Members' Business — S6M-12917 Jamie Halcro Johnston: Importance of Wood-burning Stoves and Other Direct Emission Heating to Homes in Rural and Island Communities

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the importance of wood-burning stoves and other forms of direct emission heating in homes in rural, island and remote communities across Scotland; notes that wood-burning stoves are often the only source of heat and hot water, and method of cooking, when power is lost or when bad weather leaves households or communities isolated; further notes that the Non-domestic Technical Handbook: April 2024 Edition states that “in smaller buildings there will be little justification to install emergency heating”; considers that any emergency heating can only be used in emergencies and must be connected to both the normal heating system and an emergency power source, and that the cost and technical implications of this have led to the Scottish Government’s Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 being described as “an effective ban” on wood-burning stoves in new-build properties; believes that this will put vulnerable households in more remote areas of Scotland at greater risk when cut off or when power is lost, as well as exacerbate already high levels of fuel poverty, and recognises reports of the concern and anger that this has caused in rural and island communities across Scotland, especially in the Highlands and Islands.