Chamber and committees

We aim to enable around 320 households to access home ownership in 2011-12 under the New Supply Shared Equity with Developers Scheme. We have not set a target for beyond 2011-12.

The Scottish Government has met with all of these local authorities to discuss their experiences with the current round of the National Housing Trust initiative (NHT). Although these particular local authorities were unable to secure suitable projects from bids received through the current procurement, discussions are continuing with these local authorities over plans to extend and expand the NHT approach.

Under the first phase of procurement of homes through the National Housing Trust initiative (NHT), the Scottish Futures Trust is seeking to finalise contracts for the construction of almost 700 affordable homes in 2011-12. In view of the substantial interest from local authorities, housing associations, and private house builders in extending and expanding the NHT approach through improved and new versions of the NHT model, the Scottish Government is considering the options for procuring more new homes through further NHT phases in 2011-12 and 2012-13, taking account of the views of stakeholders, and will communicate its plans shortly.

We have indicated that we plan to build 5,000 new council houses during this Parliament, but have not set an overall target for council/housing association homes for social rent. We received a very positive response for the 2011-12 Innovation and Investment Fund by the deadline of 31 May. Work is now under way, involving our local authority partners, to pick the best bids against the criteria we set out. We will not know the final make-up of our approvals from this programme until all the bids have been assessed. We hope that final decisions will be made at the end of August 2011. Plans for future financial years have not yet been set.

The Scottish Government aims to approve an average of 6,000 affordable homes per year for the lifetime of this Parliament.

In 2011-12, Glasgow City and City of Edinburgh councils will offer the same opportunities for registered social landlords to bid for grant funding from within their transfer of management of development funding budgets, as other registered social landlords have through the Innovation and Investment Fund. Both local authorities are currently assessing the bids received against the criteria set out. We expect final decisions on the make up of the approvals will be made by the local authorities by the end of August 2011. Plans for future financial years have not yet been set.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-225 on 7 June 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government will provide funding of £171.6 million to Aberdeen City Council over the 30-year lifetime of their 3Rs school building project.

The capital value of schools built as part of Aberdeen City Council’s 3Rs school building project is £120.5 million.

The following table sets out the level of Scottish Government funding provided to Aberdeen City Council for their 3Rs school building project in each year to date.