The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations 2019: CRWIA

CRWIA Stage 1
Screening - key questions

1. What aspects of the policy/measure will affect children and young people up to the age of 18? 

The policy will impact on all children and young people up to the age of 18 (including non-citizen and undocumented children and young people) who live in the least energy efficient private rented housing. 

The proposed minimum standards will improve the energy efficiency of the poorest performing homes in the private rented sector. This will contribute to reducing fuel poverty for people living in these houses and will also contribute to a reduction of carbon emissions from these properties.  

2. What likely impact - direct or indirect - will the policy/measure have on children and young people?  

The policy is not directly aimed at children or young people, but is aimed at the homes many of them live in and at reducing carbon emissions from housing. The policy will have an indirect impact on children and young people through improving the energy efficiency of the least efficient properties. This will contribute to reducing fuel poverty for people living in these houses, and making them easier to heat.   

3. Are there particular groups of children and young people who are more likely to be affected than others? 

Under the UNCRC ‘children’ can refer to: individual children, groups of children, or children in general. Some groups of children will relate to the groups with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010: disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation. It may be possible to align the CRWIA with the EQIA in these cases. ‘Groups’ can also refer to children by age band or setting, or those who are eligible for special protection or assistance e.g. pre-school children, children in hospital, children in rural areas, looked after children, young people who offend, victims of abuse or exploitation, child asylum-seekers, or children living in poverty.

Previous work to inform a draft EQIA for consultation has not identified any particular groups that would be affected, and we do not know of any reason that minimum standards for energy efficiency will affect particular groups of young people more than others. However we expect that it will particularly positively impact those families with disabled children and young people because a child’s/person’s disabilities and other long term health problems can significantly reduce an ability of the body to keep warm, especially if mobility is reduced, leading to greater need for warm rooms. 

4. Who else have you involved in your deliberations?

We discussed the proposed standards with policy leads within Better Homes Division including the Private Rented Sector team and energy efficiency and fuel poverty colleagues. We have also included Building Standards Division, Legal Services and Analytical Services. 

We developed proposals through a working group which included various stakeholder interests. Equity of the proposals was discussed, though not with specific reference to children and young people.  

Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Unit have offered to advise on the CRWIA process and provide support for engagement with children and young people through the consultation period and beyond.

5. Will this require a CRWIA?

Yes, a CRWIA will be required to ensure the interests of children are considered as part of the consultation process.