Section 51C — Energy performance of new buildings procured for the Scottish civil estate

Climate Change (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:30 pm on 24 June 2009.

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Photo of Alex Fergusson Alex Fergusson None 2:30, 24 June 2009

Group 23 is on the energy performance of the Scottish civil estate. Amendment 139, in the name of Cathy Peattie, is grouped with amendment 140.

Photo of Cathy Peattie Cathy Peattie Labour

If the amendments are agreed to, older properties will not be automatically ignored and ministers will have to justify exceptions. Amendment 139 extends the requirement on the Government to procure buildings that fall within the top quartile of energy performance to all buildings that become part of the Scottish civil estate, including buildings that are not newly built. At present, the bill requires no significant increase in standards over those that apply universally under building regulations. The amendment will provide a welcome boost to the non-domestic retrofit industry, which section 51C will not currently achieve.

A recent report found that emissions from Scottish Government buildings increased by 2.5 per cent last year. Amendment 139 will help us to rectify that problem and to show genuine leadership in reducing the 17 per cent of emissions that come from non-domestic buildings.

The accompanying amendment—amendment 140—will allow the Scottish Government to specify in regulations exemptions from the requirement to procure buildings that are in the top quartile of energy performance. That might apply when the Scottish Government had made a previous policy decision to relocate Government offices to a location where no building in the top quartile is available and where the cost of retrofitting would be unreasonable.

I move amendment 139.

Photo of Stewart Stevenson Stewart Stevenson Scottish National Party

I am content to support amendments 139 and 140. Amendment 139 extends the requirement for any building that the Scottish civil estate acquires to fall into the top quartile of energy performance to pre-existing buildings. Where it is not reasonably practicable to do that, there is the additional reporting duty under section 51B(2) to explain the reason for acquiring the building. One example would be the Scottish Government acquiring premises in a rural location where no building in the top quartile is available. Amendment 140 disapplies the section in respect of particular buildings or groups of buildings. I am happy to support the amendments.

Photo of Cathy Peattie Cathy Peattie Labour

I am happy with the minister's response.

Amendment 139 agreed to.

[Amendment 140 moved—[Cathy Peattie]—and agreed to.]