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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-20421

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the report of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers, Housing in Scotland: Current Context and Preparing for the Future, which was published in July 2023, what its response is to the recommendation that the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 should be replaced with "bespoke legislation to overcome the failings exposed in the recent ... Court challenge to City of Edinburgh Council's scheme [for short-term lets]", and the statement that "not doing so risks the collapse of the licensing of short term lets".

Councils are responsible for developing their licensing policies in line with powers and duties under The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, as amended in 2023, and they can add proportionate conditions to address local needs and concerns. We continue to work closely with COSLA, SOLAR and licensing authorities on the implementation and monitoring of the short term lets licensing legislation. We are therefore aware that the City of Edinburgh Council has acted on the Judgement made on 8 June 2023 to revise its local licensing policy and information for applicants. We remain confident that licensing of short-term lets can be operated effectively by councils so as to respect the rights of hosts and guests in short-term let accommodation, and is appropriate for the whole of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-20670

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how frequently its Innovative Finance Steering Group meets; on what dates it has met since it was established; what its full (a) remit and (b) membership is; whether its remit extends beyond the affordable housing supply programme, and where the minutes of its meetings can be accessed.

The Innovative Finance Steering Group was established to support the delivery of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 by providing strategic advice to the Scottish Government on opportunities for innovative finance models to support the affordable housing sector (Registered Social Landlords and Local Authorities) over the next 9 years. The Group convened at the end of 2022 to agree an approach to governance and its work. Members of the Group participate in horizon scanning to identify priority areas for further development and the group is expected to formally convene later in the year to discuss the opportunities highlighted and exchanged to date.

The group consists of members from ALACHO, SFHA, CoSLA, Wheatley Group, Link, Scottish Futures Trust, Scottish National Investment Bank, Glasgow West Scotland Forum, UK Finance and Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government will publish high level updates on the work of the Group on the Scottish Government’s websites as appropriate and recognising the commercial nature of this work.

Question reference: S6W-20627

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 11 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17172 by Patrick Harvie on 11 May 2023, whether it will provide (a) a breakdown of the 10 applications and the reasons that they have been rejected, invited to resubmit following feedback or referred to alternative funding sources and (b) details of any additional applications since the question was answered.

A breakdown of the unsuccessful applications for the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund between August 2020 and May 2023 are given in the following table:

Application	Reason
1	Applicant did not respond to clarification questions
2	Project did not have match funding and could not meet delivery timescales
3	Application was for new build and not retrofit for existing stock
4	Project work had already begun
5	Project area had potential for a heat network
6	Proposed heat system was not eligible
7	Proposed costs of project were not accurate
8	Proposed heat system was not zero emission
9	Project area had a potential for a heat network
10	Application lacked detail and required feasibility work to be completed

A further 13 applications have been received since question S6W-17172 was answered. Of these applications 6 have been successful, 5 have been rejected and a further 2 are under consideration. The reasons that the 5 applications were rejected are given in the following table:

Application	Reason
11	Application was not fully completed and scored under threshold for support
12	Application lacked project detail and scored under threshold for support
13	Application lacked enough detail to be appraised and scored under threshold for support
14	Application for phase 2 of a project. Project invited to resubmit on completion of existing project.
15	Project did not spend grant this financial year

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

Question reference: S6W-20733

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20290 and S6W-20295 by Paul McLennan on 17 August 2023, at what point in the conveyancing process the local area team would be able to agree grant funding for an acquisition under the national acquisition plan.

Question reference: S6W-20732

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20290 and S6W-20295 by Paul McLennan on 17 August 2023, how quickly it expects area team offices to (a) handle applications and (b) agree grant funding for acquisitions under the national acquisition plan.

Question reference: S6W-20676

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the controls detailed in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme risk register, whether the slowing of social rented approvals and starts has been escalated, and, if so, to whom.

Question reference: S6W-20595

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing with Homes for Scotland and housebuilders to utilise capacity to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing.

Question reference: S6W-20593

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the housebuilder, Bellway, has begun cutting jobs in anticipation of a UK property market slowdown, and what impact it anticipates this could have on the affordable housing supply programme in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-20594

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason job losses in the housing construction sector are reportedly not considered a risk to the affordable housing supply programme in its risk register.

Question reference: S6W-20674

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what anticipated financial slippage the affordable housing supply programme has identified for the current financial year.