Parliamentary questions
Mary Mulligan
707 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be non-financial criteria for accessing the Innovation and Investment Fund and, if so, what criteria.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40293 on 15 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
4 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who will decide what the criteria are for accessing the Innovation and Investment Fund.
Answer · Alex Neil: Letters inviting applications to the Innovation and Investment Fund will be circulated within the next week, these will set out the criteria that applications will need to meet. The letters have been drafted in consultation with key stakeholders, including CO…
3 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Affordable Housing Investment Programme funding allocations to local authorities for 2011-12 will be published.
Answer · Alex Neil: There will be no formal allocations from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme at local authority level next year, but we aim to allocate funds for the Innovation and Investment Fund in August 2011. Final allocations at individual local authority level …
25 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-39113 by Alex Neil on 7 February 2011, what the estimated cost is of guaranteeing the loan finance of local authorities involved in the first tranche of National Housing Trust houses.
Answer · Alex Neil: Based on modelling by the Scottish Futures Trust, with input from the Scottish Government, it is currently estimated that the cost of guaranteeing the loan finance of local authorities involved in the first tranche of the National Housing Trust initiative (NH…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 6,568 housing completions under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2010 were for sale.
Answer · Alex Neil: Of the 6,568 housing completions under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2010, a total of 1,469 were completed for low cost home ownership. This figure includes new build, rehabilitation and off the shelf.</b></p> <p >The link to the Housing Sta…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 6,568 housing completions under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2010 were rehabilitations.
Answer · Alex Neil: As published on the Housing Statistics for Scotland web pages on the Scottish Government website, of the 6,568 housing completions under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2010, 385 were rehabilitations. This figure includes all rehabilitations fo…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 6,568 housing completions under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2010 were off-the-shelf purchases from private developers.
Answer · Alex Neil: Of the 6,568 housing completions under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2010, a total of 89 were off the shelf purchases from private developers. This figure includes both low cost home ownership and rent.</b></p> <p >Please see the link to the…
22 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses it anticipates will be sold under shared equity schemes in 2011-12.
Answer · Alex Neil: We aim to assist around 535 households to access home ownership in 2011-12 under the New Supply Shared Equity with Developers scheme and the Open Market Shared Equity scheme. In addition, the Scottish Government has also announced a £50 million Innovation and…
22 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses were sold under shared equity schemes in 2009-10 and have been sold in 2010-11.
Answer · Alex Neil: In 2009-10 the number of properties purchased under the Scottish Government''s shared equity schemes was 1,979.</b></p> <p >Between April and December 2010, the number of properties purchased under the Scottish Government''s shared equity schemes was 657.</p…
22 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with housing organisations regarding the infrastructure loans fund announced in the budget for 2011-12.
Answer · Alex Neil: My officials have met with senior representatives from Homes for Scotland (HfS) to discuss how the scheme might be operated.</p> <p >In addition, on 2 March 2011, a stakeholder group, which includes COSLA, Heads of Planning Scotland, HfS and the Scottish Pr…
21 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses will be built under the £50 million Innovation and Investment Fund.
Answer · Alex Neil: We plan that around 1,500 houses will be built under the £50 million Innovation and Investment Fund. However this will depend upon the bids received for the fund.</b></p>
21 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the effect of changes in housing benefit on Glasgow’s programme to provide temporary accommodation for homeless people.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has made representations to the UK Government on the effect of housing benefit changes throughout Scotland, drawing attention to the pressures the changes will cause to Scottish homelessness policy. This has included writing to Lord Fr…
21 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the £249 million of investment front-funded by housing associations and cooperatives for building projects in previous years will be repaid.
Answer · Alex Neil: The £249 million figure quoted was an estimate made in 2010 and this figure is constantly being reviewed as we manage our budgets over the course of 2010-11. The final amounts and the timing of repayments will therefore not be known until the end of this fina…
10 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has designated for the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund in 2011-12.
Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Enterprise has created the £70 million National Renewables Infrastructure Fund to support the development of offshore renewable energy manufacturing facilities over the next four years. Specific expenditure on an annual basis will depend upon proposa…
10 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it designated for the New Supply Shared Equity scheme in 2009-10 and has designated for (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.
Answer · Alex Neil: In 2009-10, the Scottish Government allocated £32.564 million for New Supply Shared Equity/Shared Ownership to housing associations. In 2010-11, the Scottish Government allocated £21.902 million to New Supply Shared Equity/Shared Ownership for housing associa…
10 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it designated for the Open Market Shared Equity scheme in 2009-10 and has designated for (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.
Answer · Alex Neil: In 2009-10, £60 million was allocated to the Open Market Shared Equity pilot. For 2010-11, a further £20 million was allocated to extend the Open Market Shared Equity pilot. For 2011-12, the Scottish Government will allocate around £5 million to the Open Mark…
8 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what formula will be used for distributing the £268.5 million identified in Scotland’s Spending Plans and Draft Budget 2011-12 for housing supply.
Answer · Alex Neil: The £268.5 million allocated to Supporting Economic Growth/Housing Supply in the Draft Budget 2011-12 covers a range of expenditure. This includes spending commitments in relation to previously approved affordable housing and regeneration projects, and new in…
8 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £268.5 million identified in Scotland’s Spending Plans and Draft Budget 2011-12 for housing supply will be distributed to local authorities.
Answer · Alex Neil: The £268.5 million allocated to Supporting Economic Growth/Housing Supply in the Draft Budget 2011-12 covers a range of expenditure. This includes spending commitments in relation to previously approved affordable housing and regeneration projects, and new in…
8 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the £268.5 million identified in Scotland’s Spending Plans and Draft Budget 2011-12 for housing supply will be distributed to local authorities.
Answer · Alex Neil: The £268.5 million allocated to Supporting Economic Growth/Housing Supply in the Draft Budget 2011-12 covers a range of expenditure. This includes spending commitments in relation to previously approved affordable housing and regeneration projects, and new in…
1 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the commencement order for the provision in section 157 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010, Vacant dwellings: use of information obtained for council tax purposes, will be made.
Answer · Alex Neil: Section 157 will be commenced as soon as is practicable in the next parliamentary session following consultation with COSLA and local authorities.</b></p>
31 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the 2009-10 Energy Assistance Package budget was spent.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38652 on 20 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Busines…
31 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget of the Energy Assistance Package was in 2009-10.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38652 on 20 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p >http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…
31 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the implementation of common housing registers has led to a more accurate assessment of demand for social rented housing.
Answer · Alex Neil: In areas which operate a common housing register there is no longer any duplication across housing lists and this therefore provides a more accurate measure of housing demand within that area.</p> <p >However as not all areas currently have a common housing…
31 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress there has been in establishing common housing registers.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Common Housing Register (CHR) Support Service''s latest position study shows there were 18 operational CHRs in 2010. This compares with the position study for 2007 which showed there were 11. The 2010 CHR position study can be accessed at: 2010 CHR Positi…
31 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a report on the responses to its consultation on Housing: Fresh Thinking, New Ideas will be published.
Answer · Alex Neil: <i>Homes Fit for the 21st Century: The Scottish Government''s Strategy and Action Plan for Housing in the Next Decade: 2011-2020 </i>was published on 4 February 2011. Copies are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52409).</b…
27 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38385 by Alex Neil on 17 January 2011, whether the receipts from the sale of the houses will go to the relevant local authority, the developer or the Scottish Futures Trust.
Answer · Alex Neil: The receipts from the sale of the homes will be distributed between partners according to the order set out in the legal agreements for the National Housing Trust initiative. After paying any reasonable costs incurred by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and …
27 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38384 by Alex Neil on 17 January 2011, how much funding it will guarantee under the first tranche of National Housing Trust houses.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government will guarantee the total amount of loan finance each local authority is willing to provide towards the purchase of homes under the first tranche of the initiative. This guarantee will ensure that the local authority can continue to pay…
27 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38385 by Alex Neil on 17 January 2011, whether it has considered giving the relevant local authority the right to instigate the sale of the houses.
Answer · Alex Neil: This option was considered at an early stage of National Housing Trust development. However, it was decided to allow private developers to determine when to sell the homes, after the minimum required rental period of five years has elapsed. This is because th…
24 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are expected to receive support from the New Supply Shared Equity scheme in 2011.
Answer · Alex Neil: The number of people the Scottish Government will be able to help under New Supply Shared Equity in 2011-12 will depend on the bids received for competitive funding arrangements which were outlined in the Scottish draft budget in November 2010.</b></p> <p >I…
24 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many successful applicants were there for the New Supply Shared Equity scheme in 2010.
Answer · Alex Neil: Between January and September 2010, the number of properties purchased under the New Supply Shared Equity scheme was 145.</b></p> <p >This information is recorded on the sales log monitoring database from returns completed <strong>by registered social landl…