Permitted Development Rights and funding for domestic Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP):FOI release

Information requested

In regard to permitted development rights and grant funding for domestic air source heat pumps (ASHP)

1. Must the installation meet with the Microgeneration Installation Standard: MCS 020?

2. What is the minimum permitted distance, if any, between the chilled air exhaust of the ASHP and the boundary with neighbouring property?

3. In England, OFGEM operate a Counter Fraud Team who investigate fraud relating to grants provided for the BUS. Is there such a team in Scotland?

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA. This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with thesame request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

1. Must the installation meet with the Microgeneration Installation Standard: MCS 020?

In order to comply with, and therefore benefit form the permitted development rights, the installation must be in accordance with MCS 020.

2. What is the minimum permitted distance, if any, between the chilled air exhaust of the ASHP and the boundary with neighbouring property?

The permitted development rights do not specify any minimum distance.

3. In England, OFGEM operate a Counter Fraud Team who investigate fraud relating to grants provided for the BUS. Is there such a team in Scotland?

The Scottish Government have a zero tolerance to fraud. Energy Saving Trust (EST) are contracted to administer and distribute grants and loans for a number of Heat in Buildings funded schemes on behalf of the Scottish Government.

EST have robust counter fraud measures in place to both prevent and identify fraud including a dedicated compliance lead and a Risk Control and Fraud Team. In all cases, EST are required to report any suspected fraud to the Scottish Government, and these are automatically referred to the Scottish Government’s Counter Fraud Team.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.