Tag: Scottish Government

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 16 August 2022.

First Minister to convene roundtable on the growing cost emergency.

The First Minister will convene an urgent summit with energy supply companies and consumer groups later this month, to discuss how advice and support for people struggling with energy bills can be improved.

The summit will consider what collective action can be taken by government, energy companies and the third sector to help businesses and consumers access advice, and get support with debt issues.

Scotland’s major energy suppliers including Scottish Power, OVO Energy, Centrica, Octopus and E.ON, as well as industry bodies and key consumer and poverty organisations will attend.

The summit follows last week’s meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Committee on the cost living crisis and will take place ahead of OfGem’s next energy price cap announcement on 26 August.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“I know that this is an incredibly unsettling time for households and energy consumers across Scotland and the Scottish Government will continue to do everything we can to support those affected.

“There is a not a single solution to this problem and government, industry and the third sector in Scotland needs to work collaboratively together to ensure the right support is in place for householders and businesses during this challenging winter. This could include improving the availability of help and advice and considering a more compassionate approach to debt management.

“However, it remains the case that the powers and resources needed to tackle this emergency on the scale required – access to borrowing, welfare, VAT on fuel, taxation of windfall profits, regulation of the energy market – lie with the UK Government. Only the UK Government can access and make available resources on the scale required. They need to take action, now.

“As I said last week, a first step would be to cancel the energy price cap rise this autumn.”

Peter Kelly, Director, The Poverty Alliance said:

“We are pleased that the First Minister will be convening this summit of energy companies, along with the Poverty Alliance and Energy Action Scotland.

“Across the country, people are increasingly being swept up amid a rising tide of hardship. But with the energy price cap due to increase in October, that tide threatens to become a flood.

“Households up and down Scotland are terrified of what the colder months will bring and the likelihood is that – without further action – lives and life chances will be at risk. The situation could scarcely be more urgent.

“But it is a situation we can do something about, by taking action to protect people most at risk of poverty and deeper hardship. It is that much-needed and urgent action that we are hoping the summit can bring about.”

Frazer Scott, CEO of Energy Action Scotland said:

“With our colleagues at the Poverty Alliance, we welcome the First Minister’s intervention in gathering energy companies together to talk about how we can best support households struggling to afford spiralling energy bills.

“Fuel poverty will affect over one million Scottish households this winter requiring urgent intervention focussed on targeting those most in need.

“Cold, damp homes affect health and wellbeing and will put thousands of lives at risk as well as adding additional pressure to the NHS, making this a vital intervention for Scotland.”

Background

The Scottish Government estimates that 906,000 or 36% of all households will be in fuel poverty in October 2022, based on an Ofgem price cap of £2,800 and taking into account previously announced government mitigations.

The Scottish Government’s Resilience Committee met on Thursday 11 August to discuss the cost emergency and agreed a number of actions.

Householders can access free and impartial support through Home Energy Scotland to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Home Energy Scotland can be contacted on their freephone number 0808 808 2282 or via the Home Energy Scotland website.

The Scottish Government has expanded the capacity of its Home Energy Scotland advice service this year to help an extra 12,000 households a year.

The Scottish Government has allocated almost £3 billion in this financial year that will help households face the increased cost of living. This includes the provision of services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK that is helping to reduce everyday costs and increase incomes.

It also includes £10 million to continue our Fuel Insecurity Fund – to help households at risk of severely rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely. This includes direct support for households using any tariff or fuel type, and is delivered via trusted third sector partners – the Fuel Bank Foundation, Advice Direct Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 16 August 2022.

Recycling initiative will help deliver a circular economy.

Scotland’s deposit return scheme will go live for consumers in one year’s time (16 August 2023), giving businesses and consumers an easy way to boost recycling.

The scheme, which will be the first in the UK, will play an important part in Scotland’s journey to a circular economy. Estimates by Zero Waste Scotland suggest that the scheme will reduce emissions by an average of nearly 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – the equivalent of 109,000 return flights from Edinburgh to New York.

The 20p deposit will also provide an incentive to reduce littering, helping to cut the number of bottles and cans discarded in streets and green spaces.

The scheme is being delivered by Circularity Scotland Ltd., an industry-led body representing drinks producers, retailers and trade bodies of all sizes. This business-led approach is common among many of the most successful schemes in Europe, include Denmark, Finland, and The Netherlands.

Infrastructure for the scheme is now beginning to be rolled out across Scotland, and businesses of all sizes are being encouraged to act now to make sure they are ready for the scheme launching this time next year.

Businesses can register with Circularity Scotland, to make sure they receive information that will help them prepare.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), who are the regulator for the scheme, has also launched a campaign that will help businesses understand their legal responsibilities and the steps they need to take to prepare.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said:

“Scotland is leading the way in the UK on delivering a circular economy. By putting in place a deposit return scheme, we are delivering on the public’s desire to see action on plastic and other waste, and making an important contribution to the response to the climate emergency.

“With thousands of return points across the country, it will be as easy to return your empty bottle or can as it was to buy it in the first place. This will help to nearly double recycling rates for the containers included in the scheme, while reducing the amount of litter on our streets and cutting CO2 emissions.

“This scheme is being delivered by industry for industry. By putting businesses in charge, we are making sure that it works for them. With one year to go until the scheme goes live for consumers, I would encourage all businesses and organisations that produce, ship or sell drinks to get involved with the scheme now.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Office on 11 August 2022.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack visited the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last week [Thursday 4 August], where he enjoyed watching Team Scotland in action and seeing the event build on the legacy of Glasgow 2014.

His day at the games involved cheering on Team Scotland in the boxing and badminton tournaments, before meeting opening ceremony flag bearer and badminton star Kirsty Gilmour.

He then paid a visit to Scotland House, the home away from home for Team Scotland’s athletes during the games, where he enjoyed hearing more about legacy projects and community outreach initiatives the Commonwealth Games encourage.

As the games drew to a close on Monday [8 August], Team Scotland had tallied up 51 medals, including 13 golds, making it their most successful games ever outside Scotland.

Speaking before the closing ceremony, the Scottish Secretary said:

“From Eilish McColgan following in her mother’s footsteps, to George Miller and Rosemary Lenton becoming our oldest ever gold medallists, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games have kept us thrilled and inspired in equal measure.

I was lucky enough to see some of the action live last week, where cheering on Team Scotland was a highlight of my summer. With a total of 51 medals, including 13 golds, the games have undoubtedly been a roaring success for the team.

My warmest congratulations go to all the athletes who took part, and to Birmingham for putting on such a fantastic show.”

The press released issued by the Scottish Government on 1 August 2022.

The UK Government has been urged to provide additional funding for public sector pay deals or the Scottish Government may be unable to fund equivalent offers without cuts to public services, according to Deputy First Minister John Swinney.

In a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi, Mr Swinney outlines concerns that last year’s UK Spending Review, which determined the majority of the current Scottish Budget, did not take into account the level of pay increase recently proposed by the independent pay review bodies.

Mr Swinney also warned that the UK Spending Review did not consider the wider effects of rising inflation and that without any further funding, the Scottish Government may only be able to propose similar pay rises by reducing budgets elsewhere which would have a knock-on impact on the public sector’s ability to respond more widely to the cost of living crisis.