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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-04869

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have begun accepting applications to the Tenant Hardship Grant Fund, and when full statistical information on the applications submitted will be released.

Local authorities were issued with non-statutory guidance to support them in their administration of the Tenant Grant Fund on 17 September 2021. A copy of this guidance can be found here .

We know some local authorities are already delivering Tenant Grant Fund payments at pace. For example, Dundee City Council has already paid out over £36,000 in grants, providing vital support to tenants in financial need caused by the pandemic.

All 32 local authorities are required to submit their first quarterly report by the end of December 2021, which will set out the number and level of grants issued (broken down by tenure); how many of these grants paid off the rent arrears in full or partially; and how many tenancies were sustained, at that time, as a direct result of the grant being paid.

Question reference: S6W-04810

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) target and (b) actual average timescale has been for assessing applications for grant assistance to deliver affordable housing above Affordable Housing Investment Benchmark level, in each quarter since Q1 2016.

The Scottish Government does not set a target timescale for assessing applications for grant assistance to deliver affordable housing above the applicable affordable housing investment benchmark level.

Using information from our Housing and Regeneration Programme system (HARP), we have compiled the following table showing the average calendar days from the initial tender application submission date to the actual tender approval date for those projects submitted at above benchmark level over the period Quarter 3 2017-18 to Quarter 2 2021-22. It should be noted, however, that while we encourage early engagement on likely project costs prior to tender applications being submitted, there can be instances where applications have missing information or require further, more detailed work by the grant applicant before they can be fully assessed.

Financial year quarter	Total projects approved above the applicable benchmark	Average time between the initial tender submission and the actual approval date
Financial year quarter	Total projects approved above the applicable benchmark	(calendar days)
2016-17 Q1	5	Data not available
2016-17 Q2	7	Data not available
2016-17 Q3	20	Data not available
2016-17 Q4	45	Data not available
2016-17 Total/ Average	77	Data not available
2017-18 Q1	16	Data not available
2017-18 Q2	14	Data not available
2017-18 Q3	14	22
2017-18 Q4	41	19
2017-18 Total/ Average	85	20
2018-19 Q1	10	41
2018-19 Q2	13	30
2018-19 Q3	22	33
2018-19 Q4	47	26
2018-19 Total/ Average	92	30
2019-20 Q1	19	31
2019-20 Q2	14	38
2019-20 Q3	35	25
2019-20 Q4	82	25
2019-20 Total/ Average	150	27
2020-21 Q1	9	19
2020-21 Q2	16	44
2020-21 Q3	17	27
2020-21 Q4	30	29
2020-21 Total/ Average	72	31
2021-22 Q1	12	21
2021-22 Q2	21	42
2021-22 Total/ Average	33	35

Data on tender submission dates from Quarter 1, 2016-17 to Quarter 2, 2017-18 is not available as this pre-dated our HARP system and the historic information was not migrated to HARP.

Question reference: S6W-04809

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 December 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants have been required to withdraw and resubmit applications for grant assistance to deliver affordable housing above Affordable Housing Investment Benchmark level due to (a) contract offers having expired and (b) costs having increased since the initial application was submitted, in each quarter since Q1 2016.

Question reference: S6W-04979

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 December 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for grant assistance to deliver affordable housing above Affordable Housing Investment Benchmark level have been required to be withdrawn and resubmitted due to (a) contract offers having expired and (b) costs having increased since the initial application was submitted, in each quarter since Q1 2016.

Question reference: S6W-04811

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) FTE staff and (b) staffing hours have been assigned to assessing applications for grant assistance to deliver affordable housing above Affordable Housing Investment Benchmark level, in each quarter since Q1 2016.

Question reference: S6W-04808

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) project and (b) housing unit applications have been (i) received and (ii) approved for grant assistance to deliver affordable housing above Affordable Housing Investment Benchmark level in each quarter since Q1 2016.

The following table shows the total number of homes and projects received and approved where investment benchmarks were applicable, as well as separating out those homes and projects approved above benchmark.

The benchmark system is a flexible, administrative tool which is used for grant assessment purposes only – rather than being a grant rate or grant ceiling. Projects that can be delivered with grant funding at or below the relevant benchmark follow a streamlined application and approval process. Projects which are seeking grant funding in excess of the relevant benchmark follow a more detailed value for money assessment before any funding decision is made.

To note that these figures relate to financial years 2016-17 to 2020-21, and quarter one and two for 2021-22. The Affordable Housing Supply Programme quarterly statistics to end September 2021 were published on 7 December 2021:

Financial Year by Quarter	Total No. of Homes Approved Using AHSP Benchmarks	Total No. of Homes Approved Above AHSP Benchmarks	Total No. of Projects Approved Using AHSP Benchmarks	Total No. of Projects Approved Above AHSP Benchmarks
2016-17 Q1	478	74	27	5
2016-17 Q2	1,398	246	57	7
2016-17 Q3	1,530	327	73	20
2016-17 Q4	3,999	1,203	160	45
2016-17 Sub-Total	7,405	1,850	317	77
2017-18 Q1	911	471	34	16
2017-18 Q2	1,411	307	45	14
2017-18 Q3	869	214	41	14
2017-18 Q4	4,376	1,435	165	41
2017-18 Sub-Total	7,567	2,427	285	85
2018-19 Q1	771	299	29	10
2018-19 Q2	996	342	39	13
2018-19 Q3	2,094	711	76	22
2018-19 Q4	4,175	1,365	142	47
2018-19 Sub-Total	8,036	2,717	286	92
2019-20 Q1	978	482	43	19
2019-20 Q2	1,598	431	48	14
2019-20 Q3	2,552	1,130	95	35
2019-20 Q4	4,717	2,747	152	82
2019-20 Sub-Total	9,845	4,790	338	150
2020-21 Q1	443	118	22	9
2020-21 Q2	746	225	41	16
2020-21 Q3	1,577	755	54	17
2020-21 Q4	2,720	861	105	30
2020-21 Sub-Total	5,486	1,959	222	72
2021-22 Q1	558	153	24	12
2021-22 Q2	1,247	763	38	21
2021-22 Sub-Total	1,805	916	62	33
Total	40,144	14,659	1,510	509

Question reference: S6F-00579

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 December 2021

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will require large retail stores to close on New Year’s Day 2022 so that retail workers can spend the day with their loved ones.

Question reference: S6W-04588

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the housebuilding and lending sectors about the Deposit Unlock mortgage scheme, and what comparable government support for home buyers will be available from April 2022.

Deposit Unlock, is an industry led mortgage indemnity scheme which enables buyers of new build properties to purchase with a 5% deposit. Homes for Scotland have kept the Scottish Government informed about the scheme throughout its development.

The UK Mortgage Guarantee Scheme also helps to increase the supply of 5% deposit mortgages by supporting lenders to offer these products through a government backed guarantee on new 95% mortgages until 31 December 2022.

The Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) will continue to be available in Scotland next financial year.

Question reference: S6W-04600

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02085 by Maree Todd on 23 August 2021, whether women over 70 who have had breast cancer are entitled to self-refer into the breast screening programme in the absence of lumps, signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

Once they have completed breast cancer treatment and follow-up with the symptomatic breast service, women aged 71 and over are ordinarily able to self-refer into the Scottish Breast Screening Programme for screening every three years. However, self-referrals for women in this age-group are currently suspended due to capacity challenges in the programme associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is important to stress that any woman, regardless of their age, who is concerned about possible symptoms of breast cancer should consult their GP straight away so these can be investigated, rather than wait for their next screening appointment.

Question reference: S6W-04599

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02085 by Maree Todd on 23 August 2021, how regularly women who have had breast cancer are screened following recovery, and how many women over 70 who have had breast cancer self-referred into the breast screening programme in each year since 2011.

Following treatment for breast cancer, women are followed up by the symptomatic breast service annually, commonly for at least 5 years. After that, women who are aged between 50 and 70 years are invited to attend the Scottish Breast Screening Programme (SBSP) every 3 years. Women who are aged 71 years or over following discharge from symptomatic breast cancer treatment and follow up appointments can ordinarily self-refer to the SBSP once every 3 years; however, self-referrals for women in this age-group are currently suspended due to capacity challenges in the programme associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of women who had breast cancer and self-referred into the SBSP following treatment is not routinely collected or reported, and therefore the Scottish government cannot provide this information.