Public appointment: Members appointed to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel

The Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Màiri McAllan MSP, today announced the appointment of Olivia Swann and Bryan Leask as Members of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel.

Members

Dr Olivia Swann is a consultant paediatrician working at the intersection of child health, housing and fuel poverty. Through her work, she sees how cold, damp homes contribute to children becoming unwell and needing hospital care. Olivia leads the Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids programme, which brings together health, housing and energy data to show where improvements to homes can make the biggest difference for families. A central part of her approach is working directly with parents and communities experiencing fuel poverty, and making sure their lived experience informs decision-making. Olivia has experience of contributing health evidence to Scottish Government advisory groups and participating in policy discussions on fuel poverty and net zero. She brings a practical, child-centred perspective, with a strong focus on prevention and ensuring children’s health is fully considered in actions to tackle fuel poverty.

Bryan Leask has worked with Hjaltland Housing Association in Shetland since 2002, initially as Director of Asset Management. He was appointed Chief Executive in 2012. He also currently serves as Executive Officer/Secretary to the Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum and chairs the Scottish Rural and Islands Fuel Poverty Action Group. Bryan has a strong and longstanding interest in energy efficiency and fuel poverty, having previously qualified as a Domestic Energy Assessor. He has held a number of influential advisory roles, including as a committee member of Energywatch Scotland, and more recently as a member of several Scottish Government working groups and taskforces, including the Zero Energy Social Housing Taskforce, the Scottish Government's New Build Heat Standard Working Groupand Energy Standard Review Working Group.

Appointments

The appointments will run from 01 February 2026 to 31 December 2029.

The appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

The appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £173.99 per day for a time commitment of 12 days per year.

Other ministerial appointments

Olivia Swann and Bryan Leask do not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit, and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.  

Olivia Swann and Bryan Leask have had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

The Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel (“The Panel”) is an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB).

The Panel scrutinises Scottish Ministers’ progress towards delivering Scotland’s 2040 fuel poverty targets and how effectively its policies and programmes are tackling the four drivers of fuel poverty - poor energy efficiency of the home; low household income; high fuel costs; and how energy is used in the home. The Panel also helps the Scottish Government work on short, medium and long-term fuel poverty issues and potential solutions, including how support can best be provided to those in, or entering, fuel poverty. The Panel works to foster collaboration across the fuel poverty stakeholder landscape.