Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-02115

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2021

As at 6 September, against a total of 1051 applications there have been 481 unsuccessful applications[1], representing 46% of total applications.

Within the unsuccessful applications there were 158 social rented sector tenants and 323 private rented sector tenants.

We do not hold a breakdown of unsuccessful applications by local authority although this information is gathered at initial application level in the following table.

Number of applications per local authority
Local authority	Total	Social	PRS
#N/A	13	2	11
Aberdeen City	52	18	34
Aberdeenshire	28	14	14
Angus	10	1	9
Argyll & Bute	6	4	2
Clackmannanshire	11	8	3
Dumfries & Galloway	19	6	13
Dundee City	57	19	38
East Ayrshire	46	22	24
East Dunbartonshire	5	2	3
East Lothian	12	3	9
East Renfrewshire	5	1	4
Edinburgh, City of	132	23	109
Falkirk	28	8	20
Fife	54	17	37
Glasgow City	179	74	105
Highland	23	4	19
Inverclyde	16	7	9
Midlothian	10	3	7
Moray	13	5	8
North Ayrshire	31	11	20
North Ayshire	1	1	0
North Lanarkshire	52	22	30
Orkney Islands	2	2	0
Perth & Kinross	43	21	22
Renfrewshire	34	5	29
Scottish Borders	10	2	8
Shetland Islands	2	0	2
South Ayrshire	30	7	23
South Lanarkshire	51	17	34
Stirling	10	5	5
West Dunbartonshire	27	12	15
West Lothian	39	22	17
Total	1051	368	683

[1] Includes 19 applications rejected because of non-eligibility for funding.

As at 3 August, against a total of 1009 applications there have been 458 unsuccessful applications, representing 45% of total applications.

Within the unsuccessful applications there were 153 social rented sector tenants and 305 private rented sector tenants.

We do not hold a breakdown of unsuccessful applications by local authority although this information is gathered at initial application level and is as follows:

Number of applications per local authority
Local authority	Total	Social	PRS
#N/A	10	2	8
Aberdeen City	52	18	34
Aberdeenshire	27	14	13
Angus	10	1	9
Argyll & Bute	5	3	2
Clackmannanshire	11	8	3
Dumfries & Galloway	18	5	13
Dundee City	53	18	35
East Ayrshire	44	21	23
East Dunbartonshire	3	1	2
East Lothian	12	3	9
East Renfrewshire	5	1	4
Edinburgh, City of	127	23	104
Falkirk	27	8	19
Fife	52	15	37
Glasgow City	171	71	100
Highland	23	4	19
Inverclyde	15	7	8
Midlothian	10	3	7
Moray	13	5	8
North Ayrshire	31	11	20
North Ayshire	1	1	0
North Lanarkshire	46	17	29
Orkney Islands	2	2	0
Perth & Kinross	42	21	21
Renfrewshire	32	4	28
Scottish Borders	10	2	8
Shetland Islands	2	0	2
South Ayrshire	30	7	23
South Lanarkshire	51	17	34
Stirling	10	5	5
West Dunbartonshire	25	12	13
West Lothian	39	22	17
Total	1009	352	657

Question reference: S6W-02109

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the consultation on its short-term lets draft Licensing Order and Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), how many of the estimated 32,000 short-term lets it anticipates will return to the long-term housing market following the implementation of its plans.

Our regulatory proposals will give local authorities powers to strike a balance between the needs and concerns of their local communities, with the wider economic and tourism benefits of short-term lets. In certain areas, achieving this balance may require a reduction in numbers of whole homes offered for short-term lets and local authorities have been given powers through the planning control area regulations to help manage activity in their area. The consultation draft Licensing Order also includes powers to manage overprovision, and licensing requirements should mean that some unsuitable operators and accommodation will also leave the market. We do not have an estimate of how many short-term lets will return to the long-term housing market as this depends on how local authorities use the powers they are being given.

Question reference: S6W-02110

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the estimated number of (a) empty private residential properties, (b) empty public sector residential properties, (c) second homes and (d) self-catering units there currently are.

(a) & (c) The latest set of annual statistics on the number of Long Term Empty Properties and Second Homes, based on Council Tax Base data as at September 2020, were published in the Housing Statistics Quarterly Update in December 2020, and are available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-scotland-quarterly-update/ , with detailed local authority level Excel tables covering the period from 1996 to 2020 available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-empty-properties-and-second-homes/ . Figures are split into the categories of Long Term Empty Properties and Second Homes, however are not available broken down by housing tenure.

The latest annual figures show that there were 47,333 Long Term Empty properties and 24,466 Second Homes, across all tenures, as at September 2020. In addition, there were 44,143 Unoccupied Exemptions, generally properties which are empty and unfurnished for less than 6 months and exempt from paying council tax.

(b) The Scottish Housing Regulator publish figures on the number of vacant self-contained lettable social housing properties, with most recent data as at end June 2021 available as part of the Covid-19 dashboards at: https://www.housingregulator.gov.scot/landlord-performance/national-reports/covid-19-dashboards , and with previous annual data published as part of annual Charter Data figures for 2014/15 to 2018/19 at: https://www.housingregulator.gov.scot/landlord-performance/statistical-information

The latest Scottish Housing Regulator figures on vacant self-contained lettable social housing stock show that there were 8,886 empty social sector homes (including 5,311 local authority homes and 3,575 housing association homes) as at the end of June 2021. There will always be vacant social housing stock at any point of time as social landlords prepare homes in advance of them being re-allocated. Social landlords, as part of meeting the Scottish Social Housing Charter, strive to provide an efficient and effective management of their housing services. This includes minimising the time houses are empty. Latest published figures from the Scottish Housing Regulator show that the average time to re-let a social housing property in the quarter April to June 2021 was 52 calendar days (an average of 62 days for local authority properties, and 41 days for housing association properties).

The Scottish Government also collects information on vacant stock from local authorities as part of annual statistical returns, which covers all types of local authority vacant stock, including lettable stock, as well as stock used as temporary accommodation for the homeless, stock awaiting demolition or modernisation, and stock in low demand areas. However the figures exclude local authorities which have transferred their stock to Housing Associations (Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow City, Inverclyde,Na h-Eileanan Siar and the Scottish Borders). Latest annual statistics for 2019, by type of stock and length of vacancy, are published at https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-scotland-2019-key-trends-summary/ , with detailed local authority level Excel tables available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-local-authority-housing-stock/ .

The latest available Scottish Government annual statistics on local authority vacant housing stock show that there were 7,409 vacant local authority dwellings as at end March 2019. This includes 2,782 normal letting stock dwellings, 476 dwellings used as temporary accommodation for the homeless, 2,208 dwellings awaiting demolition, 1,430 dwellings forming part of a modernisation scheme, and 513 dwellings in low demand areas.

(d) The draft Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) on Short-term lets: licensing scheme and planning control area legislation published for consultation on 25 June 2021, available at: https://consult.gov.scot/housing-and-social-justice/short-term-lets-draft-licensing-order-and-bria/ , sets out the available information on number of short-term lets, which includes self-catering properties. The BRIA estimates that there are approximately 32,000 short-term lets in Scotland, based on research in 2019, but also highlights the challenges in gauging the full size of the short-term lets market, which includes accommodation ranging from single rooms, whole homes and unconventional accommodation.

In June 2021, there were approximately 17,850 premises registered on the Non-Domestic Rates roll as self-catering properties. This figure is from the self-catering units on the Assessor’s valuation roll. The Scottish Government does not routinely publish summaries of the valuation roll as it is a live administrative dataset which is publicly searchable on the Scottish Assessors Association website, available at: https://www.saa.gov.uk/

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of council tax registered premises used for self-catering purposes.

Question reference: S6W-02111

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the consultation on its short-term lets draft Licensing Order and Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), what method it used to estimate that there are 32,000 short-term lets in Scotland, and whether it will provide a breakdown of this figure by how many are (a) a single room in a property, (b) a shared room in a property, (c) an entire property and (d) unconventional accommodation such as an outhouse or yurt.

The figure of 32,000 short-term lets quoted in our BRIA relates to Airbnb listings, and is taken from our independent research on the impact of short-term lets on communities, which was published in October 2019: Short-term lets - impact on communities: research - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The research was based on data provided by InsideAirbnb, dated May 2019. Of the 32,000 Airbnb listings across Scotland, 69.2% were entire homes, 30.3% were private rooms, and 0.4% were shared rooms.

We do not have a breakdown of these listings by type of premises. Our licensing scheme will provide data on the types of short-term let and premises being used in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-02092

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications from registered social landlords (RSL) seeking consent to waive the Right to Recover Grant it has approved each year, broken down by (a) RSL and (b) amount waived.

The following table contains details of instances over the last five financial years where the Scottish Government has waived the Right to Recover Housing Association Grant on previously grant funded projects and where the grant was not recycled within the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

Year	Registered Social Landlord (RSL)	Amount waived (£m)
2018-19	Caledonia Housing Association	0.155
2019-20	Arklet Housing Association	0.029
2019-20	Thenue Housing Association	1.634
2019-20	West of Scotland Housing Association	0.351
2020-21	West of Scotland Housing Association	0.333
2021-22	Caledonia Housing Association	0.625
Total		3.127

Question reference: S6O-00123

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next meet COSLA to discuss local authority funding.

Question reference: S6O-00077

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has commissioned of the likely costs to homeowners and landlords of reaching net zero emissions in housing by 2045.

Question reference: S6W-02072

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on a compulsory rent register for the private rented sector, and whether any appraisal of (a) the Scottish Landlord Register, (b) Rent Service Scotland, and other (c) existing or (d) new systems has been conducted with a view to exploring the feasibility of such a register.

We are committed to taking action to ensure the housing market operates more fairly across Scotland, providing affordable housing options and choices in all communities. Housing to 2040 , Scotland’s vision for housing to 2040, includes a commitment that before the end of this year, we will have undertaken an analysis of what is required to gather more comprehensive data on the Scottish private rented sector (PRS), setting out our intentions for mechanisms by the end of 2021.

An analysis of what is required in order to collect more comprehensive data on the PRS will underpin our approach. We are considering all options, including current or potential PRS data systems.

As set out in Housing to 2040, it is our intention to explore all possible solutions afresh, including the development of any new systems, with a view to seeking stakeholder views as part of a consultation on our wider Rented Sector Strategy in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-02068

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Rural and Islands Housing Fund review has been completed and, if so, (a) who participated in it, (b) whether any reports have been drafted or received detailing the outcomes of the review and (c) by what date any such report(s) will be published.

The review of the operation of the Rural and Islands Housing Fund has been completed and in response to the questions asked (a) The Scottish Government engaged with Local Authorities, Registered Social Landlords, funding scheme participants, a rural housing sounding board who had helped inform the original guidance of the Rural and Islands Housing Fund and other stakeholders with an interest in rural and island housing. There was overwhelming support that the fund should continue, (b) we are currently preparing a report summarising the findings of the engagement with stakeholders and (c) the report will be published shortly.

Question reference: S6W-02071

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it received reports about scammers exploiting the new fire and smoke alarm standard in autumn 2020 and, if so, what (a) types of scam were reported, (b) lessons were learned from the reports in preparation for the introduction of the standard in 2022 and (c) measures it has implemented to reduce the risk of harm to householders by scammers exploiting the implementation of the standard.

The Scottish Government has not received specific reports of scammers exploiting the new fire alarm standard. We are, however, recognise that the risk of people falling victim to a scam remains a possibility The Scottish Government launched a comprehensive awareness raising campaign about the new standard on 19 August 2021. This campaign includes messaging on the importance of using reputable tradespeople, looking out for trademarks that products that comply with the new standard as well as signposting to local government Trading Standards teams for further advice and to report suspicious activities.

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