Parliamentary questions

Mary Mulligan

707 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

28 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people applied for the Open Market Shared Equity pilot in 2009-10.

Answer · Alex Neil: Three thousand, four hundred and thirty households submitted application forms for the Open Market Shared Equity Pilot in 2009-10. Of these applicants, 2,164 were eligible for support through the scheme.

16 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications to its boiler scrappage scheme there were, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Jim Mather: The number of successful applicants to the boiler scrappage scheme, broken down by local authority area, is in the following table. Please expect these figures to change, for example, if duplicate applications are found or if applicants decide not to use thei…

14 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what average price housing associations paid for the 1,699 off-the-shelf houses purchased in 2009-10.

Answer · Alex Neil: Of the total 1699 Off The Shelf (OTS) purchases funded by the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) in 2009-10, 198 properties were purchased by housing associations. For these properties the average cost per unit was £120,734. The remaining 1,501 pr…

14 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what average price per house housing associations paid for land for housing in 2009.

Answer · Alex Neil: The average price per planned house housing associations paid for land in 2009-10 was £13,085.

10 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many rent payable orders were issued in 2009.

Answer · Alex Neil: Information on Rent Payable Orders served by local authorities, and linked to Antisocial Behaviour Notices, is not held centrally. Provision of such information requires local authorities to gather and maintain data.

8 Jun 2010 · Written Question

Answer · Alex Neil: The average level of Housing Association Grant for housing association rented units in these years was as follows: 2007-08 - £85,390 2008-09 - £78,441 2009-10 - £77,263. Figures for 2007…

8 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many unregistered landlords it estimates that there are in each local authority.

Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally. Each local authority would be best placed to estimate numbers in its own area. However, in March 2009 the Review of the Private Rented Sector in Scotland estimated the number of households living in the sector…

8 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33859 by Alex Neil on 2 June 2010, whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of the 1,200 rent penalty notices issued to unregistered landlords.

Answer · Alex Neil: Details are as follows: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > Local Authority </td> <td valign=top > Rent Penalty Notices Issued Between <p align=c…

4 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to the mortgage to rent scheme for 2010-11.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34166 on 11 June 2010. 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.…

4 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to the mortgage to shared equity scheme for 2010-11.

Answer · Alex Neil: £20 million has been allocated to the Home Owners'' Support Fund (HOSF) for 2010-11. The HOSF covers both the Mortgage to Shared Equity scheme and the Mortgage to Rent scheme.

4 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new applicants will be allowed to apply for the Open Market Shared Equity Pilot scheme in 2010-11.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Open Market Shared Equity Pilot (OMSEP) was temporarily expanded across Scotland in March 2009 for a one year period. The pilot has achieved its aim of helping around 1500 people access home ownership. High demand for OMSEP in 2009-10 meant that a number …

4 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to help first-time house buyers in 2010-11.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is planning to spend £48.8 million in 2010-11 to continue helping first time buyers in particular to access home ownership through the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT). LIFT provides support through the following low-co…

2 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many rehabilitations or conversions of houses local authorities and housing associations carried out in 2009-10.

Answer · Alex Neil: Housing associations completed 442 AHIP funded rehabilitations / conversions in 2009-10. This figure is published on the Scottish Government website. <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP">http…

2 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many off-the-shelf housing purchases from private developers local authorities and housing associations made in 2009-10.

Answer · Alex Neil: Housing Associations completed 1,699 AHIP funded off-the-shelf purchases in 2009-10. This figure is published on the Scottish Government website: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP">http…

2 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the 5,846 affordable housing completions in 2009-10 included rehabilitations and conversions.

Answer · Alex Neil: The 5,846 social sector new build completions in 2009-10 do not include rehabilitations and conversions.

2 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the 5,846 affordable housing completions in 2009-10 included off-the-shelf purchases from private developers.

Answer · Alex Neil: The 5,846 social sector new build completions in 2009-10 do not include off-the-shelf purchases from private developers.

1 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the house completions under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in the first quarter of 2010 were conversions or rehabilitations.

Answer · Alex Neil: Of the 1,905 houses completed under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in the first quarter of 2010, 211 were rehabilitations/conversions. These figures are published on the Scottish Government''s website. <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk…

1 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the house completions under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in the first quarter of 2010 were off-the-shelf purchases from private developers.

Answer · Alex Neil: Of the 1,905 houses completed under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in the first quarter of 2010, 360 were off the shelf purchases. These figures are published on the Scottish Government''s website. <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Top…

20 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to abolish Home Reports.

Answer · Alex Neil: There are no plans to abolish the Home Report. Home Reports were introduced to provide buyers with more information upfront, helping them to make informed decisions on what for many is the biggest financial commitment of their lives. Home Re…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive of those local authorities awarded pressure area status, in what year the status (a) began and (b) will end.

Answer · Alex Neil: The following list provides the local authority area, a description of the pressured areas and the date the designation commenced and is due to end. 1. East Renfrewshire (Eastwood area) - 7 October 2005 to 6 October 2010. 2. Highland (all …

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have been refused pressured area status.

Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish ministers have not refused applications for any pressured area designations outright. Occasionally certain areas within an overall application are not approved for designation because they do not meet the statutory criteria which permit a pressured a…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the local authority areas that have been granted pressured area status.

Answer · Alex Neil: There are currently 15 pressured-area designations (PADs) in force across 12 local authority areas. The list below provides the local authority area and a description of the pressured areas. 1. East Renfrewshire (Eastwood area) 2. Highland…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have applied for pressured area status.

Answer · Alex Neil: Thirteen local authorities have applied for 16 pressured area designations. The following designations are currently in force: 1. East Renfrewshire (Eastwood area). 2. Highland (all areas excluding Caithness, Sutherland and some e…

17 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to sustain the level of funding for housing adaptations to help meet the needs of the rising number of older people and its policy to help them remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government published new guidance on the Provision of Equipment and Adaptations on 1 December 2009. It aims to assist local authorities and their NHS partners to integrate their equipment and adaptation services within the wider community care co…

14 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has learned lessons from the first year of operation of the energy assistance package.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Fuel Poverty Forum has been monitoring the first year of the energy assistance package and has recommended changes in the course of the year, particularly around eligibility. The new managing agent contract also provided the opportunity to incorporate the…

14 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned an independent evaluation of the operation of the energy assistance package.

Answer · Alex Neil: The independent Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum monitors the operation of the energy assistance package. It is due to publish its annual report in the summer which will include a review of the first year of the energy assistance package. There is a monit…

14 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities and registered social landlords it is continuing to assist with the installation of central heating in their housing stock.

Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Government is providing residual business plan funding to Glasgow Housing Association, Argyll and Bute Housing Association and River Clyde Homes as it is bound. It is possible that some of that funding could be used for the installation of central he…

14 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities are operating energy advice and insulation schemes and what they cover.

Answer · Alex Neil: It is for individual local authorities to decide on the provision of energy advice and insulation schemes. However, the Scottish Government is supporting the delivery of area-based home insulation schemes in parts of ten local council areas. These councils ar…

13 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are on waiting lists for sheltered housing, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Alex Neil: There is no data held centrally detailing how many applicants on housing lists are waiting for sheltered accommodation. The total number of applicants on council housing lists is published annually at local authority level by the Scottish Government.…

11 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met (a) COSLA, (b) local authorities or (c) registered social landlords to discuss good practice in the development of strategies for older people’s housing in each local authority area.

Answer · Alex Neil: The last meeting of the Wider Planning for an Ageing Population working group took place on 16 February 2010, during which the group agreed its final report. The group includes representatives of the Scottish Government, COSLA and ALACHO (on behalf of local a…