Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10920 on 20 September 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Oversight and regulation of mortgage lenders is a reserved matter, as a result the Scottish Government has no powers or authority to intervene in the operation of the mortgage market, nor control mortgage or general borrowing rates.

However, the Scottish Government is committed to using levers it has available to support households through the Cost Crisis. Scottish Ministers and officials regularly meet with representatives of the financial services sector, including lenders, to discuss a range of matters including measures to support households and businesses in Scotland and have committed to continued collaboration throughout the cost crisis to tackle the immediate challenges and address key underlying structural issues.

The Deputy First Minister met with the financial services sector at the quarterly Financial Services Growth and Development Board (FISGAD) on 30 August 2022 and discussed measures industry and government can partner on to support households and businesses in Scotland.

Officials also regularly engage with UK Finance (representative body for the banking and Finance Industry) to discuss a range of issues affecting the mortgage sector including at their quarterly Board meetings in Scotland, last held on 10 June 2022, and on 1 September 2022 where discussions included the cost crisis, and the support lenders can offer customers in difficulty.

The Scottish Government remain in contact with the financial services sector on a regular basis in the current period and expect to engage regularly in the future.

The Scottish Government published an update to the housing and regeneration outcomes indicators on 16 June 2020. The `Sources, Thresholds & Updates` tab of the master spreadsheet details dates that each indicator was last updated. This spreadsheet also shows each indicator that is used by the Scottish Government.

Work is underway to update indicators with the latest available data where available, and will be published before 9 November 2022. However, some data sources do not have available data for more recent years to allow for the associated indicators to be updated. This is for a number of reasons, including the impact from coronavirus and resulting restrictions, and other changes on data collection. Affected indicators will be detailed in the publication.

It is not possible to confirm what the updated set of affordable housing investment benchmarks will be at this point as the current set of benchmarks will be adjusted using the differential between the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index for the year to December 2022, unless evidence starts to suggest that an earlier review of benchmarks is required.

A table showing the number of homes and projects that have been submitted for approval in each month, from 29 October 2021 to 23 August 2022, broken down by baseline benchmark type and whether above, at, or below benchmark has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 63601). To note that the table includes some projects still under active appraisal.

Unless evidence starts to suggest that an earlier review of benchmarks is required, the next set of affordable housing investment benchmarks will be published in the fourth quarter of the current financial year. These will then come into effect at the start of next financial year.

We are aware of the global issues affecting construction and their impact on the pace of delivery of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. The submission of Scottish Social Housing Tender Returns is an important tool in helping inform the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index and the annual review of investment benchmarks. The latest Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index was based on analysis of ten projects and results are provisional. We rely on partners providing timely and good quality Housing Tender Returns to enable comprehensive analysis to be undertaken. We operate a flexible grant system and continue to work closely with partners to ensure the delivery of affordable housing as quickly as practically possible.

A table showing the number of homes and projects that have been approved from 29 October 2021 to 23 August 2022 using the new benchmarks, broken down by baseline benchmark type for projects and homes which have an applicable benchmark has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 63602).

Since 2010-11 the Scottish Government has recycled all receipts raised from shared equity sales.

Recycled receipts in each year are as shown in the following table.