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There are currently no plans to create a new homelessness prevention fund. In line with our commitment to introduce homelessness prevention duties, we agree with the principle that investment should be prioritised for prevention work, to address homelessness before households reach crisis point and to prevent repeat homelessness.

We make a significant annual investment in discretionary housing payments (over £90 million in 2024-25) to help people who are struggling with housing costs to remain in their homes. We also have a multi-year fund of £100 million to deliver actions in our homelessness strategy, the Ending Homelessness Together action plan, which has prevention at its heart.

The Scottish Government provided local authorities with funding of £8 million per annum between 2019-24 to implement Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPs). RRTPs set out each local authority’s five-year plan to transition to rapid rehousing, including through the delivery of Housing First.

In recognition of the positive impact of rapid rehousing for people experiencing homelessness and the challenging context in which RRTPs have been delivered, including a pandemic and cost of living crisis, the Scottish Government provided a one-year extension to this funding in 2024-25.

The Scottish Government evaluates the impact of RRTP funding via annual local authority monitoring returns. Future funding will be considered as part of the Scottish Government’s usual budget setting processes.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of investment in housing to underpin quality, supply and affordability in the private rented sector, and is very clear that continuing to attract private investment is a priority to maintain the vital supply of new homes for rent that our communities need. We want to see a fair, well-managed private rented sector in which investment in quality rented homes for tenants is both viable and welcome.

Given the diversity of rent conditions across Scotland, our Housing Bill allows flexibility for local circumstance to be the guiding factor in applying rent control measures. We recognize this needs to be balanced by certainty where possible.

We are considering the information shared by stakeholders on how to support investor confidence, as we look to ensure that the rent control measures in the Housing (Scotland) Bill support investment in a quality, affordable and thriving PRS.

Ministers will continue to listen to parliamentary and stakeholder views.

The Scottish Government continues to assess how we best share our data with partners. The Scottish Government publishes quarterly housing statistics on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme covering approvals, starts and completions by tenure and build form.

There is no current plan to bring forward regulations, however the Scottish Government has established a short life working group to encourage a proportionate approach to assessments required for planning applications. An initial scoping meeting, held on 25 June and hosted by the Chief Planner, has set out the group’s intention to use feedback from practitioners and authorities to identify priority areas for improvement and opportunities for increased proportionality and streamlining.

The Scottish Government is engaging with Homes for Scotland and the housebuilding industry relating to the findings of their recent work on SME housebuilders, and is also currently making arrangements for a discussion with SME housebuilders to consider how their experience of the planning system can be better supported.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Planner and I published a letter to stakeholders on 27 June 2024 regarding planning for housing. It provides further clarification on the implementation of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and specifically policy 16 Quality Homes, and emphasises the need for positive and constructive collaboration across sectors to support delivery. The letter outlines actions to be jointly progressed, including a discussion with SME housebuilders on how their experiences of the planning system can be better supported. We are also engaging with Homes for Scotland and the housebuilding industry relating to the findings of their recent work on SME housebuilders.

The Scottish Government has established a short life working group to encourage a proportionate approach to assessments required for planning applications. The initial scoping meeting, held on 25 June and hosted by the Chief Planner, has set out the group’s intention to use feedback from practitioners and authorities to identify priority areas for improvement and opportunities for increased proportionality and streamlining.

Scottish Government guidance on preparing Local Development Plans clearly states that providing land across a range of scales of sites and locations will enable the ambitious approach for new homes outlined in NPF4, encouraging local authorities to do so.

Scottish Government guidance on planning obligations recognises the potential financial consequences for developers, including SMEs. It makes clear that in negotiating obligations, consideration should be given to the economic viability of proposals and alternative solutions should be considered alongside options of phasing or staging payments.

The planning system in Scotland has undergone significant reform in recent years with the introduction of new legislation, policy and guidance. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 made changes to development planning and consenting regimes to strengthen decision making and enable the delivery of high-quality development. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was published in February 2023, following extensive public and Parliamentary consultation and scrutiny. NPF4 Policy 16, Quality Homes, takes an all tenure approach to supporting more quality homes, emphasising delivery and the plan-led approach.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Planner and I published a letter to stakeholders on 27 June 2024, providing further clarification on implementation of NPF4 and policy 16 Quality Homes, and emphasising the need for positive and constructive collaboration across sectors to support delivery.

Following our recent public consultation on Investing in Planning, we are working with partners to progress a range of actions to increase the capacity and improve the performance of planning services. Key actions will be set out in due course.

We are currently refreshing the Scottish Government’s Forced Marriage Statutory Guidance. To support the launch of the refreshed guidance, we are producing resources for professionals and the general public to raise awareness about forced marriage. We are working with key partners and sector experts to ensure these resources are effective and widely disseminated across public bodies.

Forced marriage disproportionally impacts minority ethnic communities, which is why we continue to work with our newly established network of experts to inform our work to address violence against BME women and girls, including work to tackle forced marriage.

It is vital that survivors have access to support services which is why we fund Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline. Additionally, through our Delivering Equally Safe fund, we support organisations such as Shakti Women’s Aid, AMINA, Saheliya, Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid and the Multi-Cultural Family Base to undertake vital work to tackle forced marriage.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to amend the Forced Marriage etc. (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Act 2011. Forced Marriage is illegal in Scotland and there are protections under civil and criminal law for any victims or potential victims.

Section 11 of the Forced Marriage etc. (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Act 2011 imposes a duty on Scottish Ministers to give guidance on the effect of Part 1 that Act. Section 11(3) states that a person exercising public functions to whom guidance is given under section 11 must have regard to it in the exercise of those functions.

The statutory Forced Marriage Guidance, which is currently being refreshed, outlines the responsibilities of relevant public authorities for developing and maintaining local procedures and practices to enable their practitioners to handle cases of forced marriage effectively. The guidance makes clear that staff may have limited opportunity to speak to a potential victim and as such, must be aware of their responsibilities when they come across forced marriage cases.

Any form of violence against women and girls is abhorrent and we recognise that minority ethnic women can experience culturally specific forms of abuse and violence, including from perpetrators outside of their immediate family.

We have established a network of experts to support and inform our work to address violence against BME women and girls, including consideration of any further action that may be required. This group will ensure the voices and needs of BME women are heard, and the specific issues they face, such as extended family abuse and honour-based abuse, are effectively tackled.