Chamber and committees

We have not received a costed proposal for the redevelopment of the stadium. However, we will continue to work closely with the Scottish FA and other partners to consider how Hampden can be a 21 st century stadium we can all be proud of.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18844 on 25 September 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with Glasgow City Council regarding any proposed redevelopment of Hampden Park.

The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the Scottish FA and other partners to consider how Hampden can be a 21 st century stadium we can all be proud of. No costed or developed proposal for the redevelopment of the stadium has been received.

Funding for local authorities is provided by way of a block grant and it is the responsibility of each local authority to manage their own budget and to allocate the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, including any funding to combat homelessness, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities. Glasgow, like all councils, make representations every year in relation to the Local Government settlement.

Despite continued UK Government real terms cuts to Scotland’s resource budget, we have treated local government very fairly. In 2018-19, councils will receive funding through the local government finance settlement of £10.7 billion. This will provide a real terms boost in both revenue and capital funding. And with local authorities using their powers to increase Council Tax by the maximum allowable 3%, they now have access to an additional £251.9 million for day-to-day spending on local services, compared to 2017-18.

Glasgow City Council will receive almost £1.4 billion Scottish Government funding in 2018-19. Taken together with the decision to increase council tax by 3%, Glasgow City Council will have an additional £35.8 million to support local services compared to 2017-18.

The Scottish Government has not analysed the work of the Glasgow City Council's rough sleeping task force.

While the statutory responsibility for homelessness lies with local authorities, the Scottish Government continues to work closely with local authority partners, including Glasgow City Council, to address homelessness and rough sleeping.

The Scottish Government has had no meetings with the Glasgow City Council rough sleeping task force in the last 12 months.

Scottish Government continues to work closely with local authority partners, including Glasgow City Council to address homelessness and rough sleeping.

The Scottish Government has had no correspondence with the Glasgow City Council rough sleeping task force in the last 12 months.

Scottish Government has provided funding to the following third sector organisations in Glasgow to tackle homelessness since 2007: Emmaus, Legal Services Agency, SAY Woman, Glasgow Homelessness Network, Scottish Refugee Council, Scottish Womans Aid, Street League, Move On, Simon Community and Positive Action in Housing to tackle homelessness in Glasgow since 2007.

I met with Simon Community Scotland in September last year to discuss rough sleeping in Glasgow.

On the 5 October I attended and addressed the launch meeting of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group at which rough sleeping in Glasgow was discussed, and which was also attended by the Chief Social Work Officer of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.

In February I met with the Scottish Housing Regulator to discuss homelessness and rough sleeping in Glasgow before they published their report.

Scottish Government continues to work closely with all local authority and third sector partners to address homelessness and rough sleeping across Scotland, including Glasgow.

With support from Scottish Government, the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group 2017-18 Winter Initiative brought together local authority and third sector partners, including from Glasgow, to focus on implementing measures to reduce rough sleeping during last winter in our major cities where incidents of rough sleeping are highest.

A summary report on the Winter Initiative, which details the actions taken, including practical measures to increase the capacity of accommodation and frontline services and the improved outcomes achieved for people at risk of sleeping rough in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen was published on 10 August.

Scottish Government Ministers and its officials have had no involvement with the Glasgow City Council’s rough sleeping task force.

While the statutory responsibility for homelessness lies with local authorities, the Scottish Government continues to work closely with local authority partners, including Glasgow City Council, to address homelessness and rough sleeping. The Chief Social Work Officer for Glasgow was a member of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group which discussed actions needed both to minimise rough sleeping last winter and to end rough sleeping for good.