- 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: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the updated affordable housing supply investment benchmarks will be, in light of the June 2022 reported findings in relation to the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index that tender prices rose by 8.3% compared with Q4 2020-21, the highest quarterly growth in the last four years, and that underlying construction costs of labour, materials and plant increased by 1.2% quarter-on-quarter in Q4 2021-22, and by 10.5% compared with the same quarter in the previous year.
Answer
It is not possible to confirm what the updated set of affordable housing investment benchmarks will be at this point as the current set of benchmarks will be adjusted using the differential between the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index for the year to December 2022, unless evidence starts to suggest that an earlier review of benchmarks is required.
- 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: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government in which quarter it will publish new affordable housing investment benchmarks, based on the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index.
Answer
Unless evidence starts to suggest that an earlier review of benchmarks is required, the next set of affordable housing investment benchmarks will be published in the fourth quarter of the current financial year. These will then come into effect at the start of next financial year.
- 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: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to determine the resilience of the affordable housing supply programme, in light of reported findings in relation to the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index that total new work output in Scotland in Q4 2021-22 fell by 9.3% on the previous quarter, and by 12.4% compared with Q4 2020-21, and that there is a divergent relationship between tender prices and demand.
Answer
We are aware of the global issues affecting construction and their impact on the pace of delivery of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. The submission of Scottish Social Housing Tender Returns is an important tool in helping inform the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index and the annual review of investment benchmarks. The latest Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index was based on analysis of ten projects and results are provisional. We rely on partners providing timely and good quality Housing Tender Returns to enable comprehensive analysis to be undertaken. We operate a flexible grant system and continue to work closely with partners to ensure the delivery of affordable housing as quickly as practically possible.
- 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: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many proposed (a) homes and (b) projects included in affordable housing supply programme grant applications that it has agreed to have been (i) below and (ii) above benchmark, also broken down by baseline benchmark type, in each month since the new benchmarks were set.
Answer
A table showing the number of homes and projects that have been approved from 29 October 2021 to 23 August 2022 using the new benchmarks, broken down by baseline benchmark type for projects and homes which have an applicable benchmark has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 63602).
- 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: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many proposed (a) homes and (b) projects included in affordable housing supply programme grant applications that it has received have been (i) below and (ii) above benchmark, also broken down by baseline benchmark type, in each month since the new benchmarks were set.
Answer
A table showing the number of homes and projects that have been submitted for approval in each month, from 29 October 2021 to 23 August 2022, broken down by baseline benchmark type and whether above, at, or below benchmark has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 63601). To note that the table includes some projects still under active appraisal.
- 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: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it recycles the funding received through sales and tranching up of first-time buyer and Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) support schemes, and what total amount of funding it has recycled in each year since 2010.
Answer
Since 2010-11 the Scottish Government has recycled all receipts raised from shared equity sales.
Recycled receipts in each year are as shown in the following table.
| | Open Market Shared Equity £m | New Supply Shared Equity £m | Help to Buy £m | First Home Fund £m | Total £m |
2010-11 | 1.969 | - | - | - | - |
2011-12 | 0.956 | 0.354 | - | - | 1.310 |
2012-13 | 1.367 | 1.037 | - | - | 2.405 |
2013-14 | 3.007 | 1.981 | - | - | 4.989 |
2014-15 | 6.271 | 5.125 | 0.171 | - | 11.567 |
2015-16 | 8.151 | 6.316 | 1.100 | - | 15.567 |
2016-17 | 9.979 | 9.860 | 6.608 | - | 26.447 |
2017-18 | 17.887 | 8.431 | 12.464 | - | 38.782 |
2018-19 | 22.236 | 9.921 | 22.817 | - | 54.974 |
2019-20 | 23.798 | 10.817 | 35.063 | - | 69.679 |
2020-21 | 23.253 | 9.197 | 37.519 | 0.062 | 70.032 |
2021-22 | 31.714 | 12.678 | 48.997 | 3.003 | 96.392 |
- 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: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) gains and (b) losses it has made on its equity shares through the (i) sales and (ii) tranching up of properties purchased through first-time buyer and Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) support schemes in each year since 2010, broken down by each scheme.
Answer
We do not hold information centrally on whether income from shared equity investments relates to tranching up or open market sales.
Providing the information requested prior to 2017 could only be answered at disproportionate cost. Following a change to the way we recorded shared equity sales from 2017-18 we are able to provide the information requested in the following table.
| | Open Market Shared Equity £m | New Supply Shared Equity £m | Help to Buy £m | First Home Fund £m | Total £m |
2017-18 | 1.069 | 0.416 | 0.659 | - | 2.144 |
2018-19 | 2.239 | 0.317 | 1.476 | - | 4.032 |
2019-20 | 4.060 | 0.412 | 2.453 | - | 6.926 |
2020-21 | 4.142 | 0.494 | 3.598 | 0.014 | 8.248 |
2021-22 | 6.812 | 1.035 | 7.355 | 0.277 | 15.479 |
- 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: Monday, 29 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether Housing to 2040 remains its housing strategy.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to S6W-10636 on 20 September 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /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: Monday, 29 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a Housing to 2040 delivery plan.
Answer
Housing to 2040 is Scotland’s long-term strategy for housing and is designed to be agile and adaptable to 2040. A governance process has been established to support sector-wide delivery of the strategy, recognising the crucial roles of stakeholders across the housing system and beyond to delivering the Housing to 2040 vision. A Strategic Board will give strategic oversight, provide accountability on progress and support the government as we develop an appropriate monitoring framework for the strategy.
- 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: Monday, 29 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to incorporate use of existing housing stock in order to meet its social homes target, and how many purchases of existing stock are forecast to be made in each year to 2032.
Answer
Use of existing stock, whether purchased on the open market or rehabilitated, has and will continue to have a role in delivering affordable homes towards the target in line with strategic local priorities. We do not hold forecasts to 2032. Local authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans set out the funding priorities for affordable housing in their area for the next five years. These may include local authorities’ rationale for supporting use of existing stock and some estimates but will rely on properties becoming available to purchase.