Chamber and committees

Owners of private property, including private landlords, are primarily responsible under the terms of their title deeds for meeting the cost of any work needed to improve their property. Local authorities have broad discretionary powers to assist owners who need help to improve their properties. Scottish Government funding to help private sector landlords improve the energy efficiency of their properties is available through both SME (small and medium enterprise) Loans and Green Homes Cashback schemes offered through Home Energy Scotland who can be contacted on 0800 512 012. In addition we recently announced our Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland Schemes which will use £79 million of our funding and leverage in energy company funding to support energy efficiency measures to fuel poor areas and households to create potential funding of £200 million for energy efficiency measures in Scotland.

No timescale has been agreed at present. Transport Scotland continue to seek a suitable opportunity to instigate a project.

National Express Dundee, in partnership with Transport Scotland, Dundee City Council and Dundee College has introduced a Smart ticketing product which allows students to use part of their bursary to pay for city-wide bus travel. The product is currently in use by around 85 students and the college anticipate a significant take up by the August/ September student intake. As a result of the success of this project, National Express Dundee have plans to release a range of commercial Smart ticketing products.

The numbers of legal challenges lodged against the Scottish Government’s tender processes and the awarding of contracts for the years from 2007 to date are as follows:

2007 – 0 lodged; 0 upheld

2008 – 0 lodged; 0 upheld

2009 – 0 lodged; 0 upheld

2010 – 1 lodged; 0 upheld

2011 – 0 lodged; 0 upheld

2012 – 3 lodged; 0 upheld

2013 – 2 lodged; 0 upheld

There have been six legal challenges against Scottish Government tender processes in the years from 2007 to date, but none of those has been upheld by the courts. The Scottish Government does not hold any information on challenges to tender processes and the awarding of contracts in the wider public sector, which would encompass local authority and UK government contracts.

Registered Social Landlords, working with their partners, such as local authorities and the police, can use a range of powers to tackle persistent antisocial behaviour. These powers can be targeted at the person exhibiting the behaviour, their premises, or other places and can include anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), closure orders, dispersal notices, seizure of vehicles that are being used antisocially, and Fixed Penalty Notices for antisocial behaviour.

In cases of persistent antisocial or threatening behaviour Registered Social Landlords have powers to:

Apply to the courts for an ASBO; serve a notice on a tenant converting the tenancy to a Short Scottish Secure Tenancy, where the tenant or a member of the tenant’s household is subject to an ASBO and raise proceedings in court for recovery of possession of the tenancy, the grounds for which include cases where the tenant or their household have behaved antisocially to neighbours.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR). The question has been passed to the SHR who will reply in writing to you directly.

If someone considers that they are homeless when released from prison after serving a sentence for antisocial behaviour, they can apply to a local authority for assistance.

The local authority will then determine whether or not the applicant is homeless and whether or not they are intentionally or unintentionally homeless. If found to be intentionally homeless then they will be entitled to temporary accommodation for a period and provided with advice and assistance to enable them to secure accommodation. If found to be unintentionally homeless then they will be entitled to settled accommodation.

Transport Scotland is currently working with both local authorities and First Group to develop the system. It is anticipated that this project will be completed in the first half of 2014.

A Smart ticket product has been created and a small pilot group is being developed. Transport Scotland is engaging with vendors and operators to update operator’s ticketing infrastructure in order to facilitate operation of the product, with a view to start delivery in the early part of 2014.

At present Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is developing a Smart product for use on the Glasgow Subway. This project is at an advanced stage with the system expected to go live later this year. No further details of SPT plans for bus or rail are presently available.