 The next item of business is topical questions in order to get in as many members as possible. I'd be grateful for short and succinct questions and responses. At question number one, I call Rachel Hamilton. To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review the new build heat standard. Minister Patrick Harvie. The new build heat standard was approved unanimously by Parliamentary Committee just last year following two consultations. Local authorities are responsible for its implementation and we've engaged with them. We'll continue to do so to ensure that the regulations are implemented in the right way. This is part of the regular implementation process for new legislation and we'll continue to address any need to clarify the guidance. Rachel Hamilton. I thank the Minister for that answer. He may not know this but rural communities across Scotland rely on wood burning stoves to heat their homes as they did during Storm Arwyn in particular. This poorly thought out ban has been criticised by the Western Isles Council and SNP, MSP and even a former Scottish Green MSP with rural areas already suffering from population decline. Why is the Minister hell bent on making it even more difficult to heat new homes? Naturally, I reject the characterisation in the member's question. In fact, we consulted extensively with rural stakeholders including rural local authorities in the development of this instrument over a number of years and two formal consultation processes. I'm a little surprised that the member makes the question in the way that she does given that her own party colleague on committee also agreed to that unanimous support for the new build heat standard, a measure which has been praised by the UK Climate Change Committee who urged the UK Government to accelerate their action in this area to match our timetable. Rachel Hamilton. A clause was secured referring to emergency heating which permits alternative heat sources as a backup in off-grid situations. This doesn't extend to stoves, Minister Harvey. The answer that you gave actually shows the SNP and Greens ignorance of this particular situation and the needs of Scots living outside the central belt. The Minister may not be banning stoves in existing homes today, but the Government is currently consulting on doing just that. As well as reversing the ban on new builds, while the Minister must rule out subjecting rural communities to even harsher winters by ruling out this outright ban on wood-burning stoves, will he do that and commit to it? As well as being slightly at a loss as to why the member appears unwilling to engage with the fact that her own party colleague supported this instrument in committee, and disappointed that she was choosing to misrepresent the Government's position in the entirely separate consultation on the heat in buildings bill, which does not set out a proposal for an outright ban on existing biomass heating systems or their insulation in existing homes. In fact, it specifically asks questions about the additional flexibility that might be required in those circumstances, specifically to deal with some of the instances of the experience of rural communities that the member mentions. It is very clear that the new build heat standard alongside high energy efficiency standards for new build are necessary to drive down carbon emissions, and we are convinced that we can do that in a way that also tackles fuel poverty for all of Scotland's communities and stimulating the development of a clean heat supply chain in Scotland. Given the small-scale but often essential and traditional role that Pete plays in heating some of Scotland's most fuel-poor communities such as my own, can the minister say what criteria will be given for an emergency heat system and its fuel sources in relation to the new build heat standard? I declare an interest of a sort as someone who cuts peats for my own use. The technical handbooks do highlight that fixed emergency heating might be appropriate in circumstances where portable solutions are not viable due to the size or complexity or heat demands of the particular building, but the new build heat standard is technology neutral and it not only makes a distinction between direct and zero direct emissions heating but also does not distinguish by fuel source. In relation to cooking, where Pete is used for cooking, I would clarify as well that cooking is outside the scope of the new build heat standard and that means that fuel burning appliances can be installed if their only purpose is cooking. The guidance in the technical handbook says that any emergency heating will normally be connected to the same means of heat distribution used by the normal heating system and that a backup source of electrical power would be needed to enable operation of related auxiliary systems. Can the minister tell me what analysis the Scottish Government has undertaken on the cost and stall of this? And why, given that cost and technical issues it isn't in practice a ban, can he confirm whether the backup source of electrical power in our cryde could include a diesel generator? The Government, as I said to Rachel Hamilton, has consulted extensively and will have heard from the kind of organisations and individuals in communities who have experienced the kind that Jamie Halcro Johnston refers to. We have taken account of all of these and conducted a range of impact assessments on this measure and are convinced that it will achieve the objectives that are set out. I would recognise and ask the member to recognise that, as with other aspects of our building standards system, where there is a need for an application for discretion and the inability to apply any particular aspect of building standards, that flexibility is always there and will continue to be so. Ariane Burgess. The recent CCC report praised the Heat and Buildings Bill as being a template for the rest of the UK in how to decarbonise our housing stock, but it is still acknowledged that we will need to ramp up the decarbonisation of our homes by a factor of 10 in the coming years if we are to have any hope of meeting our climate targets. So can the minister confirm how the new build heat standard will contribute to reducing our emissions from the buildings and what the estimated emissions reduction will be compared to continuing to build new homes with direct emissions heating? Yes, indeed. Obviously, the objective of this policy is to prevent greenhouse gas emissions associated with delivering space heating hot water and cooling in new buildings, helping to achieve net zero by 2045. On a climate change plan accounting basis for emissions, over the long term, the new build heat standard is expected to deliver cumulative savings of around 5.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent over 2024-83 under central assumptions. That's broken down as 2.3 million tonnes equivalent saving the residential and 3 million tonnes equivalent in the services sector. The UK climate change committee, if I said, has praised our work on this. I'm also convinced that this will help to stimulate the development of the supply chain for clean heat in Scotland. Minister, there is no escaping that rural homes face a particular challenge in remaining warm or decarbonising the heat systems in an affordable way, and that the exceptions of legislation are necessary. But can the minister reassure my constituents in Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale that consideration has been given to the unique needs of rural and remote homes with the new build heat standard and that rural homeowners can access additional support, including grant funding, to meet their clean heating needs? Absolutely. We have taken the concerns of rural communities seriously and included the provision for the use of fixed emergency heating, and that reflects the reality that in some circumstances, which could include a wood-burning stove, that flexibility may be needed for new homes to provide emergency heat. I've mentioned earlier the extensive consultation, which is included North Ayrshire Council, Shetland Island Council, Orkney Island Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Aspire Orkney and organisations and companies working across the country, including in rural communities. That is part of the consultations, as well as a number of workshops separately. In relation to grant funding, we already provide additional support to households in installing clean heating and energy efficiency measures in existing homes. For example, our Home Energy Scotland grant and loans have a rural uplift, meaning that people in those areas can get grants of up to £9,000. Edward Mountain. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I wonder if the minister could clarify what I'm to tell my constituents who are building new houses, say, in the area of Rothys, in the shadow of a plant that burns wood chip to generate electricity for which they get a grant? Why can't they burn wood in their wood-burning stoves? Obviously, people who have wood-burning stoves at the moment should be reassured that those claiming that there is an outright ban are misleading them. People who already rely on these systems will continue to do so. In relation to new build, the UK Climate Change Committee has been very clear that there are circumstances in which biomass can give us a useful contribution to reducing our carbon emissions, but that will not be in all circumstances. We will continue to explore the situations where it is justified while ensuring that the homes that we build for the future are fit for the 21st century, both in terms of climate change and in terms of particulate pollution. Martin Whitfield. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pledge to provide a free bike to every school-age child who cannot afford one. Minister. The free bikes pilot programme concluded in August 2022, and the independent evaluation by Research Scotland was published in January 2023. Based on the evaluation findings, we concluded that the third sector partnership approach would best meet local needs rather than a national model for delivery. That informed the development of the free bikes partnership, which was established in April 2023. The Scottish Government has invested £900,000 in the free bikes partnership, which is run on our behalf by Cycling Scotland. To date, a total of 6,814 new refurbished and specially adapted bikes have been provided to children by delivery partners under the scheme. Martin Whitfield. I am grateful to the minister for that response. Will the Government's pledge to provide free bikes to children living in poverty by 2026 be met? Minister. I have already indicated in my first answer the action that we are taking forward on this. I would hope that those members who have made a rather simplistic calculation for the purposes of press releases about the price per bike recognise that there are misleading people in that. The amount of money that is being invested in this is not only the provision of bikes, it is also around adaptive bikes to ensure that this is an inclusive scheme. It also includes cycle training, accessories and other costs. I hope that members will recognise the strong value to Scotland both in achieving a shift toward active travel, also the health of our young people and ensuring that active travel is as inclusive as it needs to be. Martin Whitfield. I am grateful to the minister for that response. I did not make mention of any costs. I did not make mention of any outline quotes. What I did ask was whether or not the pledge was going to be kept in 2026. Can the minister confirm that by 2026 all children in living in poverty will have access to a free bike? Minister. I have set out the approach that we are taking in relation to the free bike partnership. I am sorry that members do not wish to hear the answer. I have set out the approach that we are taking in relation to the free bike partnership, which is based on the evaluation of the pilots that we undertook. It was absolutely necessary to undertake those pilots to understand the different challenges, the different delivery models and we concluded, in my view, quite rightly on the basis of the evidence that a single national delivery model would not be the best way to meet the needs or the intentions of the policy. That is why we are taking forward the third sector partnership programme that we are. I am keen to allow other members to put questions. Let us keep them concise and responsive to what I call Bob Doris. I welcome nearly 7,000 children who have benefited so far. I want to see this built on. However, access to bike must go hand in hand with the required infrastructure. Can I ask the minister to outline the progress that has been made including extending on-street bicycle storage facilities to support my constituents who live in flatted or tenemental properties? Minister. Funding for active travel is now at a record level of £220 million for the financial year 24 to 25. That supports our vision for active travel where walking, wheeling and cycling will be the natural and easy choice for shorter everyday journeys. We will continue to build on our record investment in active travel, including in infrastructure. I may be right in saying that I visited some of the storage infrastructure that we have supported in Bob Doris' constituency. There will be many other examples around the country. I would encourage all members to work including with their local authorities and RTPs on the new rules that we have supported them to deliver that active travel for Scotland. The Scottish Government also pledged to provide a free laptop to every child in Scotland. Three years in, data seems to suggest that less than 10% have received them. When in the next two years will that pledge be delivered? I can't allow that question because it has to be relevant to the substantive question on the paper. I will have to respectfully disagree with you on this occasion and I call Willie Rennie. The minister diswaffled in response to Martin Whitfield that there was a clear election pledge that every child in poverty would have access to a free bike. So can the minister avoid the waffle? Don't tell me about process, tell me. Are all those young people going to get those bikes or aren't they? Minister. I don't imagine Willie Rennie thinks that I'm responsible for any other political parties manifesto. I'm responsible for this Government's programme of work. I am responsible for this Government's programme of work. It is the most ambitious and well-funded approach to active travel of any part of the UK by a very long margin. It's investing in access to bikes, in infrastructure and in culture change on our roads and that's the way that we're intending to achieve the objectives that I hope and I would like to think that all people would hope all political parties would share. Thank you, that concludes topical questions.