Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government provides a framework for the planning of housing through Local Housing Strategies and Scottish Planning Policy that supports local authorities, who have strategic responsibility for housing within their areas, to determine the range of housing required locally, including consideration of the housing needs of older people and proposals to support its delivery. Later this year we will also launch a refreshed housing strategy for older people to take account of changing need, demographics and help address issues of isolation older people
can face as well as improving access to suitable housing.

The recent consultation on the planning system highlighted the need to diversify housing delivery to provide a greater choice and range of housing, including supported homes for the elderly.

We consider that the provision of specialist housing for the elderly is better addressed through policy and not the forthcoming Planning Bill.

Scottish Planning Policy (SPP), updated in June 2014, requires that local authorities, through their development plans, should address the supply of land for all housing, setting a housing supply target. We committed to reviewing SPP in tandem with the preparation of National Planning Framework 4 in the Places, People and Planning Position Statement published in June. This is likely to commence in 2018.

On 31 March, we launched a consultation entitled' Improving Parking in Scotland', which closed on 30 June 2017 for the general public and 31 August for local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships. The consultation paper considered how parking is managed and enforced across the country.

Our consultation sought views on how we can:

*make parking laws clearer

*identify what parking restrictions and exemptions should apply

*identify the best approach for managing parking, and

*improve the management of displaced vehicles in town centres' while improving accessibility for all.

The findings will inform our policy on how best to manage and enforce parking in Scotland, and will help to develop provisions for a Government Transport Bill and supporting guidance. The Bill and supporting guidance will then be presented for consideration by the Scottish Parliament in this Parliamentary session.

The Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group has met on:

2 October and 11 December 2013

20 March, 25 June and 29 October 2014

16 February, 21 May,7 September and 19 November 2015

8 February and 22 August 2016

24 January 2017

It also organises a national stakeholder event once a year, with the last event on
7 December 2016.

We are in the process of refreshing the high level strategic homelessness group, which is expected to be re-launched in the autumn.

The Scottish Government recognises the benefits that electrification brings in terms of improved journey times and connectivity, as well as environmental benefits and reduced industry costs.

The Scottish Government’s investment strategy for the railway network beyond 2019 is currently being developed and has been informed by a range of evidence, including industry advice and a consultation exercise. It is in this context that electrification schemes, such as those involving the route between Glasgow and East Kilbride, will be considered. Any investment decisions will be subject to a fully developed business case, affordability and deliverability.

The next step for promoters is to discuss the proposals with the relevant Regional Transport Partnership, in this case it would be SPT, Strathclyde Passenger Transport who can assess proposals for the rail link in line with local and regional transport priorities.

Local Authorities are required, under section 24 of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003, to register any work notices served under section 30 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 in their building standards register. Information on the number of work notices served is not held centrally.

Local Authorities are required, under section 61 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, to register any maintenance orders served under section 42 of the of that Act in an appropriate land register. Information on the number of maintenance orders served is not held centrally.

Local authorities are not required to register closing orders served under section 114 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.

The British Transplant Games in North Lanarkshire is receiving funding of £24,600 through the EventScotland National Programme.

EventScotland, as part of VisitScotland, will work with event organisers to maximise the tourism benefits of the event, with a particular focus on encouraging friends and families of competitors to extend their stay and explore the local area and the rest of Scotland.

Shona Robison will be attending the Transplant Games opening ceremony on the 27th July.

Integrated Joint Boards are responsible for making local decisions about the health and care needs of patients, to ensure that those who use services get the right care and support whatever their needs, at any point in their care journey. The Scottish Government has through the Public Bodies (Joint Working) Act 2015 and the supporting guidance, created a framework that encourages Integrated Joint Boards to consider a range of options when making local decisions about the health and care needs of patients including reducing delayed discharge.

The Living Home Standard (LHS) is a housing standard developed independently by Shelter and assesses a home’s standard against 39 different attributes. The number of homes meeting the LHS is not held by the Scottish Government.

Existing applicable housing standards in Scotland include: the tolerable standard (the minimum standard for all living accommodation in buildings in Scotland); the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) (the minimum standard for social housing); and the repairing standard (for most other kinds of tenancy except agricultural holdings, small landholdings, some tied housing, and crofts).

Information on how many homes in Scotland meet the tolerable standard and the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) is published annually in the Scottish House Conditions Survey Key Findings Report, available at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/SHCS/Downloads.