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The UK Government turned down the requests of Scottish ministers to be part of the official UK delegation to Copenhagen. One place for an official on the UK delegation has been offered which will be taken by the Deputy Director for Climate Change and Greener Scotland.

As Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, I plan to attend the conference in Copenhagen. While there, I shall host a Scottish event on 14 December and participate in a number of side events including one arranged by The Climate Group on the role of States and Regions. In addition to one Scottish Government official forming part of the UK delegation, I shall be accompanied by seven officials.

Yes. Scottish Government officials have been in touch with counterparts in the UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills to establish more clearly the scope of the review and how best to participate as it proceeds over the next few months.

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

We are clear that better thermal standards across the built environment will make a very significant contribution to our carbon reduction targets. We have just published a Consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland. This highlights action that is already being taken, and ideas on further ways to cut emissions and boost the economy, including what skills might be needed in the construction industry to improve the energy performance of the built environment. In addition, the Scottish Construction Centre, which is supported by Scottish Enterprise, works with construction companies to disseminate innovative best practice across the sector, including best practice in the area of carbon reduction.

The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, will be responsible for marketing the scheme to every household in Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) areas. This will include direct mailings to every household, as well as area-focussed marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the scheme and its benefits. HIS assessors will then visit every household, with the exception of those who have already responded to the direct mailing or the marketing campaign, making three attempts to contact each household. Through a combination of these measures, every household will be offered free energy audits and energy advice, and also be offered access to energy efficiency measures and more specialised advice as appropriate to their needs and circumstances.

The Scottish Government has made clear our policy of no new nuclear power stations in Scotland. It is not our policy to intervene in planning matters in England and Wales, but if there is to be a public inquiry its remit should exclude any possibility of siting new nuclear stations in Scotland.

As long as the justification process is solely related to the siting of new nuclear power stations south of the border, that is a matter for the UK Government.

Our position on new nuclear power in Scotland remains clear. We have not made representations to the UK Government in relation to calls for a public inquiry into the justification process.

Marketing of the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) is expected to begin in late September, with doorstep assessment visits starting in early November and the first measures being installed in early December. It is not possible at this stage to accurately estimate the number of households which will sign up to receive insulation measures by the end of 2009. Our planning and funding framework is based on financial years, i.e. 2009-10 for the first phase. When HIS is underway and data is collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

All households within Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) areas are eligible to receive insulation measures either free, or at a reduced cost compared to the normal market cost of installation, providing that their house is suitable for the relevant measure. While able-to-pay households will receive insulation at reduced cost, they will be required to make a financial contribution to the costs of installation, if they wish to receive the measures.

At this stage, it is not possible to estimate how many households will be eligible to receive reduced-cost insulation measures under HIS in the areas selected for 2009-10, as opposed to those eligible for free measures, and what proportion of households in those areas each group represents. Eligibility for free measures is determined both by ability of a property to take HIS measures and the socio-economic status of the householder. When HIS is fully underway and data is being collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.