- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) loans and (b) grants from the Housing Infrastructure Fund have been agreed and what the total value of these are, also broken down by how much each payment will be.
Answer
We have agreed one loan totalling £7.9m. The timing and amount of each drawdown payment will be reflect the completion of infrastructure works on the site by the contractor.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many enquiries it has received from developers about the Housing Infrastructure Fund.
Answer
We have received 186 expressions of interest through Local Authorities in relation to the Housing Infrastructure Fund. We do not hold information on the individual developers for each project.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government which (a) local authorities and (b) registered social landlords have made applications to the Housing Infrastructure Fund.
Answer
Local authorities have provided 121 expressions of interest for grant support on Local Authority or RSL led sites. Details of the developing organisations have not been submitted at this time, however, expressions of interest have been received from the following local authorities:
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Aberdeen City
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Aberdeenshire
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Angus
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Argyll and Bute
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City of Edinburgh
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Clackmannanshire
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Dumfries and Galloway
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Dundee
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East Dunbartonshire
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East Lothian
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East Renfrewshire
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Falkirk
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Fife
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Glasgow City
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Highland
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Inverclyde
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Mid Lothian
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Moray
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North Lanarkshire
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Orkney
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Perth and Kinross
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Renfrewshire
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Scottish Borders
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Shetland
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Stirling
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West Dunbartonshire
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West Lothian
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government which non-public sector organisations have made applications to the Housing Infrastructure Fund.
Answer
Local Authorities have provided 42 expressions of interest for loan support on sites relating to non public organisations. Details of these organisations have not been submitted at this time. One loan has been agreed to date to the Grandhome Trust in Aberdeen.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Housing Infrastructure Fund and what the total value of these are, also broken down by how much each application was for.
Answer
To date, 186 expressions of interest have been made to the Housing Infrastructure Fund. Of these, 19 proposals are at a stage of readiness to progress to a full application stage with a further one loan offer already issued.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to tackle any age discrimination against 17-and-18-year-olds.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2016
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that properties used exclusively for short-term letting via platforms, such as AirBnB, should be treated as residential properties or as businesses.
Answer
It is for owners of properties used for short-term lettings to ensure that they comply with all legislation that applies to their letting.
This includes considering whether they are operating a business for tax purposes as defined by HM Revenue and Customs.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the use of (a) planning policy, (b) housing legislation or (c) other measures to regulate short-term letting, such as (i) so-called party flats and (ii) via platforms such as AirBnB.
Answer
Legislation exists to deal with antisocial noise and behaviour in short-term lets and the local authority may deal with these matters using existing powers contained within Part 7 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.
In March 2011, the Scottish Government introduced further legislation to help local authorities tackle nuisance behaviour caused by occupants of short-term lets. The Antisocial Behaviour Notices (Houses Used for Holiday Purposes) (Scotland) Order 2011, enables local authorities to serve a notice on a landlord of a property where there has been antisocial behaviour by a person using a property for holiday purposes, or visitors while it is being used. Such a notice can be served on the landlord and any known person who acts for the landlord. This means that action can be taken even if the occupant is only resident for a short period of time.
In relation to the planning system, planning permission would be required for material changes in the use of flats and houses, though a limited amount of bed and breakfast activity in houses is excluded from planning control. It would be for planning authorities to consider what policies are needed locally for dealing with planning applications in this regard.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether its £2 million Community Choices Fund will be an annual fund.
Answer
The Community Choices Fund was established in 2016-17 as part of the Empowering Communities Fund. Future decisions about the fund will be made as part of the budget settlement for 2017-18. Community empowerment continues to build across the whole of Scotland, and the Scottish Government will continue to support a fairer Scotland and inclusive growth in the most effective ways possible.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether its £2 million Community Choices Fund is equal to 1% of local council budgets.
Answer
The £2 million Community Choices Fund is not equal to 1% of local council budgets. The fund was launched in June 2016 to support Community Choices (otherwise known as participatory budgeting) in 2016-17 and £1.5 million was open to applications from public authorities, community organisation and community councils. The fund will also support a capacity building programme in Scotland to assist community organisations and public authorities to engage with and deliver Community Choices. More information about community choices can be found on the PB Scotland website www.PBScotland.scot