Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-85 on 31 May 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.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise is leading on the development of a local broadband plan for the Highlands and Islands region, which will include Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.

As this project is being led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and is an operational matter for them, I suggest you write to its chief executive if you require additional information.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-85 on 31 May 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-85 on 31 May 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 has not conducted, and has no plans to conduct, an investigation of the impact on voluntary organisations and businesses of the exclusion of business-related claims from the Air Discount Scheme (ADS).

We have not received representations from any voluntary organisations on the impact of the exclusion of business-related claims, although we have received a very small number of direct representations from businesses.

The ADS is designed to facilitate social support for individual scheme members. Although the scheme does not extend to providing voluntary organisations with help in participating in national events on the Scottish mainland, it is available to support individual members attending social type events on the mainland.

We said in our Strategy and Action Plan Homes Fit for the 21st Century that we would make a decisive change in the way we support new developments, using Government funding to lever in the maximum investment from other sources. Developments will also need to tie in with local authority local housing strategies. While all projects will be assessed against this benchmark (and we will encourage proposals requiring less grant), we will retain flexibility to consider higher subsidy, e.g. in remote rural areas or where projects require additional features to meet particular needs.

We consulted with a range of representative bodies on the detail of the 2011-12 Innovation and Investment Fund and received comments from the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum before finalising guidance on the benchmarks.

The £50 million Innovation and Investment Fund is a one year programme planned for 2011-12. Funds will be allocated in due course on the basis of bids from potential housing providers which are due to be submitted by 31 May 2011. Once all bids have been assessed and funds allocated, we will review the way in which the fund has helped the Scottish Government support new developments and lever in the maximum possible investment from other sources.

We have not been advised by Orkney Housing Association Ltd whether they will submit a bid to the Innovation and Investment Fund (2011-12) which is making £50 million available across Scotland.

We said in our Strategy and Action Plan Homes Fit for the 21st Century that we would make a decisive change in the way we support new developments, using government funding to lever in the maximum possible investment from other sources. Developments will also need to tie in with local authority local housing strategies. While all projects will be assessed against this benchmark (and we will encourage proposals requiring less grant), we will retain flexibility to consider higher subsidy, e.g. in remote rural areas or where projects require additional features to meet particular needs.

As a result of project approvals from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2010-11 Orkney Housing Association Ltd will have 32 properties start on site in 2011-12 and there will be 120 properties complete during the financial year.

We said in our Strategy and Action Plan Homes Fit for the 21st Century that we aim to deliver 18,000 new affordable homes over the next three years through housing associations, councils and other developers. The breakdown by year and by region will be decided in the light of the proposals we receive.