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.