Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill: island communities impact assessment

Methodology

This ICIA considers the impact on our island communities of the Fuel Poverty Bill as amended at Stage 2. To do this, both evidence from previous consultations, and new evidence gathered through direct engagement with island communities was used.

As part of the consultation around the Fuel Poverty Bill, the following consultations were conducted that have responses relevant to the development of the ICIA for the Fuel Poverty Bill:-

• The Fuel Poverty Strategy for Scotland which closed on 1 February 2018.
• The Energy Efficient Scotland Consultation which closed on 27 July 2018.

The written responses to the Committee's call for evidence at Stage 1 of the Fuel Poverty Bill were also considered together with the evidence heard by the Committee on the Fuel Poverty Bill on 21 and 28 November and 5 and 19 December 2018. The Stage 1 Report on the Fuel Poverty Bill which the Committee published on 29 January 2019 and the official report on the Stage 1 debate which took place on 20 February 2019, were also considered.

The following reports/recommendations from the groups listed below were also taken into account in the preparation of the ICIA:

• Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force: Delivering affordable warmth in rural Scotland: action plan 2016.
• Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group: A Scotland without fuel poverty is a fairer Scotland report 2016.
• Scottish Fuel Poverty Definition Review Panel: A new definition of fuel poverty in Scotland; review of recent evidence 2017.

In addition, data from the Scottish Housing Condition Survey (SHCS) has been analysed and a summary of key findings from this are found at Annex F.

Visits in respect of island communities within the six relevant local authority areas were conducted during March 2019. These were attended by local authority representatives as well as island community interested parties in the following locations on the listed dates.

• Highland - Inverness 11/03/2019
• Orkney Islands - Kirkwall, Orkney 13/03/2019
• North Ayrshire - Millport, Cumbrae 15/03/2019
• Argyll and Bute - Port Ellen, Isle of Islay 19/03/2019 (due to flight disruption, officials could not make the meeting. Local authority officers presented on the day and reported back).
• Na h-Eileanan an Siar - Stornoway, Lewis 21/03/2019
• Shetland Islands - Lerwick, Shetland 27/03/2019

These visits were prior to the conclusion of Stage 2 of the Parliamentary process for the Fuel Poverty Bill. The insights and feedback from these visits and conversations were key to the Scottish Government's considerations in this report.