Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-01493

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to include the number of children in homeless households across all of the data that is reported in the Homelessness in Scotland statistics series.

The Homelessness in Scotland statistics series reports data from the HL1 (homelessness applications), HL2 (snapshot temporary accommodation) and HL3 (placement level temporary accommodation) data collections.

Information on the number of children within the household applying for homelessness support and in temporary accommodation is currently collected and reported on through the HL1 and HL2 collections respectively.

Data is published in the Homelessness in Scotland statistics series. Data is published on a 6-monthly basis, with the most recent publication relating to the annual data for 2020-21. Table 15 of the latest publication reports the number of children in homelessness applications and Table 27 reports the number of children in temporary accommodation as at the end of a quarter. A link to the latest publication can be found here:

Homelessness in Scotland: 2020 to 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

An additional question was added to the HL3 data collection in 2019 to gather information on the number of children living in temporary accommodation placements. However, not all local authorities have so far been able to provide this information as there is a lead in time required to update local authority management information systems and data extraction processes. Scottish Government are continuing to work closely with local authorities to assist with the provision of this data and understand timescales for when this can be made available.

Question reference: S6W-01236

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates the (a) Joint Housing Resilience Chairs Group, (b) Local Government Resilience Group, (c) Private Rented Sector Resilience Group, (d) Social Housing Resilience Group and (e) Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans Sub-group has met since 6 May 2021, and when it will next meet.

(a) The Joint Housing Resilience Chairs Group was convened by the previous Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning at his request and were held over the period at the height of the pandemic. The need for specific meetings with the resilience group reduced as the recovery progressed. The group last met on 17 March and has not reconvened.

(b) No meetings of the Local Government Resilience Group have taken place since 6 May 2021 as this meeting was chaired and organised by COSLA. It has now been moved to meeting by exception.

(c) The Private Rented Sector Resilience Group met on the 17 May, 7 June and 23 June. The next scheduled meeting of the group is 26 July.

(d) The Social Housing Resilience Group met on the 25 May and 22 June. The next scheduled meeting of the group is 27 July.

(e) Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans Sub-group met on the 18 May and the next meeting of the group is on the 17 August.

Question reference: S6W-01290

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes that are due for completion in 2021-22 are subject to (a) delays and (b) cost increases because of the shortages of materials and price increases that were recently reported by the Federation of Master Builders.

There are a large number of affordable housing supply programme projects on site at the moment across the country and we are aware that some are subject to delays. My officials are therefore gathering local intelligence through the More Homes Division Area Team network, as well as maintaining links with the trade body Homes for Scotland, to monitor this. The Scottish Government is aware of concerns around price increases and supply shortages of construction materials. We are working closely with the construction industry through the Construction Leadership Forum, chaired by Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, to fully understand the current supply chain issues and, where possible, to put in place mitigating actions to address the issues that are being identified.

I will continue to be advised of developments in regard to materials cost increases and availability, as well as any impact being seen on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme going forward.

Question reference: S6W-01282

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the Scottish Futures Trust's current role is in the subsidy and provision of build-to-rent homes, and how this differs from its previous role.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is a partner in a build-to-rent joint venture with Edinburgh City Council called “Edinburgh Living” which is providing mid-market rent properties and market rent homes across the city. To date, more than 250 families have moved into quality affordable homes with the long-term aim to provide 1,500 new mid-market rent and market rent homes over the next few years.

In 2017, the Scottish Government put in place a package of measures to support the growth of the Build to Rent Sector in Scotland. That package included a Rental Income Guarantee Scheme and SFT was appointed by Scottish Government to manage applications to the Scheme. However, no formal application was made to the Scheme in three and a half years and the Scheme was closed. The BtR sector is now growing without further Scottish Government intervention.

Question reference: S6W-01204

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to Build to Rent developers and operators, and from which budget line.

Question reference: S6W-01293

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index will take account of the shortages of materials and price increases that were recently reported by the Federation of Master Builders.

Question reference: S6W-01292

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how its affordable housing subsidy will respond to the shortages of materials and price increases that were recently reported by the Federation of Master Builders.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme housing subsidy is flexible and is able to respond to the challenges reported recently by the Federation of Master Builders. In this respect, the amount of grant funding that individual projects require continues to be a decision for Registered Social Landlords and local authorities which – as part of the application process – are required to self-certify that the grant that they are requesting is the minimum necessary to allow a project to proceed once homes are designed and tender prices have been received. The amount of grant requested is then compared with the applicable Affordable Housing Investment Benchmark to determine how the funding application will be assessed. Projects that can be delivered with grant funding at or below the relevant benchmark follow a streamlined application and approval process, with projects which are seeking grant funding in excess of the relevant benchmark following a more detailed value for money assessment.

Question reference: S6W-01242

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing Two, in light of research by Changeworks suggesting that it would reduce the total percentage of households in fuel poverty from 38% to 29%.

Question reference: S6W-01473

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-01476

Current Status: Withdrawn