Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force

Meeting held on Wednesday 31 August 2016 at Scottish Government, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ.

Present

Di Alexander, Chair

Bob Grant, Changeworks – Vice Chair

Angus Macleod – Scottish Government

Ann McKenzie – Scottish Government

Elsie Matheson – Scottish Government

Katy Dickson – Scottish Land and Estates

Alastair Nicolson – HIE

Mike Thornton – EST

Andrew White – Perth and Kinross Council

Nile Istephan – Eildon Housing Association

Donnie Mackay – Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association

Sarah Skerratt – SRUC

Shona Fisher - Ofgem

Craig Salter – Citizens Advice Scotland

Steven Aberdein – Orkney Islands Council

Stewart Wilson – Tighean Innes Gall

Elizabeth Gore - EAS

Chris Wood-Gee – Dumfries and Galloway Council

Derek Logie – Rural Housing Scotland

Thane Lawrie – SCARF

Mary Maclean – NHS Western Isles

Attending via teleconference

Mary Lisk – Shetland Islands Council

Apologies

John Blackwood – Scottish Association of Landlords

Matthew Black – Fintry Development Trust

Norrie Kerr – Energy Action Scotland

Liz Marquis – The Energy Agency

Mandie Currie - AliEnergy

1. Welcome and Introductions

The Chair welcomed the Task Force members and explained the purpose of the last meeting of the Task Force was to discuss the revised version of draft report circulated in advance of the meeting, obtain members final comments and obtain a consensus of opinion on the final format, presentation and the launch of the report.

2. Task Force Report and Action Plan

Issues discussed included the agreed key categories of the Task Force report

·  Indicators and assumptions

·  The domestic energy market and prices

·  Consumer engagement

·  Vulnerability and health care

·  House improvement, tenure and supply chain issues

·  Social and economic impacts

·  The strategic priorities for inclusion in the Task Force report

The launch of the report as an online document only was agreed. The date for the launch would be subject to when the final document was passed to Scottish Government in a format acceptable for publishing on line.

It was agreed that members would be advised when the report would be launched to enable their organisations to publicise the document via their own websites.

3. Next steps and actions

The Chair and Vice Chair agreed to incorporate issues identified by members during discussions in a final version of the Task Force Report and Action Plan. This would be circulated to members for final sign off in advance of the document being passed to Scottish Government for publishing.

4. AOB

The Chair thanked members for participating in the Task Force and for their contributions towards tackling fuel poverty in rural and remote rural Scotland.