- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01292 by Shona Robison on 19 July 2021, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of (i) homes and (ii) projects seeking grant funding in excess of the relevant benchmark have been subject to a more detailed value-for-money assessment in (A) total and (B) each of the last five years, also broken down by (I) local authority and (II) registered social landlord.
Answer
13,743 homes, which is 36% of homes assessed against benchmarks, have sought grant funding in excess of the relevant benchmark over the last five years. These homes were spread across 476 projects. All projects seeking grant funding in excess of the relevant grant subsidy benchmark will have been subject to more detailed value-for-money assessment. The tables showing the Affordable Housing Supply Programme Homes and Projects Approved Above Published Benchmarks have been placed in SPICe under BIB number 62586.
The tables contain data submitted by delivery partners through our digital programme management system called HARP (Housing and Regeneration Programme) and provide the breakdown as requested. The analysis is based on information provided at tender approval stage which is when projects are assessed against benchmark subsidy levels. Only projects which have a relevant benchmark have been included i.e. social rent homes provided by Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), social rented homes provided by Local Authorities, and affordable homes for Mid Market rent provided by RSLs and their subsidiaries.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of homes have been delivered at or below the Affordable Housing Investment Benchmark in (i) total and (ii) each of the last five years, also broken down by (A) local authority and (B) registered social landlord.
Answer
24,596 homes, which is 64% of homes assessed against benchmarks, have sought grant funding either at or below the relevant grant subsidy benchmark over the last five years. The table showing Affordable Housing Supply Programme Affordable Homes Approved At or Below Published Benchmarks has been placed in SPICe under BIB number 62585.
The table contains data submitted by delivery partners through our digital programme management system called HARP (Housing and Regeneration Programme) and provides the breakdown as requested. The analysis is based on information provided at tender approval stage which is when projects are assessed against benchmark grant subsidy levels. Only projects which have a relevant benchmark have been included i.e. social rent homes provided by Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), social rented homes provided by Local Authorities, and affordable homes for Mid Market rent provided by RSLs and their subsidiaries.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00917 by Shona Robison on 18 June 2021, (a) how many expressions of interest were received for its Single Building Assessment programme, (b) who these expressions were from, and (c) by what date safety assessments will be carried out.
Answer
a) A total of 338 expressions of interest were received, 5 were subsequently withdrawn leaving 333.
b)Breakdown of respondents by tenure:
Respondent | Total |
Individual owner | 102 |
Owners’/residents’ organisation | 1 |
Property factor | 1 |
Private Company | 35 |
Registered private landlord | 3 |
Registered landlord | 141 |
Registered social landlord | 29 |
Individual Tenant | 17 |
Registered Social Landlord - Property Factoring Company | 2 |
No respondent given | 2 |
Total | 333 |
c) The assessment of the submitted Expressions of Interest is complete. The initial phase started on the 28 th of June when we met with the first successful applicant for a Single Building Assessment (SBA). This phase tests the practical guide to conduct external wall appraisals, inspection methods and other documented processes which includes enhanced safety assessments.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 12 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-35383 by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2021, whether changes have been made to the building standards verifier requirements regarding BS 8414 and BR 135 and, if so, when the decisions related to any changes were (a) taken and (b) implemented.
Answer
A public consultation exercise, , is currently being undertaken which includes options on the role of BS 8414 (and associated BR 135).
Responses to the consultation will be used to inform the Building Standards (Fire Safety) Review Panel 2020-21 work and final policy that will be prepared in support of any legislative changes. Any legislative changes may have an effect on ‘building standards verifier requirements’. The consultation closes in October 2021.
As an interim measure, the where BS 8414 / BR 135 and BS 9414 extended field of application assessments have been used to demonstrate compliance with the mandatory building standards. These interim measure decisions to remove reference to BS 8414 and BR 135 were taken and implemented, respectively, as follows:
(a) March 2021
(b) March/ April 2021
Additionally, pending the outcome of the review, .
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what powers it will devolve to local authorities to help them meet climate change targets, in response to calls made at the International Net Zero Local Leadership Summit.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to working closely with local authorities on the shared national endeavour to tackle the global climate emergency by achieving net zero emissions by 2045, recognising that local climate action is crucial to achieving our national climate ambitions.
Through the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, we have provided new powers for local authorities to introduce Low Emission Zones to improve air quality. We are also providing other forms of support to local government including the Green Growth Accelerator which will unlock £200m of investment in local authorities for emissions reduction infrastructure, and supporting local authorities to develop Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies and accompanying delivery plans.
More broadly, the joint Local Governance Review with COSLA is considering how powers and resources are shared between national and local government, to ensure that we are doing all we can to achieve our shared national outcomes.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has received regarding how material shortages and increased contractor prices in the construction sector are impacting householders redeeming Home Energy Scotland Loan offers.
Answer
No information has been formally received by Scottish Government regarding how much material shortages and increased contractor prices in the construction sector are impacting householders redeeming Home Energy Scotland Loan offers.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what the total value was of the Home Energy Scotland Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan applications that have been received in each local authority area in each of the last five years, also broken down by the total value of the loan offers that (a) it subsequently made and (b) were not taken up.
Answer
The Private Rented Sector Landlord (PRSL) Loan was launched in April 2020. The following table shows the total number of applications received, the total number of offers made and the total number of expired offers. These figures represent the total number from launch to the end of June 2021, and relate to the location of the applicant.
Local Authority | Total Applications | Total Value of Applications | Total Value of Offers | Total Value of offers not taken up |
Aberdeen City Council | 6 | £25,522 | £18,572 | £- |
Aberdeen Council | 11 | £67,948 | £53,688 | £- |
Angus Council | 6 | £31,509 | £22,614 | £10,150 |
Argyll and Bute Council | 3 | £25,000 | £15,000 | £- |
City of Edinburgh Council | 31 | £180,051 | £121,361 | £6,850 |
Clackmannanshire Council | 0 | £- | £- | £- |
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 0 | £- | £- | £- |
Dumfries and Galloway Council | 3 | £18,800 | £18,704 | £- |
Dundee City Council | 5 | £41,637 | £24,446 | £- |
East Ayrshire Council | 6 | £36,248 | £36,080 | £- |
East Dunbartonshire Council | 2 | £15,328 | £15,073 | £5,800 |
East Lothian Council | 3 | £17,834 | £12,500 | £- |
East Renfrewshire Council | 6 | £30,727 | £11,647 | £- |
Falkirk Council | 6 | £29,204 | £27,139 | £- |
Fife Council | 13 | £111,848 | £108,474 | £9,650 |
Glasgow City Council | 10 | £69,034 | £12,934 | £- |
Highland Council | 7 | £53,187 | £52,842 | £- |
Inverclyde Council | 1 | £2,150 | £- | £- |
Midlothian Council | 2 | £5,870 | £5,870 | £2,340 |
Moray Council | 3 | £14,500 | £14,279 | £- |
North Ayrshire Council | 1 | £2,130 | £2,015 | £- |
North Lanarkshire Council | 4 | £14,858 | £12,011 | £- |
Orkney Islands Council | 1 | £10,000 | £10,000 | £- |
Perth and Kinross Council | 4 | £23,630 | £18,507 | £- |
Renfrewshire Council | 6 | £48,909 | £13,659 | £- |
Scottish Borders Council | 4 | £45,214 | £13,205 | £- |
Shetland Islands Council | 0 | £- | £- | £- |
South Ayrshire Council | 4 | £21,106 | £20,431 | £- |
South Lanarkshire Council | 10 | £52,004 | £36,054 | £- |
Stirling Council | 2 | £28,535 | £19,848 | £15,000 |
West Dunbartonshire Council | 1 | £10,100 | £10,100 | £- |
West Lothian Council | 5 | £31,054 | £30,675 | £4,840 |
Outside Scotland* | 18 | £95,288 | £60,593 | £- |
Total | 184 | £1,159,224 | £818,319 | £54,630 |
*Outside Scotland’ relates to landlords living outwith Scotland but applying for loans for properties within Scotland.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many Home Energy Scotland Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan applications have been received in each local authority area in each of the last five years; how many loan offers it has subsequently made, and how many of these offers were not taken up.
Answer
The Private Rented Sector Landlord (PRSL) Loan was launched in April 2020. The following table shows the total number of applications received, the total number of offers made and the total number of expired offers. These figures represent the total number from launch to the end of June 2021, and relate to the location of the applicant.
Local Authority | Total Applications | Total Offers | Number of offers not taken up |
Aberdeen City Council | 6 | 5 | 0 |
Aberdeen Council | 11 | 9 | 0 |
Angus Council | 6 | 4 | 1 |
Argyll and Bute Council | 3 | 2 | 0 |
City of Edinburgh Council | 31 | 22 | 1 |
Clackmannanshire Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dumfries and Galloway Council | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Dundee City Council | 5 | 3 | 0 |
East Ayrshire Council | 6 | 6 | 0 |
East Dunbartonshire Council | 2 | 2 | 1 |
East Lothian Council | 3 | 2 | 0 |
East Renfrewshire Council | 6 | 4 | 0 |
Falkirk Council | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Fife Council | 13 | 12 | 1 |
Glasgow City Council | 10 | 4 | 0 |
Highland Council | 7 | 7 | 0 |
Inverclyde Council | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Midlothian Council | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Moray Council | 3 | 3 | 0 |
North Ayrshire Council | 1 | 1 | 0 |
North Lanarkshire Council | 4 | 3 | 0 |
Orkney Islands Council | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Perth and Kinross Council | 4 | 3 | 0 |
Renfrewshire Council | 6 | 3 | 0 |
Scottish Borders Council | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Shetland Islands Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Ayrshire Council | 4 | 4 | 0 |
South Lanarkshire Council | 10 | 8 | 0 |
Stirling Council | 2 | 2 | 1 |
West Dunbartonshire Council | 1 | 1 | 0 |
West Lothian Council | 5 | 5 | 1 |
Outside Scotland* | 18 | 12 | 0 |
Total | 184 | 141 | 7 |
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many Home Energy Scotland loan (a) applications and (b) offers it has handled during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this compares to the three previous financial years.
Answer
The number of Home Energy Scotland Loan applications and offers handled during the pandemic, compared to the three previous years is:
Year | Total Applications | Total Offers |
2021-22 – to end of June | 890 | 937* |
2020-21 | 2698 | 2011 |
2019-20 | 2167 | 1757 |
2018-19 | 2511 | 1903 |
2017-18 | 2191 | 1404 |
* Loan offer numbers may exceed application numbers for a year due to overlap in processing periods ie where an application is received in March, but not offered until April.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many notifications the Building Standards Division has received from verifiers of building warrant applications, citing BS 8414 as a route to compliance, since the April 2021 update of the Building Standards Technical Handbooks, by a) type of building and b) local authority.
Answer
No notifications have been received since issue of the provision in April 2021.