- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will give an update on the work to upgrade Ardrossan Harbour.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the terms of reference are for its Women in Enterprise Review, and when the review is scheduled to be published.
Answer
Responding to a recognised gender gap in business participation, Kate Forbes, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy commissioned Ana Stewart, entrepreneur and investor, to deliver an independent Review on widening access to entrepreneurship for women.
The Stewart Review, due to publish later in the year, will identify the root causes of the continuing under-representation of women in enterprise and propose specific actions required to address the needs of female-led businesses in Scotland.
The expected themes of the review are to include, but not be limited to:
- Access to Finance
- Networks, mentoring and role models
- Advice and Support
- Education
The response of the Scottish Government to the Review will be mindful of existing activity and align with NSET recommendations on transforming the Scottish economy through widening business participation under the Entrepreneurial People and Culture programme.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Home Owners’ Support Fund, what the average processing time has been for (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications in each of the last six years, and how many applications in each of the last six years took (i) less than one year (ii) one to two years (iii) two to three years and (iv) more than three years to process.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect data in relation to the turnaround of unsuccessful applications. The following table shows the average processing time in months for successful applications during each of the last six years.
Year | Average Processing Time (Months) |
2016-17 | 5 |
2017-18 | 6 |
2018-19 | 9 |
2019-20 | 11 |
2020-21 | 15 |
2021-22 | 20 |
The Home Owners Support Fund is a voluntary scheme and the full co-operation and participation of applicants, social landlords, lenders, solicitors and surveyors is necessary for the smooth and efficient delivery of the scheme. The pandemic made it more difficult to progress cases, particularly as social landlords were unable to visit properties for repairs assessments.
The following table shows the number of successful applications and the timescales, during each of the last six years.
| | Number of Successful Applications Processed in |
Year | < 1 Year | 1-2 years | 2-3 | > 3 years |
2016-17 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2017-18 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018-19 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
2019-20 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
2020-21 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
2021-22 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what the total amount has been of any performance payments given to
executive level staff at CalMac Ferries Ltd, broken down by each year since
2007.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10177 on 7 September 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) enquiries about and (b) applications for the Home Owners' Support Fund it has received in each of the last six years, broken down by the (i) Mortgage to Rent and (ii) Mortgage to Shared Equity schemes, and, of those applications that were received, how many were (A) successful and (B) ineligible.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect information on enquiries relating to the Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF). The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) and Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE) schemes are delivered as part of the HOSF programme. Each application is assessed on a case by case basis to determine which scheme best meets the applicant’s needs. During the last six years there have been no cases eligible for MTSE, due to the circumstances of applicants not meeting the eligibility criteria, in particular applicants with complex debts.
The following table shows the number of applications received during each of the last six years, the number of applications successfully completed and the number of cases closed due to ineligibility. Mortgage to Rent is a voluntary scheme and participation from applicants, lenders, trustees and social landlords is required for a case to succeed.
Mortgage to Rent Applications* |
Year | Received | Successful | Ineligible |
2016-17 | 113 | 65 | 20 |
2017-18 | 91 | 39 | 17 |
2018-19 | 106 | 32 | 30 |
2019-20 | 79 | 28 | 16 |
2020-21 | 20 | 8 | 7 |
2021-22 | 36 | 9 | 10 |
*Figures for received, successful and ineligible do not necessarily refer to the same cases.
We have received significantly fewer applications during the last two financial years. Regulations were introduced by the Scottish Government that protected homeowners in financial difficulty from repossession at the height of the pandemic. n addition, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and mortgage lenders also put in place temporary measures to assist homeowners facing difficulties in managing their mortgage repayments. From March 2020 to March 2021, mortgage lenders offered payment deferrals of up to six months and whilst those temporary measures have now expired, the FCA continues to work with lenders to help improve and strengthen arrears management and mortgage lenders must demonstrate that they have done everything required to make repossession a matter of last resort.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08749 by Shona Robison on 14 June 2022, what modelling
it is undertaking to establish (a) the likely number of future applications to the
fund and (b) any risk of homelessness among mortgage payers, in light of the
Bank of England increasing the base rate to 1.75% and reports that inflation could
reach 13% by October 2022.
Answer
The Scottish Government monitors trends in arrears and repossessions data published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and UK Finance which is collated in the quarterly Scottish Housing Market Review Scottish housing market reviews - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
The Home Owners Support Fund is a last resort scheme aimed at properties at the lowest 20% of the housing market. Applicants must have either mortgage arrears or have an interest only mortgage that has reached the end of its term and have no appropriate option to either repay the loan or to re-mortgage. There are a range of protections, advice and support services already in place for homeowners and not all of those affected by the current cost of living crisis will apply to the scheme.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been carried out through the National Improvement Framework regarding the allocation of money from pupil equity funding to Police Scotland for police officers in schools.
Answer
This information does not fall within the scope of data gathered through the National Improvement Framework. The 11 key NIF measures assess progress towards closing the attainment gap using indicators from pre-school to school leavers. These are supplemented by 15 sub-measures that reflect the key stages of the learner journey and the breadth of issues that can impact on attainment. Together these provide a wide range of measures covering school leaver attainment and literacy and numeracy but also other, broader, measures such as health and wellbeing, school attendance rates and school leaver destinations.
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the (a) use and (b) control of public subsidy in Scotland.
Answer
Scottish Government has engaged regularly with UK Government at official and ministerial level on the new subsidy control regime. Officials have participated in all engagement sessions, continuing to provide feedback and raising our concerns and those of our stakeholders.
Disappointingly many of these remain unaddressed. Nevertheless, Scottish Government will continue to engage with BEIS through the introduction of the new Subsidy Control regime as it affects Scotland. We remain particularly concerned that the Act brings further erosion of devolution through the sweeping powers granted to the Secretary of State. It undermines the long-established powers of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers to act in relation to matters within devolved competence such as economic development, the environment, agriculture and fisheries.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been of any financial penalties issued by Transport Scotland to CalMac Ferries Ltd, in each year since 2007.
Answer
Under the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract, performance deductions can be applied by in certain circumstances.
The level of performance deductions by Contract Year incurred by CalMac Ferries Ltd is detailed below:
| | CHFS1 | |
CY01 | Oct 2007 - Sept 2008 | £ 35.384 |
CY02 | Oct 2008 - Sept 20009 | £ 70,705 |
CY03 | Oct 2009 - Sept 2010 | £ 60,733 |
CY04 | Oct 2010 - Sept 2011 | £ 71,219 |
CY05 | Oct 2011 - Sept 2012 | £ 119,012 |
CY06 | Oct 2012 - Sept 2013 | £ 96,241 |
CY07 | Oct 2013 - Sept 2014 | £ 126,162 |
CY08 | Oct 2014 - Sept 2015 | £ 445,524 |
CY09 | Oct 2015 - Sept 2016 | £ 338,359 |
| | CHFS2 | |
CY01 | Oct 2016 - Sept 2017 | £ 1,127,097 |
CY02 | Oct 2017 - Sept 2018 | £ 1,101,741 |
CY03 | Oct 2018 - Sept 2019 | £ 1,033,138 |
CY04 | Oct 2019 - Sept 2020 | £ 584,255 |
CY05 | Oct 2020 - Sept 2021 | £ 2,089,383 |
CY06 (to date) | Oct 2021 - Jun 2022 | £ 2,345,940 |
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been (a) trained and (b) allocated to deal with applications for the Home
Owners' Support Fund, in each of the last six years.
Answer
The following table shows how many staff have been allocated to the Home Owners Support Fund in recent years. Staff are fully trained and highly experienced and levels have been sufficient to meet demand for the Fund.
Financial Year | Number of HOSF Staff |
2015-16 | * |
2016-17 | 6 |
2017-18 | 5 |
2018-19 | 3 |
2019-20 | 3 |
2021-22 to present day | 4 |
* No figure for this year
