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-24142

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its assumptions regarding the investment needed to deliver the 110,0000 affordable housing supply target.

The Scottish Government have already confirmed plans to bring forward the review of the target from 2026-27 to 2024, with a focus on the timeline for delivery of 110,000 affordable homes. And in parallel we will accelerate work with the financial community in Scotland and elsewhere to boost private sector investment in Scotland year on year, and help deliver more homes. This work will help to inform the assessment of the investment required to deliver the 110,000 affordable homes target.

Question reference: S6W-24137

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last used (a) external auditors and (b) independent review to consider whether the (i) Housing to 2040 strategy, (ii) 110,000 affordable housing supply target and (iii) Affordable Housing Supply Programme are achievable.

Question reference: S6W-24138

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Affordable Housing Supply Programme is fit for purpose, in light of its reported plans to halve the budget in real terms.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme is fit for purpose. The UK Government did not inflation-proof their Capital Budget which has resulted in nearly a 10% real terms fall in our UK capital funding between 2023-24 and 2027-28. That means that we cannot deliver on all our capital projects. One of the most difficult choices we have taken is to reduce the funding for our Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

Question reference: S6W-24521

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6T-01731

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to bring more homes back into use, in light of reports that the stock of empty homes is valued at an estimated £3.4 billion.

Question reference: S6W-23843

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether research has been conducted into the potential impact on average rental costs of the expiry of the rent cap, under Part 1 and Schedule 1 of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

The latest for Scotland show how rents charged by private landlords in Scotland have been rising for more than a decade, and are yet more evidence of the importance of taking action to make rents more affordable. There is no one solution to addressing housing affordability and our work to introduce long term controls as part of the next Housing Bill is one measure being taken forward.

The emergency Act provides Scottish Ministers with the ability to temporarily modify how rent increases referred by a tenant are adjudicated. Any proposed modification would be subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament. Any changes made to the adjudication process would be intended to smooth the transition out of the rent cap and protect tenants from steep rent increases which could be experienced if there is a sudden move to open market rent from rent levels that have been supressed.

We are currently consulting with stakeholders on the proposed approach to modifying the rent adjudication process and will publish further information in due course.

Question reference: S6W-23846

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether rent officers working for Rent Service Scotland will use new benchmarks to assess rent increase proposals from landlords, after the expiry of the rent cap.

Question reference: S6W-23844

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed what additional support for tenants regarding housing costs and eviction protection may be needed between the expiry of the rent cap, under Part 1 and Schedule 2 of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, and the commencement of any permanent rent control measures.

The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 was introduced to provide additional protections to tenants through the worst of the cost of living crisis, and we have always been clear that the measures are timebound and temporary. Prior to the introduction of the Act, private tenants in Scotland already benefitted from some of the strongest protections in the UK, and tenants will continue to benefit from the strong legal protections introduced by The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016. In addition, the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 further strengthened tenants’ rights by requiring private landlords who are seeking to evict on the basis of rent arrears, to comply with certain specified actions prior to pursuing eviction. The Tribunal, in assessing the reasonableness of eviction in such cases, is also required to consider the extent to which the landlord complied with these new requirements. This enhanced protection has been in place since 1 October 2022.

In terms of support for tenants regarding housing costs, in 2023-24 we have invested over £83 million in Discretionary Housing Payments; a vital tool to reduce poverty, safeguard tenancies and prevent homelessness. In 2024-25 we will make over £90 million available, mitigating UK Government cuts such as the bedroom tax and benefit cap.

This year’s Programme for Commitment commits to go further to enhance the rights of tenants, and a Housing Bill will be brought to Parliament in this parliamentary year to deliver a New Deal for Tenants.

We are also consulting with stakeholders on the proposed approach to temporarily modifying the rent adjudication process, to prevent unintended consequences when the emergency measures come to an end.

Question reference: S6W-23837

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the underoccupancy rate has been for each of its offices in each month since January 2019, also broken down by location.

The data set available which can be used to calculate occupancy levels for Scottish Government (SG) core buildings has been developed into a table format for years 2020 - 2024. This information can be obtained from The Parliaments Information Centre Bib number 64841.

The percentages represent the number of attendees on the first Tuesday of each month against the workstation spaces available within that building. Data is no longer available for 2019 or before and is only available for part of 2020 due to limitations on information retention periods.

During 2023 SG committed to a flexible hybrid working model for its workforce, enabling staff to work from a range of settings. Managers have flexibility to work with their teams to determine a model that ensures business needs are met. The shift to hybrid working is being built into future estate planning and our Estate Strategy. In light of the changing expectations the SG core estate is under review with all opportunities to right-size considered which can both reduce SG costs and contribute to the wider Public Service Reform agenda. Estate Planning for the entire portfolio continues in line with guidance in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM).

Over the last 12 months SG have closed 3 leased buildings in Edinburgh and 1 in Glasgow with staff and operations relocated to existing buildings all opportunities for rationalisation and sharing are utilised in line with the SPFM. A decision to close 4 Atlantic Quay has also been taken with staff being relocated to 5 Atlantic Quay in March 2024 to reflect the changes in working patterns and improve building efficiencies.

A detailed review of the Edinburgh estate will be completed during 2024 to develop a recommended approach for maximising the use of the buildings while aligning with the Single Scottish Estate Programme.

Question reference: S6W-23845

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the additional measures that are available to Rent Service Scotland under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 will allow tenants to contest any rent increases and help ensure that they are able to afford to live in their home.

Once the rent cap, under Part 1 of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, is expired rent increases which may be proposed by landlords will proceed under the framework set out in the 2016 Act. Where tenants consider the proposed increase to be unreasonable, the emergency Act provides Scottish Ministers with the ability to temporarily modify how rent increases referred by a tenant are adjudicated. Any proposed modification would be subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament, and the intention of any changes to the adjudication process would be to smooth the transition out of the rent cap and protect tenants from steep rent increases.

It is proposed that, when the emergency rent cap is removed, the rent adjudication process would be amended to require a rent adjudication determination to be based on the lowest of three comparators:

1. open market rent;

2. the new rent proposed by the landlord; and

3. a maximum ‘reasonable’ increase for that tenancy, to be defined by reference to a new ‘taper’ that supports a transition away from the rent cap

Application of such an approach means that market rents would continue to be taken account of in rent adjudication whilst allowing for moderation where the move back to current market rent in a single rent increase would be a significant increase for a tenant.

We are currently consulting with stakeholders on the proposed approach to modifying the rent adjudication process.