Meeting of the Parliament 19 February 2026 [Draft]
The Government continues to use the powers that we have to raise incomes and improve energy efficiency, including by increasing funding for the warmer homes Scotland scheme, investing more than £197 million in our winter heating benefits and providing a further £1 million this year to expand energy bill debt advice services. We are doing everything that we can with our budget, and I am glad that the budget is progressing through the Parliament to enable us to do that.
However, there is a contradiction in Scotland—it is an energy-rich country that has high levels of fuel poverty. I agree with my colleague that it is important that Scotland’s energy wealth works for the people of Scotland, and we can achieve that only with the fresh start of independence.