under section 8(1) - for no longer being a fit and proper person as they are no longer a legal entity (technical removal).
Property Factors are required to apply for renewal of their registration every 3 years and a register entry must be removed if the factor does not submit an application to renew.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to broaden the remit of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland housing and property chamber to consider whether the fee charged by a property factor is (a) excessive, or (b) otherwise unjustified.
Answer
The Code of Conduct for Property Factors sets out minimum standards of practice and encourages transparency, while ensuring that homeowners know what to expect from their property factors. A revised Code of Conduct for Property Factors was approved by resolution of the Scottish Parliament in March 2021. This brought the Code of Conduct up to date, clarified and strengthened it, ensuring that all registered property factors operate consistently and to the appropriate standards, while also giving homeowners confidence in what their factor is offering them. The responses from homeowners to the public consultation for a revised Code of Conduct for Property Factors did not suggest that excessive or unjustified management fees was an area of concern. The consultation opened on 6 October 2017 and closed on 15 January 2018. You can find details of the consultation, an analysis of responses and view submitted responses at:
https://consult.gov.scot/housing-regeneration-and-welfare/code-of-conduct-for-registered-property-factors/
A property factor must provide each homeowner with a comprehensible written statement of services that sets out, in a simple, structured way, the terms and service delivery standards of the arrangement in place between them and the homeowner. This includes a requirement to set out the management fee charged by the property factor and the property factor’s policy for reviewing and increasing or decreasing this management fee. The revised Code will come into force on 16 August 2021.
While the Scottish Government has no plans to make changes that affect the remit of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) at present, it is our intention to review the existing legislation to identify areas for consideration to strengthen and support the improved operation of the regulatory regime for property factors. We hope to undertake this work in the latter half of this operational year with the intention of including any proposed changes in a suitable legislative vehicle thereafter.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what support is being given to low-income families to assist with the installation of new interlinked fire alarms, in light of its recent legislation requiring this.
Answer
As a general principle, home owners are responsible for work to their own homes to ensure they meet housing standards. However, recognising that some home owners - particularly older and disabled owners on low incomes - may face difficulty in meeting the new standard, we are considering what additional support is required and we will announce our next steps in due course.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Home Energy Scotland loan offers have expired during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this compares to the three financial years prior to the pandemic beginning.
Answer
The proportion of Home Energy Scotland loan offers that have expired during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to the previous three years is:
Year | Total Offers | Expired loan offers (not accepted) | Expired Committed Loan Offers (not accepted) |
2021-22 (to end June – pandemic period) | 937 | 192 (20%) | 0 (0%) |
2020-21 (pandemic period) | 2011 | 157 (8%) | 40 (2%) |
2019-20 | 1757 | 71 (4%) | 210 (12%) |
2018-19 | 1903 | 149 (8%) | 76 (4%) |
2017-18 | 1404 | 37 (3%) | 37 (3%) |
Please note the following with regard to the data:
- a higher incidence of offers has expired during the pandemic, probably due to the increase in application with the launch of the cashback scheme. The comparison is also higher as we are only half way through 2022, and applicants still have time to return their loan documents
- the timescale to claim was increased during the pandemic, therefore pre-pandemic, with the short claim time gave a greater incentive to claim the funding
- the increase in expired offers at the end of 2019/20 could be due to loan offers made shortly before, and being impacted by the pandemic.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its Budget has been allocated to projects designed to help alleviate the climate emergency.
Answer
Government budgets contribute to alleviating the climate emergency through a range of investments, including spend that reduces greenhouse gas emissions towards net zero, spend that delivers emissions reductions through a fair and just transition, and spend focussed on adapting to the effects of climate change.
The 2021-22 Budget increased low carbon capital investment across government to over £1.9 billion, comprising 36% of overall capital spend. This proportion has risen from 29% in 2018-19, when reporting began. In March, following budget negotiations, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance committed to a further £40 million in capital investment for active travel and energy efficiency initiatives that align with our green recovery and net zero ambitions. These figures that we track on low carbon capital investment, as mentioned above, provide only a partial picture of the wide range of investments across all government spend that contributes towards alleviating the climate emergency.
Some of our key commitments on climate change in this budget include increasing our Heat in Buildings investment by £30 million to £213.4 million; increasing forestry investment by £26.9 million to £121.2 million; committing £40 million for our Agricultural Transformation Fund to assist the sector in reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and committing the first £165 million of our £2 billion Low Carbon Fund, including: £14 million for the Green Jobs Fund, £25 million for bus priority infrastructure and £15 million for zero emissions buses.