Budget – Friends of the Earth Scotland comment

Commenting on the Scottish Government’s Budget, Francis Stuart, Friends of the Earth Scotland Parliamentary Officer, said:

“We welcome the additional £10m for a universal area-based home insulation scheme, a policy we first called for back in 2008.

“While a significant step forward, the numbers still fall substantially short of what is needed to create jobs, tackle fuel poverty and meet Scotland’s ambitious climate change targets.

“We also welcome the £2m towards a boiler scrappage scheme but are disappointed about continued spending on large road-building projects. This money would be better spend on environmentally friendly walking and cycling programmes.”

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Per Fischer, Press Office, Friends of the Earth Scotland
T: 0131 243 2719

Notes to editors

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s call for £100m was subsequently backed by Parliament with 91 MSPs in favour and 15 against: www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/chamber/mop-08/mop08-11-13.htm

Recent studies have suggested that the funds needed annually for home insulation may need to be higher, and the Parliament’s own Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee suggested a figure in the region of £100-170m: www.scottish.parliament.uk/S3/committees/eet/reports-09/eer09-07-vol01-0…

Friends of the Earth Scotland is the country’s leading independent environmental campaigning organisation, and is the only organisation in Scotland that is working for environmental justice, campaigning for the planet and its people. www.foe-scotland.org.uk