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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-10762

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the third iteration of the High Rise Inventory (HRI) data set as discussed at the June 2022 meeting of Building and Fire Safety Working Group, whether officials have provided further advice to ministers and developed communications on the reasoning for the pause to the HRI; if so, whether ministers have considered that advice; if so, what the outcome was of that consideration, and when a final ministerial decision will be publicised.

The HRI is a central source of information on key aspects of the construction and fire safety features of high rise domestic blocks; this information was not previously collected or published prior to 2020. The second report was published on 8 November 2021 and there were minimal changes to the inventory following a further year of data collection. The frequency of further data collection is currently under review. It is likely that this data will be integrated within a Register of Safe Buildings, which is being created as part of the Cladding Remediation Programme.

Question reference: S6W-10634

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to deliver the first half of its affordable housing programme, including at least 38,500 homes for social rent, by 2026-27, as first outlined in Housing to 2040 and expanded in the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Shared Policy Programme.

Housing to 2040 outlined that we would focus the first five years (up to 2026-27) on delivering 50,000 homes and the latter five years (up to 2031-32) on delivering a further 50,000 homes. The overall target includes at least 70% for social rent to be delivered by 2032. The Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party - Shared Policy Programme increased that target to 110,000 affordable homes, but did not set a specific revised mid-point target.

We will carry out a review at the mid-point of this target period to assess if plans should continue unchanged or be adapted. This will be important to support local authorities, who are key in this process and currently plan for housing through their Local Housing Strategies on a five-yearly cycle.

Question reference: S6W-10678

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government on 12 May 2022 on cladding remediation, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding funding for the removal of combustible materials in Scotland, and on what dates any such discussions were held.

Officials are engaged in regular discussion with Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities colleagues on a number of matters including the block grant expenditure and the possibility of further funding for cladding remediation. The Inter Ministerial Group, which last met in May this year, agreed that official level engagement on areas of policy of mutual interest on cladding safety would be increased. The next Inter Ministerial Group will meet again in Autumn where matters of building and fire safety and finance will be discussed.

Question reference: S6W-10637

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure the delivery of the social homes it has committed to provide, including how it will overcome any challenges to doing so.

£3.6 billion of funding is being made available in this Parliamentary term towards the delivery of affordable homes providing the certainty and assurance that the housing sector needs to plan and deliver the ambitious affordable homes programme.

We are aware of the global issues affecting construction which are impacting affordable housing delivery. We are working closely with the construction industry and housing partners to mitigate these where possible.

We have now started to deliver against our commitment to 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.

Question reference: S6O-01403

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many households it has written to promoting the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme since the start of the cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6W-10467

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the updated affordable housing supply investment benchmarks will be, in light of the June 2022 reported findings in relation to the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index that tender prices rose by 8.3% compared with Q4 2020-21, the highest quarterly growth in the last four years, and that underlying construction costs of labour, materials and plant increased by 1.2% quarter-on-quarter in Q4 2021-22, and by 10.5% compared with the same quarter in the previous year.

Question reference: S6W-10462

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government in which quarter it will publish new affordable housing investment benchmarks, based on the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index.

Question reference: S6W-10466

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to determine the resilience of the affordable housing supply programme, in light of reported findings in relation to the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index that total new work output in Scotland in Q4 2021-22 fell by 9.3% on the previous quarter, and by 12.4% compared with Q4 2020-21, and that there is a divergent relationship between tender prices and demand.

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.

Question reference: S6W-10464

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many proposed (a) homes and (b) projects included in affordable housing supply programme grant applications that it has agreed to have been (i) below and (ii) above benchmark, also broken down by baseline benchmark type, in each month since the new benchmarks were set.

Question reference: S6W-10463

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many proposed (a) homes and (b) projects included in affordable housing supply programme grant applications that it has received have been (i) below and (ii) above benchmark, also broken down by baseline benchmark type, in each month since the new benchmarks were set.