Pre-Budget Fiscal Statement: Equality and Fairer Scotland Impact Assessment

Net Zero and Energy

Agreed saving: Scottish Water Interest on Voted Loans

Description: The new value reflects the actual amount of interest that will be paid on voted loans held by Scottish Water and is accounted for in Scottish Water’s finances. There is no impact on service delivery.

£million (reduction): 16.0

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

No impact

Agreed saving: Environmental Standards Scotland operating costs

Description: Reduced forecast of operating expenditure

£million (reduction): 0.1

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

N/A – no impact on Equality and Fairness

Agreed saving: Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund

Description: Reduction in external consultancy support for in year projects and additional savings

£million (reduction): 0.5

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

N/A – no impact on Equality and Fairness

Agreed saving: Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)

Description: Industry decision to reduce scope of a related project

£million (reduction): 0.5

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

N/A – no impact on Equality and Fairness

Agreed saving: Energy Industries senior leadership team

Description: Updated forecast due to re-profiling of timing of project spend on Hydrogen Emerging Energies Technology Fund

£million (reduction): 0.4

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

N/A – no impact on Equality and Fairness

Agreed saving: Hydrogen programme – reduced fees to Scottish Future Trust (SFT)

Description: In-year savings derived from revisions to the scope of hydrogen commercial investment support services provided by Scottish Futures Trust to the delivery of the hydrogen programme.

£million (reduction): 0.3

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

N/A – no impact on Equality and Fairness

Agreed saving: Zero Waste – Waste Initiatives goods and services – resource de-scoping

Description: Reduced forecast following review of all planned activities for delivery feasibility and taking account of timing of completion of Circular Economy Bill and deferred 4 nations activity due to UK General Election.

£million (reduction): 2.5

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

N/A – no direct equality or fairness impacts have been identified at this time

Agreed saving: Nature Restoration

Description: Reduced scope and forecast for programme of activities based on feasibility to deliver this financial year, specifically reduced comms costs and deferral of support to Local Authorities capital expenditure

£million (reduction): 1.0

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

No direct equality or fairness impacts have been identified at this time.

Agreed saving: Energy Industries – Additional resource underspends

Description: Resource underspends identified as savings

£million (reduction): 0.3

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

N/A – no impact on Equality and Fairness.

Agreed saving: Air quality public engagement strategy

Description: Reduction to air quality budget supporting deliver of CAFS2 actions, including delivery of an air quality public engagement strategy in 2024

£million (reduction): 0.1

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

Delivery is being re-profiled into 2025-26 for these elements of the air quality budget, with no direct impacts on equality or fairness

Agreed saving: Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation – Pre-Capital Support – Public Sector

Description: Saving is being released by not running a round of pre-capital support for public sector buildings in 24-25.

£million (reduction): 0.9

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

No Impact – relates to buildings owned by public bodies. No direct fairness or equality impacts.

Agreed saving: Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation – Marketing Activity

Description: This saving is being released by not running a paid for marketing campaign to promote heat in buildings. No cost activity will still be undertaken where appropriate to raise awareness as needed

£million (reduction): 0.8

Equality and fairness – evidence and impact analysis:

This saving arises from deferring marketing activity. Whilst this will push out timescales for raising public awareness it will unlikely have direct impacts on equality or fairness, as support schemes remain operational.