Sarah Boyack

Answer · Mairi McAllan · 23 Mar 2026

The scheduling and management of cases is a matter for the Chamber and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.There are multiple factors which can impact the timescales for cases to be heard, such as the volume and complexity of legal issues or evidence to be considered.The Scottish Government understands that the Housing and Property Chamber is receiving a high volume of applications and correspondence which is resulting in longer than usual waiting times.The Scottish Government continues to engage with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service in respect of wait times generally but cannot impinge on the independence of the Tribunal.

Answer · Gillian Martin · 24 Mar 2026

The Scottish Government has not allocated seed funding for the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund (MRF) within the 2026–27 Scottish Budget as development of a comprehensive suite of compensatory measures to be used by the MRF has to be completed first. This work is progressing at pace and includes the advancement of wider and more strategic measures enabled by the Conservation of Habitats and Species (Offshore Wind) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2026, which will come into force on 25 May 2026.The policy and legislative developments enabled by these regulations will directly inform future decision-making on budgetary provision to seed fund measures, operate the Scottish MRF, and set the charging structure developers will use to apply to the fund.

Answer · Gillian Martin · 19 Mar 2026

The Scottish Government recognises the urgency of establishing a Scottish Marine Recovery Fund (MRF). We are actively prioritising its delivery, and the completion of relevant policy development and due diligence, to ensure establishment can happen at the earliest practicable opportunity after the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.The Scottish Government continues to engage closely with Scottish offshore wind developers, and pending the launch of the Scottish MRF, we have emphasised the importance of developers continuing to undertake the necessary work to identify project-level compensatory measures.

Answer · Gillian Martin · 24 Mar 2026

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-44340 on 19 March 2026, S6W-44341on 24 March 2026 and S6W-44342 on 19 March 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Answer · Gillian Martin · 19 Mar 2026

The Scottish Government is working at pace to secure delegated functions from the UK Government to operate the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund (MRF), reflecting the UK Government’s reserved competence in this area.In parallel, development of the fund’s financial and operational models is progressing, building on the high-level principles consulted on in 2025 to inform the final policy design.The operational model for the MRF is complex, and work is ongoing both internally and with the UK Government to develop a compliant mechanism that will give full effect to the intentions of the Energy Act.

Answer · Mairi McAllan · 23 Mar 2026

The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) provides a snapshot of the Scottish housing stock in each survey year including the construction age and built form of Scottish domestic buildings. Within this it records if a dwelling has the presence of full or partial central heating. The percentage and total number of dwellings without full or partial central heating, broken down by age band of occupants, from the 2024 SHCS, is presented in table 1.Table 1: Number, and percentage of, dwelling without full or partial central heating broken down by occupant age band, 2024Age bands of occupantsTotal number of dwellings (000's)% without full or partial central heatingNumber without full or partial central heating (000's)Dwellings with 1 or more members age 67 or above8791.8%16Dwellings with 1 or more members age 70 or above7381.7%12Dwellings with 1 or more members age 75 or above5071.9%9Notes1.Source Scottish House Condition Survey 2024.2.The SHCS is a sample survey and therefore all figures are estimates which lie at the midpoint of a confidence interval which depends primarily on sample size.3.Age bands are inclusive of successive age bands. For example, all dwellings with a member over 67 will also include dwellings with a member 70 or older and 75 or above.4.Full central heating is defined as: The whole dwelling, or rooms representing more than 50% of the floor area of dwelling, is heated from the main heating system. Partial central heating is recorded in cases where houses are large, and the system is only installed in part of the house or there is no possibility of drift heat spreading through the house. Flats are recorded as partial central heating if heating is installed for less than 50% of the floor area.

Answer · Mairi McAllan · 13 Mar 2026

We support the use of solar PV panels, alongside a range of technologies including batteries and heat pumps, to decarbonise existing homes. To allow us to target finite budgets where they have the greatest impact, we fund these technologies through our fuel poverty schemes, Warmer Homes Scotland and Area Based Schemes. As support to tackle fuel poverty is tailored to the circumstances of individual households and localities, the package of measures installed in any property will be the best fit for that household.Our New Build Heat Standard also encourages solar PV, where appropriate and cost-effective, in new build properties.