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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-01290

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes that are due for completion in 2021-22 are subject to (a) delays and (b) cost increases because of the shortages of materials and price increases that were recently reported by the Federation of Master Builders.

There are a large number of affordable housing supply programme projects on site at the moment across the country and we are aware that some are subject to delays. My officials are therefore gathering local intelligence through the More Homes Division Area Team network, as well as maintaining links with the trade body Homes for Scotland, to monitor this. The Scottish Government is aware of concerns around price increases and supply shortages of construction materials. We are working closely with the construction industry through the Construction Leadership Forum, chaired by Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, to fully understand the current supply chain issues and, where possible, to put in place mitigating actions to address the issues that are being identified.

I will continue to be advised of developments in regard to materials cost increases and availability, as well as any impact being seen on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme going forward.

Question reference: S6W-01204

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to Build to Rent developers and operators, and from which budget line.

Question reference: S6W-01282

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the Scottish Futures Trust's current role is in the subsidy and provision of build-to-rent homes, and how this differs from its previous role.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is a partner in a build-to-rent joint venture with Edinburgh City Council called “Edinburgh Living” which is providing mid-market rent properties and market rent homes across the city. To date, more than 250 families have moved into quality affordable homes with the long-term aim to provide 1,500 new mid-market rent and market rent homes over the next few years.

In 2017, the Scottish Government put in place a package of measures to support the growth of the Build to Rent Sector in Scotland. That package included a Rental Income Guarantee Scheme and SFT was appointed by Scottish Government to manage applications to the Scheme. However, no formal application was made to the Scheme in three and a half years and the Scheme was closed. The BtR sector is now growing without further Scottish Government intervention.

Question reference: S6W-01293

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index will take account of the shortages of materials and price increases that were recently reported by the Federation of Master Builders.

Question reference: S6W-01292

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how its affordable housing subsidy will respond to the shortages of materials and price increases that were recently reported by the Federation of Master Builders.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme housing subsidy is flexible and is able to respond to the challenges reported recently by the Federation of Master Builders. In this respect, the amount of grant funding that individual projects require continues to be a decision for Registered Social Landlords and local authorities which – as part of the application process – are required to self-certify that the grant that they are requesting is the minimum necessary to allow a project to proceed once homes are designed and tender prices have been received. The amount of grant requested is then compared with the applicable Affordable Housing Investment Benchmark to determine how the funding application will be assessed. Projects that can be delivered with grant funding at or below the relevant benchmark follow a streamlined application and approval process, with projects which are seeking grant funding in excess of the relevant benchmark following a more detailed value for money assessment.

Question reference: S6W-01242

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing Two, in light of research by Changeworks suggesting that it would reduce the total percentage of households in fuel poverty from 38% to 29%.

Question reference: S6W-01473

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-01476

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-00772

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which contractor carries out the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund (a) affordability and (b) credit checks, and how much it has cost to (i) operate, and (ii) administer the fund.

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund is operated and administered on behalf of the Scottish Government by Energy Savings Trust (EST), using a variation of an existing contract. EST carry out affordability checks based on the income and expenditure information provided by the applicant. Initial credit scoring is undertaken by Credit Safe which is powered by TransUnion. Applicants can appeal the credit scoring and in this process a separate credit score is obtained from Credit Karma. This ensures that any error in the original credit check does not impact final decision-making.

All costs associated with operation and administration of the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund are with EST. These costs form part of a wider contract and are commercial-in-confidence, although these can be shared in confidence with the Finance and Constitution Committee where appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-00774

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants to the Tenant Hardship Loan have not passed the (a) affordability check, (b) credit check or, (c) both.

When an application to the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund is received an initial affordability assessment is performed, based on estimates of income and expenditure provided by the applicant. Where affordability is not shown the application is not credit checked. Applicants can ask for an appeal of the affordability assessment.

As at 21 June there were 8 applications that failed the affordability check and a further 4 applicants that unsuccessfully appealed the affordability assessment.

There were 254 applications which failed to reach the minimum credit score and a further 142 applicants who unsuccessfully appealed the credit score check.