Latest news with #SarahBoyack
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
SNP accused of having 'no real plan' to ban boilers as clean heat applications decline
The Scottish Government is set to publish its flagship Heat in Buildings Bill in the coming months. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... SNP ministers have been accused of having 'no real plan to decarbonise homes' after the number of grants and loans for clean systems has dropped over the last two years. The Scottish Government is poised to publish its long-delayed Heat in Buildings Bill in the coming months which will map out a strategy to ending fossil fuel boilers being used to heat buildings by 2045, but has been criticised for watering down its initial ambition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Air Source Heat Pumps Despite a need to accelerate the number of heat pumps being installed in homes, statistics show that the number of applications to the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme fell from 2022-23 to 2022-24 with a further drop to 2024-25. For clean heating systems including heat pumps, grant funding of up to £7,500 is available, with an additional £7,500 of funding available as an interest free loan. According to the statistics, 7,540 applications to the support scheme were received in 2022-23, falling to 6,516 in 2023-24 and just 5,120 in 2024-25. The Scottish Government removed the ability to apply for funding for solar projects through the scheme amid fears those applications were swallowing too much of the money. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But the number of applications containing heat pumps has only increased from 2,537 in 2022-23 to 3,085 in 2023-24 to 3,130 in 2024-25. According to official figures for MCS accredited installations, the number of heat pumps in Scotland doubled from 2,448 in 2019 to 5,146 in 2922. A total of 6,388 heat pumps were installed in 2023, while the number was 7,660 in 2024. Emissions in the buildings sector have decreased by more than 30 per cent since 1990 but the Scottish Government will need to ramp up the pace if the heat transition is to be completed by 2045. Scottish Labour net zero spokesperson, Sarah Boyack, said: 'By upgrading houses we can make people's homes warmer and keep their bills lower, but the SNP's flagship scheme is in chaos. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Labour's Sarah Boyack 'From failing to retrofit homes and to delaying its Heat in Buildings Bill, it's clear the SNP has no real plan to decarbonise homes. 'The SNP must urgently identify what is causing this decline and set out a workable strategy to upgrade homes, cut people's heating costs and emissions and ensure that there are skilled staff available to deliver the improvements needed across Scotland.' Scottish Conservative shadow energy secretary, Douglas Lumsden, said: 'This shows that Scots are turning their back on the SNP's unrealistic heat pump plans. Conservative MSP Douglas Lumsden | supplied 'That's hardly surprising given households would have to foot huge bills to install these new systems. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'SNP ministers should do the right thing and scrap their heat in buildings bill, which would make Scots poorer.' In April, the Scottish Government confirmed it was scrapping deadlines legally-requiring homeowners to replace gas boilers after claiming the original strategy, drawn up by Patrick Harvie risked 'burdening every individual householder with an overly onerous responsibility'. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme remains a significant driver of heat pump installations in Scotland, with more than 2,500 heat pumps funded in 2024.
Scotsman
16-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Relocation of ticket office at Edinburgh's Waverley station 'makes no sense' says rail union
Relocating the ticket office at Edinburgh's Waverley station to a "less convenient" spot makes "no sense", a rail union has said. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The ticket office - or "travel centre" - at the Capital's main railway station has been moved from its familiar place in the historic booking hall next to the main concourse to a more remote location near platforms 4 and 5, in the former customer information office. The space it previously occupied is to be divided and converted into a family lounge, "passenger assist" lounge and more retail space. The travel centre in the station's historic booking hall has been relocated | TSPL Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The move comes after ScotRail reduced ticket office opening hours at many of its stations at the end of March. Gordon Martin, Scottish organiser for the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: 'This is yet another move that makes no sense to either passengers or staff at Edinburgh Waverley. "The travel shop's central location was convenient for customers and safe for workers. Shifting it away from the station's main hub, and expecting staff to sell tickets on the concourse or relying on machines, is not a safe or reliable substitute for a properly staffed, centrally located booking office.' On social media, where a picture was posted showing the interior of the new ticket office, one member of the public described it as "beautiful but less convenient". Another said it was "so out of the way". The new travel centre at Waverley station is near platforms 4 and 5. | TSPL Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A passenger contacted the Evening News to voice fears that travellers would now be encouraged to use machines and the ticket office would eventually be reduced to a "skeleton staff". And Lothian Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said: "It's vital that accessibility for passengers, whether buying tickets or being able to ask about rail services, is retained. So we need a clear reassurance that passengers' journeys are not being made more difficult and that essential services are not being eroded. "While it's great to be able to access digital tickets to travel on trains, that doesn't work for everyone and in-person support will always be needed." LNER, which runs the ticket office at Waverley, insisted no jobs were being lost as a result of the relocation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jennifer Mearns, Regional Station Manager for LNER, said: 'We have moved the travel centre to a space on platform 5 so that we can create fresh, new areas for customers. 'By September, we will have a new family lounge and passenger assist lounge located in the heart of the station. 'The new travel centre showcases some of the station's original historic features and is a much brighter and more inviting area for customers to use.' Chris King, Network Rail station manager at Waverley, said: "We're committed to enhancing the passenger experience at Edinburgh Waverley by delivering improved services and amenities for everyone passing through the station. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "We're working closely with LNER as the travel centre is moved to a new location. This will provide a refreshed and modernised space for passengers and also creates an exciting opportunity to expand our retail offering in the former travel centre area. "We appreciate passengers' patience during this transition and look forward to sharing further developments as they take shape."
Daily Record
16-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
ScotRail outsources complaints team to French firm despite being publicly owned by SNP Government
EXCLUSIVE: Employees at ScotRail's customer services team have claimed they are being treated like "second-class rail staff". ScotRail is set to outsource its complaints team to a French-owned conglomerate despite the train operator being brought back under public control. Passengers chasing a refund for a late or cancelled service must speak with a call centre in Glasgow which is run separately from the railway. The customer services team, which handles complaints and personal injury claims, was previously operated by Dutch transport giant Abellio under a contract agreed before SNP ministers took charge of ScotRail in 2022. But it will be run by Teleperformance going forward after a deal was announced to employees last week. The multinational firm runs call centres in 34 countries and has previously been accused of using "union busting" tactics against workers. Employees at the ScotRail customer services team have now claimed they are being treated as "second-class rail staff". An insider told the Record: "Despite ScotRail being publicly owned since 2022, its entire Customer Experience operation, the call centre that handles refunds, complaints, personal injury claims, and vulnerable passenger issues, is still outsourced. "Worse, we've just been told that this vital function is now being handed to Teleperformance. It's a cost-cutting move that puts quality of service, staff welfare, and the principle of nationalisation itself in jeopardy. "This operation has been running from Glasgow under Abellio since 2015, then continued under Transport UK Group through its subsidiary Solvd. Most people don't even know this is still outsourced. "We expected, rightly, that a nationalised railway would bring us in-house. Instead, we've lost travel perks, been treated as second-class rail staff, and are now being dumped into a high-turnover, high-pressure private firm with no railway experience. "Make no mistake, this affects millions of ScotRail passengers and dozens of experienced Glasgow-based staff who are passionate about rail and proud of the work we do. The Scottish Government has outsourced ScotRail's voice, and no one's talking about it." The Record understands ScotRail's pay roll services are also outsourced to a third party provider. Gordon Martin, the RMT union's Scottish organiser, said: "We oppose all outsourcing on the railway and want to see all rail workers insourced in Scotland. "ScotRail is under the control of the Scottish Government so we would expect these workers who provide essential payroll services, to be directly employed by the company, under a collective bargaining agreement like all the other staff. Our insourcing campaign will continue across Britain until we achieve justice for all our outsourced members." Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour Net Zero spokesperson, said "The SNP has failed to deliver on the promises of public ownership and ScotRail workers and passengers are paying the price. "On the SNP's watch, ScotRail services are plagued by cancellations and delays and workers' contracts are being handed off to private companies. "The SNP cannot dodge responsibility for the treatment of these workers - Ministers must ensure all ScotRail workers have the fair and decent terms and conditions we would expect." A ScotRail spokesman said: "No contracts have been awarded. We are in the final stages of a competitive procurement exercise for our customer contact centre services, and wouldn't comment on this process while it is live and ongoing." The Record asked Teleperformance for comment.
STV News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- STV News
MSPs call for views on new legislation for Scotland's public services
A Holyrood committee is seeking views on proposed new laws which could have a 'significant impact' on Scotland's public sector. Labour MSP Sarah Boyack has put forward a member's Bill, which if passed, would create a new duty on public bodies to promote sustainable development and wellbeing in their work. As part of this, the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill also proposes the creation of a Future Generations Commissioner to support and oversee these efforts. In addition, the Bill also sets out definitions of sustainable development and wellbeing, and aims to embed these principles into public decision-making in Scotland. Boyack, who is stepping down from Holyrood at next year's election, has already said she hopes the legislation will encourage more joined-up thinking across public services. With MSPs on Holyrood's Social Justice and Social Security Committee due to start taking evidence on the proposals after the Parliament's summer recess, the committee urged anyone with views on the Bill to get in touch. Committee convener Collette Stevenson said: 'This Bill could have a significant impact on how decisions are made across Scotland's public sector. 'We're keen to hear what the public sector and local authorities make of the proposals, and we'd also like to hear from professionals, academics, children and young people, as well as anyone else with an interest in wellbeing and sustainable development. 'By sharing your views with us, you'll help us explore how the proposals could work in practice and what the changes could mean for Scotland's future generations.' People have until Sunday August 24 to submit their views on the Scottish Parliament's website. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scottish Sun
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Scotland to dump 100 truckloads of waste in England a DAY amid incinerator shortage
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTLAND is set to dump up to 100 truckloads of waste a day in England due to a shortage of incinerators, it has emerged. SNP chiefs have been ridiculed after it came to light that rubbish will have to be shipped down south after an imminent ban on 'black bag' refuse being sent to landfill. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Around 100 truckloads of waste from Scotland will be dumped in England amid a shortage of incinerators Credit: Alamy 2 Non-recyclable black bag waste will be banned from landfill in Scotland from December 31 Credit: Alamy The Scottish Government hasn't got enough incinerators in place to cope with demand - despite the new rules already being delayed for more than four years. Scottish Conservative shadow net zero and energy secretary Douglas Lumsden: 'Shipping this amount of waste every single day down to England will undoubtedly harm Scotland's economy and nationalist politicians would be frothing at the mouth if the reverse was true.' Scottish Labour net zero spokeswoman Sarah Boyack said: 'This farcical policy speaks volumes about the SNP's sticking-plaster approach to government. "Once again the SNP has set ambitious targets and completely messed up the delivery.' Scottish Lib Dem climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur said: 'Carrying lorry loads of rubbish to be landfilled just beyond Berwick is even worse for the environment than landfilling it here due to the emissions generated by these journeys. 'If this was happening in reverse, the SNP would be up in arms.' The Scottish Government's new ban - kicking in from December 31 - covers biodegradable municipal waste and will apply to virtually all domestic and commercial waste. But BBC Scotland's Disclosure show was told a lack of incinerators - Scotland currently has eight - means a 'capacity gap' estimated to be around 600,000 tonnes in the first year of the ban. And some Scots councils and waste companies have approached rubbish firm operators in England about 'bridging contracts", which it's feared could be in place for several years. Waste expert David Balmer, from ERS Remediation, said: 'You're looking at the equivalent of between 80 and 100 trucks minimum running seven days a week to take this material to a facility in England or abroad.' Grim video shows piles of rubbish bags dumped in Glasgow housing estate after bin collections scrapped for six weeks But Alasdair Meldrum, director of waste management consultants Albion Environmental, said: 'We've probably not got the trucks and vehicles to actually move it.' The ban was meant to be in place from 2021 but was one of a number of policies delayed due to the pandemic and fears that businesses weren't ready. It will apply to non-recyclable black bag municipal waste, as well as materials like wood, textiles, paper and food, which breaks down to produce methane greenhouse gas. Climate Action and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: 'The reason for the incineration gap is due to outside factors, particularly inflation and the cost of initially building them. 'We've got plans for more incinerators, with energy from waste schemes, to come on in the next year, and over the next three years - so it is a temporary situation.' Scotland's recycling rates have barely shifted in the past decade. In 2013, homes recycled 41.6 per cent of waste but by 2023 that figure had only risen to 43.5 per cent.
