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The Housing Green Paper sought views on the need for common housing registers and made it clear that the Government looks to local authorities to take the lead in establishing them in their areas. In examining responses to the Green Paper we will consider how the Executive might support Councils in developing such registers.

These are set out in a letter issued to councils on 15 July 1999. A copy has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

This is set out in the booklet "New Housing Partnerships, the future for Scotland's communities" which was issued to all councils in June 1998. A copy has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The Housing Green Paper sought views on the case for legislation to create a single social tenancy; we are currently considering the responses.

Information on planned outputs from the New Housing Partnership programme is currently being collected from Scottish local authorities. I shall write to Ms Hyslop once this becomes available.

This information is not held centrally.

I refer to my answers of 14 July to Alex Neil (S1W-00298) and Fergus Ewing (S1W-00351). The implications of housing benefit reform for particular groups of tenants would depend on the nature and extent of any such reform.

The operational responsibility for allocating houses must be transferred to new community landlords if they are genuinely to have control over their own affairs. Local authorities will, however, need to ensure that they have access to sufficient housing to enable them to meet their statutory obligations, including their duties in relation to homeless persons. The contract of sale between the authority and the acquiring landlord should clearly define the rights and responsibilities of both parties in this area. The Housing Green Paper invited views on whether there was a case for changing the legislation to introduce further safeguards for access for vulnerable groups and we are currently considering the responses.

The 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) estimated that the minimum cost to repair and bring all occupied dwellings up to a fully modernised standard, including tackling Below Tolerable Standard dwellings, would be:

1. £2,264 million in the social rented sector;
2. £921 million in the private rented sector; and

£4,373 million in the owner occupied sector

There have been regular consultations with the Scottish Executive about the Immigration and Asylum Bill. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues.

The Secretary of State is required, under clause 71 (clause 76 in the current version) of the Immigration and Asylum Bill, to obtain the approval of Scottish Ministers to remove the name of a designated Scottish professional body, if he considers that that designated professional body has consistently failed to provide effective regulation of its members in their provision of immigration advice or immigration services. The rights of consultation and consent of the Scottish Executive under clause 87 of the Bill (clause 92 in the current version) are under active consideration.