Mark Griffin

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10188 by Shona Robison on 6 September 2022, whether those seven assessments have been finalised, and what the start dates are for the remediation of each of those buildings. 

Answer · Shona Robison: Remediation is a complex construction task requiring agreement from a number of participants. This includes homeowners, their representatives, architects, construction supply chains, legal representation and those involved in any agreed reconstruction. We are…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many single building assessments in the (a) delivery and (b) application phases are currently paused, and how many assessment reports have been finalised to date.

Answer · Shona Robison: No Single Building Assessments are paused. We are in receipt of multiple SBA reports that are undergoing technical review and due diligence.  

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10193 by Shona Robison on 6 September 2022, regarding the single building assessment, what its position is on whether ventilated car parks under buildings may accelerate fire spread.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is an engineering decision on areas of risk when completing a Single Building Assessment. The Assessment is a whole building approach, and fire engineers highlight areas of risk to ensure safety for homeowners.  

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10191 by Shona Robison on 6 September 2022, what the (a) shortest and (b) longest length of time has been between the grant letter and (i) partial and (ii) full funding being issued, and what the advised lead time is for funding to be issued.

Answer · Shona Robison: Grant payments are generally issued within 5 working days of the returned signed letter being received. This applies to initial and other grant payments in this programme.  

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-10191 by Shona Robison on 6 September 2022, how many of those buildings, which have applied under the grant-based scheme, have received (a) partial and (b) full funding. 

Answer · Shona Robison: We have made 18 payments so far to 15 buildings, with 10 currently under assessment with a partial payment and 5 with full payment and assessment having concluded. All buildings with cladding concerns have and will continue to be offered fully funded assessme…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10193 by Shona Robison on 6 September 2022, regarding the single building assessment, how many queries it has received to date on the potential additional risk of fire spread related to car parks.

Answer · Shona Robison: In the programme to date this has been raised twice with regard to buildings participating in the pilot. As part of the building assessment programme we have had discussions with fire engineers when they have raised concerns regarding carparks in buildings. …

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10687 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, and in light of the lack of updated data sources for some of the indicators, what its position is on whether the input data available to local authorities and housing market partnerships, which is require…

Answer · Shona Robison: Local authorities, as both the statutory housing and planning authority, are responsible for assessing housing requirements. The Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) process seeks to use the best available data to reach robust and credible outputs. The…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many adult children living with their parents would currently be counted as part of the parental household, under the housing need and demand assessment methodology.

Answer · Shona Robison: Existing need within the Housing Need and Demand Assessment process (HNDA) can be informed by a number of factors. As local authorities are responsible for undertaking the HNDA, they are responsible for selecting what they consider to be the most appropriate …

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10687 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, and in light of the lack of updated data sources for some of the indicators, when the housing need and demand assessment process tool and its methodology were last reviewed, and when they were last subjec…

Answer · Shona Robison: 10 November 2022 Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour Party): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10687 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, and in Housing Need and Demand Assessments (HNDA) were introduced in…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Centre for Housing Market Analysis conducted an Equality Impact Assessment as part of its 2019 refresh of the housing needs and demand assessment process.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is the responsibility of local authorities through their Local Housing Strategy (LHS) to determine the appropriate housing required in their area, informed by a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA).The HNDA is a policy neutral evidence-base which help…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10687 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, and in light of the lack of updated data sources for some of the indicators, whether it requires (a) local authorities and (b) housing market partnership areas to procure primary data to support the housi…

Answer · Shona Robison: Local authorities or housing market partnerships are not required to procure primary data in order to meet the requirements of a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA). The HNDA process provides flexibility to incorporate a variety of types of housing need…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10687 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, and in light of the lack of updated data sources for some of the indicators, whether it will commission household surveys in each (a) local authority and (b) housing market partnership area to verify the …

Answer · Shona Robison: Following the public consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny of Draft National Planning Framework (NPF) 4, we have been carefully considering the wealth of evidence received and intend to lay a final NPF4 in the Parliament later this Autumn. Draft NPF4 was a…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the continued reliance on number of households data, as part of the housing needs and demand assessment process, as opposed to the number of people.

Answer · Shona Robison: When planning for housing, household trends are a more relevant indicator of current and future housing need and demand than population. Household projections are nationally available datasets from the National Records of Scotland (NRS). Household projection…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) overcrowded (b) concealed and (c) overcrowded and concealed households would currently be excluded from housing need and demand assessments, in accordance with the prescribed methodology, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) Tool contains a default count of households who are both overcrowded and concealed. The Scottish Government's Centre for Housing Market Analysis (CHMA) also publishes separate counts of overcrowded and concealed h…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) local authority and (b) housing market partnership areas have conducted household surveys in preparation for housing and need demand assessments and the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) Minimum All-Tenure Housing Land Requirement. 

Answer · Shona Robison: The following local authorities conducted some form of survey work to support their Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) and Minimum All Tenure Housing Land Requirement (MATHLR) processes: For the HNDA - Local authorities are required to update their H…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10687 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, and in light of the lack of updated data sources for some of the indicators, whether it has tested the housing need and demand assessment process tool using primary data, and if this is the case, what pri…

Answer · Shona Robison: Local authorities, as both the statutory housing and planning authority, are responsible for assessing housing requirements and set out priorities in their Local Housing Strategies. The Housing Need and Demand Assessment Tool helps local authorities to acces…

20 Sep 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many households it has written to promoting the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme since the start of the cost of living crisis.

7 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10242 by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022, whether it will publish the (a) average apartment rental charges updated in line with CPI and (b) grant calculations shared with social landlords, for each year since 2017.

Answer · Shona Robison: As I noted in my answer to S6W-10242, we are considering publication of average apartment rental charges and grant calculations as part of the current review of the Home Owners Support Fund, which is expected to conclude by Spring 2023. If the decision is tak…

5 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many representatives of the mortgage lending industry it has met in 2022 to discuss the implications of the cost of living crisis for homeowners with mortgages on their property.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Ministers and officials regularly meet with representatives of the financial services sector, including lenders, to discuss a range of matters including measures to support households and businesses. The Deputy First Minister met with the financial…

5 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which mortgage lenders it has met in 2022 to discuss the implications of the cost of living crisis for homeowners with mortgages on their property.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10920 on 20 September 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commi…

5 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of options that it discussed with representatives of the mortgage lending industry regarding the implications of the cost of living crisis for homeowners with mortgages on their property, and what the policy outcomes were of those discussions.

Answer · Shona Robison: Oversight and regulation of mortgage lenders is a reserved matter, as a result the Scottish Government has no powers or authority to intervene in the operation of the mortgage market, nor control mortgage or general borrowing rates. However, the Scottish Gov…

5 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on which dates it has met representatives of the mortgage lending industry to discuss the implications of the cost of living crisis for homeowners with mortgages on their property.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Deputy First Minister met with the financial services sector at the quarterly Financial Services Growth and Development Board (FISGAD) on 30 August 2022 and discussed measures industry and government can partner on to support households and businesses in …

1 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Management of Summary Cause Proceedings Housing Scotland Act 2001 guidance note, published on 1 July 2022, and what assessment it has made of any potential impact of the guidance note on (a) legislation and policy regarding evictions and (b) the rights of (i) …

Answer · Shona Robison: The courts and judiciary are independent of Government. Operational court matters including the management of summary cause proceedings are a matter for them. It is for the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service itself to assess the impact of any changes in its…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward Compulsory Rental Orders for long-term vacant properties.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-01331 on 7 September 2022. The answer to the Oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the Official Report can be viewed at: https://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it has undertaken to overcome challenges such as workforce and material shortages and rising costs, to ensure that the social homes it has committed to provide are delivered.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10637 on? 22 September 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-comm…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the third iteration of the High Rise Inventory (HRI) data set as discussed at the June 2022 meeting of Building and Fire Safety Working Group, whether officials have provided further advice to ministers and developed communications on the reasoning for the pause to the HRI; if…

Answer · Shona Robison: The HRI is a central source of information on key aspects of the construction and fire safety features of high rise domestic blocks; this information was not previously collected or published prior to 2020. The second report was published on 8 November 2021 a…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Home Owners' Support Fund Mortgage to Shared Equity scheme, what the (a) total and (b) average equity stakes taken was, and how many stakes have been taken, in each year of operation.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10239 on? 7 September 2022 which shows there has been no spend under Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE) during the last six years. The most recent MTSE application was in 2015. The table below shows the total and…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Home Owners' Support Fund Mortgage to Rent scheme, what the (a) total and (b) average purchase expenditure was, and how many purchases have been made under the scheme, in each year of operation.

Answer · Shona Robison: Under the Mortgage to Rent scheme, the Scottish Government subsidise up to 60% of the property value. The total grant includes the purchase subsidy and the cost of repairs required to bring the property up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Further det…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which indicators it currently uses for the housing and regeneration indicators, as set out in its housing and regeneration outcomes framework; on what date each indicator (a) was last updated and (b) is due to be updated, and what the status is of any work to update each indicator.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government published an update to the housing and regeneration outcomes indicators on 16 June 2020. The `Sources, Thresholds & Updates` tab of the master spreadsheet details dates that each indicator was last updated. This spreadsheet also show…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what Home Energy Scotland’s (a) budget and (b) actual spend has been to support (i) unique households, (ii) advice interactions, including advice provided to customers during telephone or email advice discussions, and (iii) low-income, potentially fuel-poor clients who were offered suppo…

Answer · Patrick Harvie: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07387 on 30 March 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committee…