Minutes of Meeting on 26th November 2024
Venue: Atlantic Quay 5, 5th Floor Meeting Room 5.4
Time: 10:00–16:30
Type: Panel Meeting
Attendees
Panel: Matthew Cole, Kirsten Jenkins and Alister Steele
Apologies: Fraser Stewart and Margaret Corrigan
Secretariat: Philippa Brosnan, Roanna Simpson and Trisha Melvin
Scottish Government: Dr Amy Nimegeer
Agenda item 1: Welcome
Matt opened the meeting and welcomed everyone and ran through the agenda for the day. Matt thanked Roanna for her work on the fuel poverty funding landscape paper. Matt also noted that Dr Amy Nimegeer, a Scottish Government principal research officer, would be attending today’s meeting for agenda item 4 to speak further about the monitoring and evaluation framework for the Scottish Government’s fuel poverty strategy.
Matt noted that there have been three online Panel meetings since the Panel last met in person on the 28th of August – on the 8th and 24th of October, and the 13th of November. There was also an evidence session held with Tighean Innse Gall to hear about their report on affordable warmth in the Western Isles on the 1st of October. At the Panel meetings, the following points were discussed:
- The Panel’s response to the Scottish Government’s Periodic Report Consultation – its shape, content and final form.
- The work underway for theme one of the Panel’s workplan – on the fuel poverty funding landscape and crisis funding – including the drafting and ratification of the fuel poverty funding principles and recommendations on funding to the Scottish Government.
- Planning the delivery of the rest of the Panel’s workplan.
- The publication of minutes and attendance at the Energy Action Scotland conference and Matt’s input to the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations’ conference.
- The Scottish Government’s fuel poverty strategy monitoring and evaluation framework – with input from Scottish Government researchers and fuel poverty policy leads, and,
- The Panel’s approach to the Scottish Government’s spending controls.
Matt offered reflections on the first meeting of the Scottish Government’s Social Tarriff Working Group, of which he is a member.
Roanna gave some positive feedback on the Energy Action Scotland Conference which she attended on behalf of the Panel in mid-November.
The Panel reflected on the process of responding to the Scottish Government’s Periodic Report consultation and identified learnings from this.
Agenda item 2: Fuel Poverty Funding Landscape
Roanna talked through the Panel’s draft funding principles and the recommendations which the Panel would like to make to the Scottish Government. The Panel requested some changes and agreed a timeline for sending the final version to Scottish Ministers and publishing on the Panel’s website.
Agenda item 3: Research
The Panel discussed its aspiration for lived experience research to underpin its workplan. Building on previous discussions, it agreed to focus the research in on exploring experiences of rural fuel poverty. The scope of the research was agreed with the expectation that the results will be published in the second quarter of 2025.
Agenda item 4: Workplan
The panel discussed the shape of the outputs it will produce for its remaining 3 workplan themes: rural fuel poverty, the opportunities heat networks offer/the issues they raise for those suffering fuel poverty, and the linkages between fuel poverty and health. The Panel noted the need to be mindful of other demands and, potential demands which could arise in the next few months, as well as what remains of the 2024/2025 budget.
Agenda item 5: Fuel Poverty Strategy – development of the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy
Matt welcomed Dr Amy Nimegeer, a principal researcher with the Scottish Government, to the Panel meeting. Amy set out the current state of progress with the monitoring and evaluation framework and the approach used in its development to date. Amy tested how the Panel would like to feed into the near finalised version, and the Panel agreed that it would be sensible to contribute their thoughts at this point. The Panel also discussed, at Amy’s request, the possibility of researchers attending Panel evidence sessions.
Agenda item 6: Publications of Minutes
Trisha spoke through the process of the publication of minutes and the documentation of this as the Panel are keen to be assured of transparency. The Panel agreed that the minutes of their planned meeting schedule can be used as a vehicle to document what has been discussed during ad hoc, online meetings. This is to be done by noting these in the minutes of the next publicised meeting with a short paragraph of what was discussed
Agenda item 7: AOB
Matt spoke about ensuring that Panel members are claiming their fees for their work. Matt also noted that if it is possible members might exceed the number of days set out in their appointment terms, then this needs to be discussed with the Scottish Government.
Agenda item 8: Panel Reflections
Matt invited reflections on the day. The Panel felt the meeting had been productive and found the session with Amy useful. Matt thanked everyone and drew the meeting to a close.
Next meeting is the 21st of January 2025 in Glasgow.