Parliamentary questions
Mary Mulligan
707 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that the net effect of the 2008-09 Housing Association Grant assumptions will be a requirement for around an extra £10,000 private loan per unit.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Recent proposals for change to the standard Housing Association Grant (HAG) assumptions and allowances used when calculating subsidy reflect the actual performance reported by associations.</p> <p >The effect of changes to the HAG assumptions will vary from …
23 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement of the Minister for Communities and Sport on 18 December 2008 (Official Report c. 13569), whether it will confirm that Aberdeen will have a budget allocation of £40.6 million for affordable housing during the current parliamentary session and whether it will prov…
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Further to my statement in the Scottish Parliament on 18 December 2008, (<i >Official Report</i> c. 13569) I can confirm that the amount of affordable housing budget spent in Aberdeen city in 2007-08 was £6.7 million and it is anticipated that £3.922 million …
23 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13606 by Stewart Maxwell on 30 May 2008, whether the provisional housing allocation of £3.922 million for Aberdeen in 2008-09 has changed.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13606 on 30 May 2008. I can confirm that the Affordable Housing Investment Programme allocation for Aberdeen City in 2008-09 is still £3.922 million.</p> <p >All answers to written parliamentary questions are…
23 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3354 by Stewart Maxwell on 29 August 2007, whether it will confirm that the housing allocation for Aberdeen for 2003 to 2007 was £34.883 million.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The figures I provided in my previous answer to question S3W-3354 were for the actual amount of grant paid to Registered Social Landlords in each local authority area for 2003-04 to 2006-07. I can confirm that the grant paid to Registered Social Landlords in …
19 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many householders were supported by the Mortgage to Rent scheme from January to June 2008.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: A total of 72 households were supported through the Mortgage to Rent scheme from the beginning of January to the end of June 2008.</p>
16 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the £25 million funding package for council housing, whether it will list the councils that have made applications for funding, also showing for each the number of houses applied for and the average level of subsidy per house.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The information requested is shown in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=130 valign=top > <p align=center >Council</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=center >Number of Houses<…
16 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the bid by Falkirk Council for funding from the £25 million package for council housing, what the average cost per house will be to the council in addition to the subsidy.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: That is a matter for Falkirk Council.</p>
10 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the number of empty properties intended to be part of the shared equity programme.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We issued revised guidance on 12 December 2008 to ensure that marketing is based on realistic valuations but also to enable properties which cannot be sold within a reasonable timescale to be converted to mid-market rent or social rent, rather than remain emp…
10 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where the empty properties are that are intended to be part of the shared equity programme.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We do not record this information as a matter of course as it will change on a daily basis. However, a review was carried out in November/December and returns indicated 278 completed and unsold new supply shared equity units at that time.</p> <p >These 278 r…
10 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties intended to be part of the shared equity programme are presently unoccupied.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We do not record this information as a matter of course as it will change on a daily basis. However, a review was carried out November/December 2008 and returns indicated 278 completed and unsold new supply shared equity units at that time.</p>
10 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why interim targets have not been set towards the shared commitment to ending child poverty by 2020 in Achieving our Potential, the Scottish Government’s anti-poverty framework.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government remains committed to doing all it can, within the devolved powers available to it, to contribute to the UK Government target of halving child poverty by 2010 as well as ending child poverty by 2020.</p>
10 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have been successful in obtaining funds from the Mortgage to Rent scheme in 2008-09.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: In 2008-09, the local authorities who have obtained funds from the Mortgage to Rent scheme to buy properties are as follows:</p> <p >Aberdeen City Council</p> <p >City of Edinburgh Council</p> <p >East Lothian Council</p> <p >Midlothian Council</p> <p >N…
10 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have applied to take part in the Scottish Government’s Mortgage to Rent scheme in 2008-09.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Participation in the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme is voluntary and landlords are approached by the MTR team on a rotational basis to consider buying properties of applicants for MTR in their area.</p> <p >In 2008 a total of eight local authorities were appr…
10 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been successful in converting their mortgage to rent in each month in 2008-09 for which information is available.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The number of Mortgage to Rent applications for which information is available, settled in 2008-09 is contained in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=87 valign=top > <p align=center >Mon…
10 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have applied to the Mortgage to Rent scheme in each month in 2008-09 for which information is available.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The number of applications to the Mortgage to Rent scheme in each month for which information is available in 2008-09 is contained in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=72 valign=top > <p…
10 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the economic and financial climate, whether it plans to review the qualifying criteria for the Homestake initiative.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE) Scheme and the Open Market Shared Equity Pilot (OMSEP) form part of the Scottish Government''s Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT), which was established in October 2007. These schemes replaced the former Homes…
9 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the £18 million brought forward under the accelerated housing programme, how the average amount paid per site compares with the projected cost of sites set out in Firm Foundations, The Future Housing of Scotland, A discussion document.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-18741 on 7 January 2008. £8.036 million is to be directed at acquisition of sites from the £18 million announced. This will fund 16 sites at an average purchase price of £0.502 million per site. These sites wi…
9 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the £18 million brought forward under the accelerated housing programme, what the average amount paid per site has been.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: From the two tranches of projects announced to date as part of the accelerated Affordable Housing Investment Programme, amounting to £18 million, £8.036 million is to be directed at acquisition of sites.</p> <p >This will fund 16 sites at an average purchase…
5 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18138 by Stewart Stevenson on 5 December 2008, whether it will list the key property industry representatives and private landlords who attended the seminars about Energy Performance Certificates.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Invitations were issued to 97 UK Government and Scottish public bodies and private sector interests. Robust records have not been kept of attendance at the EPC awareness-raising seminars held by the Scottish Government''s Building Standards Division. However,…
5 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18139 by Stewart Stevenson on 5 December 2008, whether it will list the housing associations that (a) attended and (b) did not attend the seminars about Energy Performance Certificates.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Invitations were issued to 197 housing associations. Robust records have not been kept of attendance at the EPC awareness-raising seminars held by the Scottish Government''s Building Standards Division. However, the 51 housing associations that reserved place…
5 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18139 by Stewart Stevenson on 5 December 2008, how many and which local authorities attended the seminars about Energy Performance Certificates.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Invitations were issued to all 32 local authorities. Robust records have not been kept of attendance at the EPC awareness-raising seminars held by the Scottish Government''s Building Standards Division. However, the 18 local authorities that reserved places a…
4 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many landlords have been removed from the register for the Landlord Registration Scheme, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: One landlord has been removed from East Ayrshire Council''s Landlord Register.</p>
4 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is publicising the Landlord Registration Scheme to prospective tenants.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Responsibility for publicising landlord registration rests with local authorities. The Scottish Government provided grant funding for these purposes over the period 2005-08. Templates of leaflets for tenants were also given to local authorities.</p> <p >Loca…
4 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many landlords have applied to the Landlord Registration Scheme and been refused, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The following table shows the number of applications for registration by private landlords and letting agents received by local authority and the number of applications refused, as at 30 November 2008. Landlords and agents are required to register in each aut…
1 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the £1.4 million announced on 27 November 2008 to fund the purchase of suitable unsold housing stock from the private sector in Falkirk and Perth and Kinross, how much below market value is being paid on average.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: An average saving of 19% below market value will be achieved for the 28 properties.</p>
1 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the £1.4 million announced on 27 November 2008 to fund the purchase of suitable unsold housing stock from the private sector in Falkirk and Perth and Kinross, how many houses will be purchased.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The £1.4 million announced on 27 November 2008 to purchase unsold housing stock in Falkirk and Perth and Kinross will result in a total of 28 units being purchased by three housing associations.</p>
1 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the £1.4 million announced on 27 November 2008 to fund the purchase of suitable unsold housing stock from the private sector in Falkirk and Perth and Kinross, what the average level of subsidy is per house.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The £1.4 million announced on the 27 November 2008 to purchase unsold housing stock in Falkirk and Perth and Kinross, results in an average level of subsidy per house of £50,000. The £1.4 million is the allocation to date based on an initial estimate; howeve…
21 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that social landlords are aware of their obligations under the energy performance certificate legislation.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Social landlords have been kept fully informed about the requirements for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) which come into force at the start of next year. The Scottish Government''s Building Standards Division has held a series of EPC awareness-raising…
21 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that private landlords are aware of their obligations under the energy performance certificate legislation.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Private landlords have been kept fully informed about the requirements for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) which come into force at the start of next year. The Scottish Government''s Building Standards Division has held a series of EPC awareness-raisin…
6 Nov 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met NHS Lothian and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government Officials meet regularly with NHS Lothian to discuss a wide range of issues.</p> <p >I carried out the Annual Review of NHS Lothian on 8 September 2008 and last met the chair of NHS Lothian at a regular monthly meeting of NHS Chairs on 27…