Heat in Buildings Bill consultation: business and regulatory impact assessment (partial)

Scope

2.1 A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) looks at the likely costs, benefits and risks of any proposed primary or secondary legislation. It also covers voluntary regulation, codes of practice, guidance, or policy changes that may have an impact on the public, private or third sector.

2.2 The BRIA explains:

• The reason why the Scottish Government is proposing to intervene
• Options the Scottish Government is considering, and which one is preferred
• How and to what extent the new policies may impact on the Scottish Government, business and on Scotland's competitiveness
• The estimated costs and benefits of the proposed measures.

2.3 This partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) accompanies the Scottish Government's Consultation on proposals which may inform a Heat in Buildings Bill and subsequent regulations. As a partial BRIA we will use it to aid discussions with businesses across Scotland to consider the impacts they might face as a result of our proposals. We will work with stakeholders in parallel with the consultation process for the draft Bill to identify the likely costs and benefits of the proposed framework as a whole. Paragraphs from 5.3 below explain how this will be done. We will then take the responses from those conversations to inform a full BRIA which will accompany the Bill as it is introduced to Parliament.

2.4 The Bill and its proposals will help deliver on the vision laid out in the Heat in Buildings Strategy^[1] ("the Strategy"): "By 2045 Our Homes and Buildings are Warmer, Greener and More Efficient".

2.5 This document provides an indicative assessment of the impact of the proposals for primary legislation on various parties and sectors within the Scottish economy. As we progress through the consultation and refine the policy positions, we will continue to gather and share more data on costs and the impacts of our proposals on those affected. This will help inform the drafting of the Bill as we progress towards its introduction to Parliament.