Questions · Mary Mulligan

11 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to continuously improve the sheltered housing stock across Scotland.

Answer · Alex Neil: A total of 564 sheltered housing units have been approved between 2006-07 and 2008-09, attracting an investment in Housing Association Grant of £45.414 million. Figures for 2009-10 are not able to be supplied at present as they form part of the Offi…

11 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish a national strategy for older people’s housing.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Wider Planning for an Ageing Population report was published in March 2010, as part of the Reshaping Care programme, and proposes 27 actions for preparing for the housing aspects of the demographic changes ahead. One of the proposals was to publis…

11 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether dedicated funding is available to registered social landlords for the provision of telecare services.

Answer · Alex Neil: Funding for the Telecare Development Programme is distributed through local partnerships which take a strategic approach to the delivery of telecare services at local level, including through registered social landlords. There is no separate dedicated funding…

5 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme were purchased on an off-the-shelf basis from private developers by housing associations and local authorities in each year since 2000.

Answer · Alex Neil: The following table sets out what percentage of the houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme were purchased on an off-the-shelf basis from private developers by housing associations in each year since 2000. <table border=1 cel…

5 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses were bought on an off-the-shelf basis by housing associations and local authorities from private developers in each year since 2000.

Answer · Alex Neil: The following table sets out how many houses were bought on an off-the-shelf basis by housing associations from private developers in each year since 2000. <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=119 valign=top > <p align=le…

4 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make funds available for a Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme in 2010-11 and, if so, how much.

Answer · Alex Neil: It is anticipated that around £3.5 million will be available for Rural Homes for Rent grant funding during the current year.

4 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in which local authority areas houses will be built through grants awarded under the Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33490 on 12 May 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.uk/Apps2/Bu…

4 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes it expects to be built through grants awarded under the Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33490 on 12 May 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.uk/Apps2/Bu…

4 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme in 2009-10 were successful, broken down by (b) private and (b) community landowners.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33490 on 12 May 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.uk/Apps2/Bu…

4 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were received by the Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme in 2009-10, broken down by (a) private and (b) community landowners.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33490 on 12 May 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.uk/Apps2/Bu…

4 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was provided through the Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme to build affordable homes in 2009-10.

Answer · Alex Neil: No funding was provided through this pilot scheme during 2009-10. Full details of the pilot scheme, which was launched in 2008-09, have been published on the Scottish Government''s website, including details of the individual projects which are being…

30 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent in advertising the Landlord Registration Scheme in each year since the Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004 was introduced; and what forms of advertising have been used.

Answer · Alex Neil: A total of £5.2 million of grant funding was provided to local authorities between February 2006 and March 2008 to support start-up costs associated with the delivery of the Landlord Registration Scheme. As a part of this overall support package, templates f…

30 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which health boards have removed epilepsy specialist nurses posts from their staff complement.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information received from NHS boards, which is tabulated in the answer to question S3W-33457 on 17 May 2010, suggests that no NHS board has removed epilepsy specialist nurse posts from its staff complement. All answers to written parliamentary qu…

30 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many health boards have still to fill their epilepsy specialist nurses posts.

Answer · Shona Robison: There are currently no epilepsy specialist nurse vacancies. As the answer to question S3W-33457 on 17 May 2010 indicates, however, there are no epilepsy specialist nurses in NHS Borders, Dumfries and Galloway or Western Isles. NHS Orkney and Shetland have lin…

30 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which health boards are reducing the hours of work of epilepsy specialist nurses, and by how much.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS boards have provided the information contained in the following table: Is the Board Reducing the Hours of Work of Epilepsy Specialist Nurses (ESNs)? <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p …

26 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30126 by Alex Neil on 15 January 2010, what further progress there has been in establishing a housing investment bank.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is continuing to consider the potential role and scope for a housing investment bank and explore options with stakeholders, such as the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Chartered Institute of Housing. As part of this…

16 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following its introduction of a new certification mark to recognise high standards throughout the construction industry, whether it will offer a compensation scheme for consumers where standards are not maintained.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Compensation is a contractual matter between the Approved Certifier and their client. Approved Certifiers are assessed as having the appropriate competency level to provide customers with assurance that design or construction work complies with building regul…

6 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive with which local authorities it is working to develop proposals for a national housing trust.

Answer · Alex Neil: The following 13 local authorities have so far confirmed their ongoing interest in the national housing trust. Other local authorities are currently looking at the proposals so may also be interested subject to further discussions. Aberde…

30 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding per house, on average, will local authorities receive for the purchase of housing from private developers under the national housing trust scheme.

Answer · Alex Neil: Local authorities will not receive funding from the Scottish Government for the purchase of housing from private developers through the national housing trust initiative. Local authorities would be expected to fund 65% of the purchase price of any homes broug…

30 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is meant by the term affordable mid-market rent in the context of the new national housing trust.

Answer · Alex Neil: Rent levels for both the national housing trust and for mid market rent homes built by housing associations using Scottish Government grant are expected to be set initially at around 80% of relevant Local Housing Allowance rate for the area.

30 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of proposals for the new national housing trust that would allow local authorities to borrow 65% of a house purchase price from the Public Works Loan Board, what will happen to this debt when the house is sold 10 years later.

Answer · Alex Neil: Upon sale of the houses, the proceeds of the sale are first used by the site-specific Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to pay off the loan from the local authority. This would then allow the local authority to repay any loans from the Public Works Loan Board o…

30 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it anticipates will be the average price per house paid by local authorities for the purchase of properties from private developers under the national housing trust scheme.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30251 on 21 January 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.uk/Apps…

30 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent by each local authority in 2009 in purchasing off-the-shelf housing.

Answer · Alex Neil: The amount spent by councils on off-the-shelf housing is not held centrally.

30 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average price paid per house by local authorities was for off-the-shelf purchases from private developers in 2009, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Alex Neil: The amount spent by councils on off-the-shelf housing is not held centrally.