Parliamentary questions
Mark Griffin
2,186 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its sixth Medium-Term Financial Strategy, whether it remains committed to a £3.5 billion investment in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme during the current parliamentary session.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government has committed to making £3.5 billion available in this Parliamentary term towards the delivery of more social and affordable homes as part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.
19 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14121 by Shona Robison on 9 February 2023, and in light of reports that around a quarter of the £375 million Welsh Building Safety Fund has been spent so far, whether it will provide an update on what (a) amount and (b) proportion of the £97.1 milli…
Answer · Paul McLennan: Information on expenditure on the programme is published quarterly and can be found here: Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) The most recently published figures show a spend of £1.8m, this is a seven-fold i…
15 May 2023 · Portfolio Question
Withdrawn.
4 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to monitor the resilience of the modular homes sector in Scotland, in light of the reported closure of UK modular housing factories by Legal & General, Swan Housing Association, Countryside, and Urban Splash House.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Affordable Housing Supply Programme supports delivery of homes across various methods of construction, including modular, but the factories the member mentions are not part of that. Modular construction is one of a range of offsite methods used to build …
2 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date its More Homes Division next plans to publish an updated Affordable Housing Supply Programme: process and procedures guidance note, and for what reasons it did not do so at the beginning of the current financial year.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The update to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme process and procedures guidance note has been a detailed piece of work comprising a number of elements. While this has taken longer than expected to complete, the updated guidance will be published shortly.
2 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the affordable housing investment benchmarks for 2023-24 have not yet been published, and when they will be published.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The next set of affordable housing investment benchmarks will be included in an update to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme process and procedures guidance, which is in the process of being finalised. We expect to publish this guidance shortly.
2 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12690 by Shona Robison on 13 December 2022, whether the (a) review and (b) modelling are complete, and whether the recommendations have been developed and stakeholders have been consulted on any proposed changes.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Work is continuing on the review of the policies and operating arrangements which underpin the Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF). We now expect this work to conclude later this year due to the additional timescales required for the modelling work to be complete…
1 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Home Energy Scotland grants and loans provide funding for removal of asbestos during retrofit.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: Grants and loans accessed through Home Energy Scotland offer a range of funding options to support households install energy efficiency and heating measures such as insulation or heat pumps. The removal of asbestos is not a measure eligible for grant or loan …
1 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of Warmer Homes Scotland installations required the removal of asbestos.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: Asbestos removal was introduced as a measure available through the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme from 1 April 2019. The following table give the total number of asbestos removal measures that have been completed and the proportion in relation to the total numb…
1 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16047 by Paul McLennan on 21 March 2023, for what reason the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group meeting did not take place on (a) 30 March 2023 and (b) 20 April 2023 and when it is next due to meet.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group (HPSG) meeting on 30 March was postponed as the SNP leadership election result was announced on 27 March 2023 and it was not clear at that point who would have responsibility for housing and homelessness policy. …
1 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on (a) how many and (b) what proportion of public buildings contain asbestos, broken down by sector.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: This information is not held centrally by Scottish Government as the management of asbestos in buildings is a reserved matter for the UK Government and the Health and Safety Executive. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17711 on 19 May 2023. Al…
1 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it keeps a central register of buildings containing asbestos.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: This information is not held centrally. NHS Health Boards hold that information for NHS facilities as they are the responsible body for managing their estate. Local authorities are required to keep an up-to-date record of the location of asbestos in their sch…
1 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to public authorities to remove any asbestos from their buildings.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government recognises the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health that it poses. However, asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed and advice from the Health and Safety Executive is that asbestos should remain in-situ providing it is in “Good…
1 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to consider any (a) costs and (b) benefits of establishing a central register of buildings containing asbestos.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The management of asbestos in buildings is a reserved matter for the UK Government and the Health and Safety Executive. Scottish Government has no plans to establish a central register of buildings containing asbestos in Scotland. I refer the member to the a…
25 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the target is for the number of homes that will be built under its affordable housing supply programme (a) in total and (b) that are for (i) social and (ii) affordable rent.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering its target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032. At least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities. The homes provided through the Affordable Housing S…
17 Apr 2023 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much additional revenue it anticipates that local authorities would be able to raise, in light of its reported proposals to enable them to double council tax on second homes.
5 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the affordable housing supply programme key performance indicators are, and where this information is published.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Our key Affordable Housing Supply Programme performance indicators are linked to our current target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 of which at least 70% are for social rent and 10% in remote, rural and island communities. Quarterly statistics on…
4 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the headcount of the Cladding Remediation Unit has been in each month since January 2022.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The headcount of the Cladding Remediation Unit each month since January 2022 is set out in the following table: Month Staff Jan-22 10 Feb-22 11 Mar-22 13 Apr-22 15 May-22 16 Jun-22 17 Jul-22 16 Aug-22 16 Sep-22 16 Oct-22 17 Nov-22 18 …
3 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce updated legislation, incorporating the European Charter of Local Self-Government, for consideration by the Parliament.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Although the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill is a member’s bill, led by Mark Ruskell MSP, the Scottish Government remains committed to its reconsideration and incorporating the European Charter into domestic legislati…
30 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on each of the recommendations in the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group: final report.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government wants to reverse the rise in the number of households in temporary accommodation, and will prioritise action on the recommendations considered to have the biggest and most immediate impact on reducing this number. The Scottish Governme…
30 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates the recommendations in the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group: final report will cost to implement.
Answer · Paul McLennan: An estimation of the costs to implement the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group's recommendations has not been carried out. As the task and finish groups are sub-groups of the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group (HPSG), the implementation of …
30 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group: final report and its recommendations.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government welcomes the work undertaken by the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group, which will inform the Scottish Government's next steps. We are currently considering the report and will work with COSLA and Homelessness Prevention and…
29 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how frequently the Accessible Housing and Independent Living Stakeholder Group will meet, and on what date it will publish its terms of reference.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Our Accessible Housing and Independent Living Stakeholder Group will meet a minimum of twice yearly, to advise on the relevant commitments in the Scottish Government’s Housing to 2040 strategy document in relation to housing for older people and disabled pe…
28 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) large, (b) small and (c) medium developers are party to the Scottish Safer Buildings Accord.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The then Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government wrote to the Convener of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on 27 March 2023 stating that we had not, as yet, reached an agreement with Homes for Scotland and develo…
28 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement that the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has agreed to extend its guidance to valuers in Wales as well as England, what discussions it has had with RICS regarding any potential extension of its guidance to valuers in Scotland, and when it…
Answer · Paul McLennan: The safety of residents and homeowners in Scotland is our priority as we work to tackle cladding safety issues. We are undertaking a programme of work to identify, assess and remediate building with potentially unsafe cladding. The Royal Institute of Chartere…
28 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement that the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has agreed to extend its guidance to valuers in Wales as well as England, what information it has on what the reasons are for RICS not agreeing to extend its guidance to valuers in Scotland.
Answer · Paul McLennan: While this is essentially a question for Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to answer, I can advise that building ownership conditions are not universal across the four nations. It is important that guidance for valuers in Scotland reflects the sys…
28 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Welsh Government regarding the £20 million Welsh Building Safety Developer Loan Scheme, and whether it plans to introduce a similar loan scheme in Scotland.
Answer · Paul McLennan: We meet regularly with the Welsh Government to discuss Building and Fire Safety issues and the delivery of the Cladding Remediation Programme. The safety of residents and homeowners in buildings with potentially unsafe cladding is our absolute priority. On th…
28 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to Freedom of Information request FOI/ 202200321870, what its response was to the recommendation contained in the Gateway Review documents that a “portfolio approach” to cladding remediation is required.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) met with the Accountable Officer (AO) to discuss the gateway review recommendation suggesting a "Portfolio approach". After due consideration it was deemed that at this moment in the programmes development it was not the a…
28 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to Freedom of Information request FOI/ 202200321870 and the recommendations of the attached Gateway Review documents, whether the Cladding Remediation Programme Board has (a) received and (b) considered a “brief delivery options paper” created from the MACE C…
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Cladding Remediation Programme Board met and considered a draft Outline Business Case (OBC) on 1 November 2022. The OBC was based on key aspects of the MACE Ltd strategic advisors draft delivery options report.
20 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Accessible Housing and Independent Living Stakeholder Group was formed, and what its (a) membership and (b) remit is.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Invites to join our Accessible Housing and Independent Living Stakeholder group were sent in October 2022 and the group had a productive first meeting on 3 November 2022, giving constructive feedback to our Housing for Varying Needs review. a) Membership of …