Chamber and committees

The results from the 2022 Scottish House Condition Survey were published on 29 February 2024.

In 2022 the Scottish House Condition Survey asked the following new question on fire alarms: Has the dwelling satisfactory equipment for detecting fire and giving warning in the event of fire or suspected fire? Responses were recorded as a yes or no answer, and in order to be recorded as ‘yes’ a dwelling must have interlinked fire alarms installed meeting a number of criteria.

In 2022 around 7% of local authority dwellings (25,000) and 5% of housing association dwellings (13,000) were recorded as not having satisfactory equipment for detecting and warning in the event of fire (not necessarily due to alarms not being interlinked).

While all dwellings meeting the fire alarm criteria have interlinked fire alarms, there may be some dwellings recorded as having insufficient fire detection equipment that do have interlinked fire alarms but failed the fire alarm criteria due to other factors such as insufficient number of alarms, improperly powered alarms, or improper locations of alarms. However, due to the yes/no mode of question this number cannot be quantified from 2022 Scottish House Condition Survey data. From 2023 the question on fire alarms will provide details as to why a dwelling’s equipment for detecting a fire is unsatisfactory which will allow analysis in this area from 2025.

The Scottish Government provided a total of £2.1 million between Care and Repair (£1.1 million) and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (£1 million) during 2021-22 to support those in greatest need or at greatest risk of fire, to meet the new standard.

An announcement was made on 22 January 2022 about the original funding for Care and Repair being doubled to just over £1.1 million to meet demand. All the money has been allocated and spent.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Unlike the mainstream rental sector, people who live in accommodation tied to their employment do not have a tenancy agreement such as the Private Residential Tenancy. Instead their rental conditions are included as part of the individual terms of their employment.

No information is held by the Scottish Government on those living in tied accommodation in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27007 on 30 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-24548 on 30 January 2024 and S6W-23003 on 4 December 2023. Please note that in S6W-24548 we advised the next statistical publication would be April 2024, however I wrote to Parliament with an update on 22 April 2024 – https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/local-gov/correspondence/2024/letterfromministerstl.pdf .

Private rented homes have a poorer standard of energy efficiency and the tenants who live there are usually unable to make improvements. That’s why our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill asked for views on private rented homes reaching a good standard of energy efficiency before the end of 2028.

Our Private Rented Sector (PRS) Landlord Loan Scheme – launched in April 2020 – offers landlords interest free or low interest loan funding to support the installation of energy efficiency, clean heating and renewable systems. The scheme offers funding of up to £38,500 per property, including £15,000 for energy efficiency measures, £17,500 for the installation of clean heating and renewable systems, and up to £6,000 for the installation of energy storage systems.

The main aim of our Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) when introduced ten years ago was to remove poor energy efficiency as a driver for fuel poverty. The sector also has a role in achieving our climate change targets which require net zero heat in buildings by 2045. This is why we have recently consulted on proposals to establish a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard.

We are making £200 million available up to 2026 to support the installation of zero direct emissions heating systems and energy efficiency measures across the social housing stock.

Hotels are not listed as ‘relevant buildings’ within the meaning of the Building Scotland (Amendment) Regulations 2022. All new and converted hotels having a storey, or creating a storey at a height of 11 metres or more above the ground, must comply with the relevant mandatory functional standards, including mandatory standard 2.7 that requires the fire spread on external walls to be inhibited.

BS 8414 testing and the assessment criteria in BR 135 may be used for hotels as an alternative route to compliance with the mandatory standards. The continued use of this alternative solution for hotels over 11 metres in height is currently being considered by the Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group.

The work of the Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group is programmed to consult in autumn 2024 and will cover all objectives and terms of reference which can be found on the Building and Fire Safety Ministerial Working Group website.

The Scottish Hospitality sector was represented on the Cameron House Hotel Short Life Working Group and is also represented on the ongoing Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group. The economic and social impacts of fires affecting hotels are being considered as part of the review.

The indicative timeline for the Scottish Government’s proposed response to the consultation is March 2025 with an implementation date of January 2026.