Question reference: S5W-32793
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 28 October 2020
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Current status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the most recent smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarm regulations, whether it will (a) consider the costs associated with the procurement and installation of the equipment necessary to meet these when setting local authority budgets, (b) set an income threshold for homeowners to be eligible for government assistance to pay for any necessary installations and (c) (i) provide retailers with guidelines and (ii) put in place (A) tariffs and (B) standards to ensure that electrical suppliers are being fair to householders.
Answer
We will explore all aspects of ensuring successful implementation of the changes, including appropriate support to homeowners, and we will work with stakeholders to get this right. We will continue to work with retailers and other stakeholders to provide specific, additional advice to help people ensure their alarm will meet the new standard, which we are now seeking to introduce from February 2022. We understand that, due to the variety of alarms available to purchase, there may be confusion and we will make sure that accessible advice is available as part of our wider publicity campaign and address the risk of unscrupulous electricians potentially targeting the vulnerable and older tenants in our communities.