Chamber and committees

I will direct the first part of my question to Jim McBride, but I appreciate that Nicky Brown might also want to come in, given his opening statement.

Before Christmas, I had a briefing from Glasgow City Council on the housing emergency that has been declared, specifically about the streamlining of the asylum process in the city. I also had a briefing from Mears at that time. I was told that roughly 580 to 600 households that had had a positive decision from the UK asylum process had overstayed in their Mears tenancy and were imminently going to be pushed into the Glasgow homelessness system, with many hundreds—perhaps thousands—to follow. Could Mr McBride tell us where we are now and the pressures that that has put on the system in Glasgow?

I will not come back in, convener, but Nicky Brown might want to put some comments on the record.

To follow on from Mr McBride’s comments about the acquisition programme, I know from my casework that Maryhill Housing Association is very active in tracking potential properties in the private sector and making direct efforts to get homeless families housed in those properties. It would be helpful for the committee to write to Glasgow City Council to find out how that is mapped out across the city and what the numbers are looking like per housing association, particularly—funnily enough—in the Maryhill and Springburn constituency. That would be helpful. I have put that in now, Mr McBride.

I want to ask a budgetary question. We know that the Scottish Government is still committed to delivering 110,000 new affordable homes by 2031 and £3.5 billion of investment over the course of the current parliamentary session. I know that there is a separate debate about whether that amount was sufficient, but that comes down to politicians who have to set budgets.

We note that the Scottish Government’s capital budget has been slashed by the UK Government, but the Scottish Government has also cut its own affordable housing supply budget. I will not get drawn into the politics of that, but what is the short-term impact of that on homelessness? If the same money is spent over the course of the parliamentary session, will that have a longer-term impact? There will be a short-term impact, but will there also be a longer-term impact if the same amount of money is spent over the course of the parliamentary session?

I suppose that it would make sense to direct that question to Gavin Smith, who can offer an ALACHO perspective.

That is very helpful.

I may not have got the memo about that, convener. I thought that I was asking question 13, on discretionary housing payments, but I think Mr Mason asked most of the questions on that theme. The only follow-up that I have is on the £90 million that the Scottish Government anticipates spending on discretionary housing payments in the coming year to mop up the mess of the UK Government’s bedroom tax. That is a lot of money in the system. Is there a more effective way of using that? In budgetary terms, it is quite a significant figure. Are there ways that we could use that money more effectively?

It is for Mr MacRae, only because he is in the room and he made eye contact. I am not sure who would be the best person to answer that question.

Good morning.

My understanding is that levels of fraud are relatively low, as far as we know, but there will have to be robust processes and procedures in this country soon anyway, because the legislation will require Social Security Scotland to request that clients provide information for audit purposes. How does the agency intend to use the new powers, proportionately and appropriately, to help to estimate client-induced fraud and error?

In the year ahead, we will see completion of the roll-out of the carer support payment, following the pilot. We will also see new pension-age benefits being introduced. I am conscious that the case load for pension-age winter heating payments will be around 1 million claimants. That is far in excess of any other benefit that Social Security Scotland has had to cope with. I am not casting any aspersions, but it is reasonable for us to ask: are you prepared for that, are you confident and is planning going well?

We would welcome that, Mr MacPhail. I take it from your comments that you are making the point that, although the scale is substantial, the complexity does not give you any concerns at this stage.

Thank you.