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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-19653

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 19 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will launch an internal review to consider the reasons that the number of approved homes as part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme has reportedly dropped by 50% since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are aware of the global issues affecting construction which are impacting housing delivery so are working closely with the construction industry and housing partners to mitigate this where possible. For example, the Scottish Government is a member of the Cost Pressures in Construction Working Group, which brings together a number of stakeholders, including the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Homes for Scotland and Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations and their member organisations, to explore a range of solutions to overcome the cost barriers to housing development.

We continue to collaborate with all our partners to achieve our shared goal of delivering more affordable homes for Scotland, and we are committed to delivering our target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities.

Recently published quarterly statistics show that in the year to end March 2023, a total of 10,458 affordable homes were completed, an increase of 7% (701 homes) on the previous year and 61% (3,979 homes) higher than in the year to end March 2021. This is the highest annual completions figure since the start of the series in 2000.

Question reference: S6W-19298

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what surveys it conducts that are comparable to the English Private Landlord Survey.

The Scottish Government utilises a range of data sources which provide comparable information on many of the topics covered by the English Private Landlord Survey.

The Scottish Landlord Register provides information on the portfolio size of private rented properties held by landlords.

The Scottish Government conducts the Scottish Household Survey and the Scottish House Condition Survey on an annual basis, providing information on the profile and characteristics of tenant households and the dwellings they occupy.

In addition, information from external research projects, such as the Nationwide Foundation Rent Better Research Project, provides information on the views and experiences of tenants and landlords. Survey findings from industry bodies such as the Scottish Association of Landlords are also considered.

The Scottish Government also collects information on the views of landlords and tenants through informal and formal consultation exercises, such as that conducted on the New Deal for Tenants Draft Rented Sector Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-19374

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to illuminate its buildings in blue to "Go Blue for Meso" and mark Action Mesothelioma Day on 7 July 2023.

Question reference: S6W-19309

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 5 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what the timetable for the Housing Bill is, in light of reports that it has been delayed until spring 2024.

Question reference: S6W-18608

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its sixth Medium-Term Financial Strategy, whether it remains committed to a £3.5 billion investment in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme during the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6W-18254

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14121 by Shona Robison on 9 February 2023, and in light of reports that around a quarter of the £375 million Welsh Building Safety Fund has been spent so far, whether it will provide an update on what (a) amount and (b) proportion of the £97.1 million provided by the UK Government to fund cladding remediation work has been spent to date, and what forecasts it holds for expenditure of the money.

Question reference: S6W-17736

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date its More Homes Division next plans to publish an updated Affordable Housing Supply Programme: process and procedures guidance note, and for what reasons it did not do so at the beginning of the current financial year.

Question reference: S6W-17857

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to monitor the resilience of the modular homes sector in Scotland, in light of the reported closure of UK modular housing factories by Legal & General, Swan Housing Association, Countryside, and Urban Splash House.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme supports delivery of homes across various methods of construction, including modular, but the factories the member mentions are not part of that.

Modular construction is one of a range of offsite methods used to build new homes in Scotland. It has been used in the delivery of affordable and private homes across the country in urban, rural and island locations.

Question reference: S6W-17714

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16047 by Paul McLennan on 21 March 2023, for what reason the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group meeting did not take place on (a) 30 March 2023 and (b) 20 April 2023 and when it is next due to meet.

The Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group (HPSG) meeting on 30 March was postponed as the SNP leadership election result was announced on 27 March 2023 and it was not clear at that point who would have responsibility for housing and homelessness policy.

While we had provisionally rescheduled the meeting for 20 April 2023, it was agreed that a further reschedule to 23 May would be appropriate to allow the Minister for Housing time to be fully briefed on his new portfolio and to meet with Councillor Chalmers, co-chair of HPSG.

The last HPSG meeting took place on 23 May 2023 and was chaired by the Minister for Housing.

Question reference: S6W-17711

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it keeps a central register of buildings containing asbestos.

This information is not held centrally. NHS Health Boards hold that information for NHS facilities as they are the responsible body for managing their estate. Local authorities are required to keep an up-to-date record of the location of asbestos in their school buildings.

The management of asbestos in buildings is a reserved matter for the UK Government and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has UK wide responsibility for enforcement of the legislation and regulations. The HSE is carrying out a statutory, five yearly, review of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Part of the work includes estimates about the number of premises containing asbestos. HSE has also given a commitment that future research will include obtaining better information on the number of business premises containing asbestos.