Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

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 ��˿�� 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-26057

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-25186

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, since the introduction of annual health checks for adults with a learning disability in May 2022, how many adults have received such a health check.

Question reference: S6W-25188

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, since the introduction of annual health checks for adults with a learning disability in May 2022, what percentage of eligible adults have received such a health check.

Question reference: S6W-25187

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, since the introduction of annual health checks for adults with a learning disability in May 2022, how many adults had received such a health check by 31 March 2023.

Question reference: S6W-25185

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, since the introduction of annual health checks for adults with a learning disability in May 2022, how many adults have been offered such a health check.

This information is not currently collected by the Scottish Government. The National Directions for Annual Health Checks state that all eligible people with a learning disability should be offered an annual health check by 31 March 2024. The Scottish Government will be asking Health Boards to report on numbers of people offered annual health checks and number of health checks received after this date.

Question reference: S6W-24874

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) the current supply of accessible and adapted housing and (b) whether current capacity meets demand.

It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities through their Local Housing Strategy (LHS) and Development Plan to determine the appropriate housing required in their area, informed by a Housing Need and Demand Assessment. This includes consideration of existing housing provision and current and future requirements.

Where local authorities identify a strategic requirement for a particular type of home, including wheelchair accessible housing, projects to support delivery of these homes are expected to be included in Local Authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans for delivery through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

Since the integration of health and social care, Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) are responsible for the planning and delivery of adaptations using delegated budgets. IJBs are also responsible for reviewing and developing services to improve outcomes for people who require adaptations.

Question reference: S6W-24873

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of decisions taken in the Budget for 2024-25 on aims to increase the supply of accessible and adapted housing.

Our budget decisions are based on fiscal sustainability, legal requirements, contractual obligations and previous commitments, as well as a range of social, economic, political and environmental issues. Work is also ongoing with the financial community in Scotland, and beyond, to boost private sector investment and help deliver more homes including accessible homes. The Draft budget for 2023-24 includes £556 million for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and £8.245 million for adaptations.

Question reference: S6W-24875

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties have either been built or had modifications made to them, to increase the supply of accessible and adapted housing, in the last year.

Management information on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2022-23 shows that 6,868 new build social homes were built. Returned information confirmed that 99% met Housing for Varying Needs standards. As part of the total 10,462 affordable homes delivered that year, 1,319 homes were delivered with enhanced accessibility standards - including wheelchair, older amenity, supported and sheltered housing.

From the £16.616 million spent on adaptations across Scotland in 2022-23, around 5000 properties benefitted from 6,112 adaptations.

Question reference: S6W-24872

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what funding it has made available to increase the supply of accessible and adapted housing.

Through the 2023-24 Affordable Housing Supply Programme we are investing £752 million to support local authority strategic housing priorities, including accessible housing. All new build properties which are delivered directly by councils and social landlords should, as a minimum, meet the ‘basic’ requirement within the Housing for Varying Needs Design guide. This guide incorporates the ‘barrier free’ concept of accessibility and is a key reference document for the affordable housing sector in Scotland.

We support registered social landlords to undertake adaptations to their properties, and in 2023-24 we are making available £11 million for this purpose. Adaptations in Glasgow and Edinburgh are funded separately within those local authorities’ Affordable Housing Supply Programme allocations as part of the Transfer of the Management of Development Funding arrangements.

Question reference: S6W-24871

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to a supplementary to question S6O-03013 by Emma Roddick on 25 January 2024, whether it will detail the ways in which it is “increasing the supply of accessible and adapted housing”.

We continue to take forward our commitments to improving the accessibility and adaptability of new homes in Scotland. Work to review and update the Housing for Varying Needs design guide, applicable to homes delivered with support through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, remains in progress. This will inform the development of a new Scottish Accessible Homes Standard which we expect to be implemented through changes to building standards from 2025-26 and would apply to the delivery of all new homes, regardless of tenure.

As we set out in our commitment in Housing to 2040 we are taking forward a review of the current housing adaptations system and will make recommendations on how best to improve and streamline the system and maximise the impact of investment.