Chamber
Plenary, 24 Jun 2009
24 Jun 2009 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
Climate Change (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
I will start by briefly reverting to our discussion on amendment 133. I knew that we had started work on combined heat and power; I am now told that we should be ready by 1 April 2010. For some reason, my notes did not say that, as they should have done, but I hope that I have now put some flesh on what I said to Lewis Macdonald earlier.
By making energy efficiency part of the repairing standard that private landlords are already required to meet, amendment 134 aims to ensure that private landlords take action to improve the energy efficiency of the houses that they let. We absolutely understand the intention behind Lewis Macdonald's proposal. As he said, he has engaged with these serious issues over an embarrassingly long period with SCARF—a body with which members from the north-east continue to engage in order to ensure that their constituents receive the benefits.
As with many other issues that have arisen at this stage of the bill's progress, further scrutiny and consultation would likely be required—especially in relation to scale, impact and cost. Lewis Macdonald referred to any regulatory impact assessment were the Government to consult, and I take what he said as an acknowledgement that we need to tackle these key issues.
Our consultation on minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector will be launched in early autumn. Depending on the outcome, we plan to introduce measures in the proposed housing bill in 2010. We will consult on setting the minimum standard at the same level as the existing standard required for energy efficiency in the social rented sector. Thereafter, we will consider further enhancements to the standard.
The consultation will be accompanied by a partial regulatory impact assessment, which will examine the cost impact of the proposal, as well as examining potential carbon savings, potentially lower fuel bills, and the impact on the Government's fuel poverty targets.
I hope that that addresses the points that the member raised and convinces him of the seriousness with which we are treating his proposal and the eagerness with which we seek to pursue it.
By making energy efficiency part of the repairing standard that private landlords are already required to meet, amendment 134 aims to ensure that private landlords take action to improve the energy efficiency of the houses that they let. We absolutely understand the intention behind Lewis Macdonald's proposal. As he said, he has engaged with these serious issues over an embarrassingly long period with SCARF—a body with which members from the north-east continue to engage in order to ensure that their constituents receive the benefits.
As with many other issues that have arisen at this stage of the bill's progress, further scrutiny and consultation would likely be required—especially in relation to scale, impact and cost. Lewis Macdonald referred to any regulatory impact assessment were the Government to consult, and I take what he said as an acknowledgement that we need to tackle these key issues.
Our consultation on minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector will be launched in early autumn. Depending on the outcome, we plan to introduce measures in the proposed housing bill in 2010. We will consult on setting the minimum standard at the same level as the existing standard required for energy efficiency in the social rented sector. Thereafter, we will consider further enhancements to the standard.
The consultation will be accompanied by a partial regulatory impact assessment, which will examine the cost impact of the proposal, as well as examining potential carbon savings, potentially lower fuel bills, and the impact on the Government's fuel poverty targets.
I hope that that addresses the points that the member raised and convinces him of the seriousness with which we are treating his proposal and the eagerness with which we seek to pursue it.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson):
NPA
The next item of business is stage 3 proceedings on the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill. In dealing with amendments, members should have the bill as amended a...
Section 1—The 2050 target
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
We start with group 1. Amendment 6, in the name of Patrick Harvie, is the only amendment in the group.
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green):
Green
After working on the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill for so many months, I am gratified that, throughout the process, the debate has been characterised by an ...
The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):
SNP
Like Patrick Harvie, I acknowledge a degree of satisfaction that there has been universal acceptance of the importance of the climate change agenda, of the n...
Patrick Harvie:
Green
It is clear to me and, to be honest, it is probably clear to members across the political spectrum who have been greatly involved in considering the bill tha...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
The question is, that amendment 6 be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Members:
No.
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
There will be a division. As this is the first division, there will be a five-minute suspension.
Meeting suspended.
On resuming—
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
We move now to the division on amendment 6.
ForHarper, Robin (Lothians) (Green)Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) AgainstAdam, Brian (Aberdeen North) (SNP) Aitken, Bill (Glasgow) (Con) Alexander, Ms Wen...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
The result of the division is: For 2, Against 119, Abstentions 0.
Amendment 6 disagreed to.
Before section 2
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
We move to group 2. Amendment 94, in the name of Sarah Boyack, is grouped with amendments 94A, 7, 8, 95 to 97, 9, 10, 98 to 101, 108, 114, 119, 120 and 143. ...
Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab):
Lab
A week is a long time in politics. Last Monday, John Swinney was adamant, in setting out the delivery plan for the bill's provisions to my colleague Iain Gra...
Stewart Stevenson:
SNP
I am entirely happy to publish the letter to which Sarah Boyack referred.
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
It would have been good to have it before the debate, because we have seen all the other bits of the exchange.We have said consistently that a tougher interi...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I call the minister to move amendment 94A.
Stewart Stevenson:
SNP
I have just been informed that we have already published the letter to which Sarah Boyack referred—it is on the Scottish Government website, with the respons...
Patrick Harvie:
Green
A week is, indeed, a long time in politics; a few weeks are even longer. Sarah Boyack says that the Labour Party argued for tougher targets at stage 2; it is...
Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD):
LD
I am afraid that I rise to speak with a slight sense of anticlimax, given that amendment 94 and the Government's amendment 94A, which the Liberal Democrats w...
Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
The Scottish ministers have committed to seeking the UK Committee on Climate Change's advice on the most appropriate level for the 2020 interim target, and a...
George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab):
Lab
Can you not read your writing?
Members:
Oh!
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
Order.
Shirley-Anne Somerville:
SNP
Thank you, George."We should make the figure that that body provides our target. … The target is not a subject for political point scoring; our objective in ...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab):
Lab
This is the most important debate on the bill; indeed, this has been the key issue throughout the whole process. We all know that cumulative emissions are wh...