Building improvement requirements and financial assistance: FOI release

Information requested

1. What will be the rules for older buildings such as yours which will have to potentially undergo substantial works to bring them up to grade C?
2. What, if any, exemptions will there be for such properties specifically properties which are older but are not listed?
3. What, if any, financial assistance will there be for such business’?
4. What does the Scottish Government intend to do to provide “Digital Voice” communications to remote areas when BT withdraw copper landlines, especially in the very many parts of Scotland with poor mobile phone signal?

Response

1. What will be the rules for older buildings such as yours which will have to potentially undergo substantial works to bring them up to grade C?
2. What, if any, exemptions will there be for such properties specifically properties which are older but are not listed?

We have answered these two questions together.

Some of the information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021 (www.gov.scot/publications/heat-buildings-strategy-achieving-net-zero-emissions-scotlands-buildings/). Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy. 

The Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy, as linked above, sets out a pathway to zero emissions buildings by 2045.

We are currently considering the most effective regulatory approach to achieve the aims set out in the Strategy, taking into account the diversity of building uses and recognising the particular challenges of traditionally built older properties. We are developing policy proposals and intend to consult on these later this year, with a view to laying a Bill before Parliament next year.

This process will include extensive consultation and engagement, as well as detailed impact assessments, such as the Island Community Impact Assessments (ICIA) to ensure the needs of island communities are considered. Under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the Scottish Government is required to undertake an ICIA to test any new policy likely to have an effect on an island community significantly different from that on other communities. Factors we will consider as part of the ICIA will include economic development, housing and fuel poverty, digital connectivity, in addition to environmental wellbeing, biosecurity and climate change and energy.

The Bill process itself will further ensure thorough scrutiny of our proposals, with evidence taken from a wide range of independent stakeholders, and individual MSPs participating in the scrutiny and debate, before the final bill goes before the whole Parliament for consent.

There are currently no requirements for short-term lets to meet specific energy efficiency standards.The short-term lets Licensing Order does not include any requirements to meet specific energy efficiency standards. The Licensing Order does include a requirement for any listing or advert to include the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating (where this is required by buildings standards legislation). Currently, EPC Certificates are only required for the letting of entire dwellings (i.e. houses and flats).

3. What, if any, financial assistance will there be for such business’?
We currently offer a range of delivery programmes that provide advice and financial support for properties looking to install zero emission heat or make their buildings more energy efficient and affordable to heat. This package of support will evolve over the course of the decade to meet the scale of change required and align with any regulations we introduce.

Business Energy Scotland (BES), administered by Energy Saving Trust on behalf of the Scottish Government, offers free, impartial advice and support to Scottish-based SMEs who often do not have the capital finance to implement energy efficiency or renewables measures. SMEs can access a bespoke energy report which highlights actions that can be taken to make energy and cost savings aswell as advice on funding, including the Scottish Government’s SME Loan and Cashback Scheme.

Scottish SMEs can access up to £130,000 for the installation of energy efficiency measures, renewable heating and other renewable technologies through the SME Loan and Cashback Scheme.

Further information is available here: Free support · Business Energy Scotland or call 0808 808 2268 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).

4. What does the Scottish Government intend to do to provide “Digital Voice” communications to remote areas when BT withdraw copper landlines, especially in the very many parts of Scotland with poor mobile phone signal?

The move to digital based services is an industry-led decision and process. The decision to upgrade the legacy public switched telephone network (PSTN) network is driven by the increased difficulty in maintaining the current network, due to reduced availability of replacement parts and the reduction of expertise in ageing analogue systems.

The PSTN migration does not affect the Universal Service Obligations set in the Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003 which require the designated providers to offer telephony services throughout the UK, and providers will remain bound by their existing statutory responsibilities.

Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, has issued guidance (www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/123118/guidance-emergency-access-power-cut.pdf) on how telecoms companies can fulfil their regulatory obligation to ensure that their VoIP customers have access to the emergency services in such circumstances. This guidance states that providers should have at least one solution available that enables access to emergency organisations for a minimum of one hour in the event of a power outage in the premises.

Mobile services will be a good alternative for most customers. However, where a customer is located in a total not-spot (where there is no outdoor coverage on any 4G network) for mobile coverage, their provider should ensure they have a method of contacting the emergency services in the event of a power outage.

The UK Government has agreed a £1 billion deal with the mobile industry, the Shared Rural Network, to boost 4G coverage in mobile areas so that by 2025, 95% of the UK landmass will have coverage from all four mobile network operators. In addition to this, BT recently announced it would address mobile “not-spots” through further investment. In the past 12 months, they’ve improved mobile coverage in more than 500 areas across the UK. BT will look to extend coverage in a further 900 locations by 2024.

Although the security and resilience of the UK’s telecommunications network is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is delivering the Scottish 4G Infill programme (S4GI). The programme is investing £28.75 milion in future-proofed infrastructure to improve rural and island 4G mobile coverage delivering 4G services to 55 not-spot areas which will improve mobile telecoms resilience by increasing the overall network coverage in Scotland. 32 masts are currently live, and the remainder will be complete this spring.

About FOI

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