Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14423.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14423.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14423.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14423.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14423.

When first planning for the central heating programme, we used the 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey to make an estimate of requirements and estimated that 140,000 dwellings required action. Earlier this year we asked councils and housing associations to let us know how many systems they had installed. Considerably more investment has been made in recent years than was first thought and so the actual number of public sector homes requiring central heating is now much lower than first estimated. This will allow us to accelerate the programme so that it can be completed by 2005 and enable us to extend it to include other deserving cases.

Information on the number of heating systems required for the overall programme is not held centrally. However, the commercial opportunities which the programme provides will boost the supply of central heating systems to meet the extra demand. We are ensuring that only the most efficient and cost-effective heating units are used, to maximise the benefits for householders and the public purse.

The number of engineers required to install the central heating units depends on the type of systems being installed, the geographical spread of households and the productivity of the engineers. We hold no information on the number of engineers currently in the industry or how many are expected to qualify, but the Managing Agent for the private sector will be expected to participate in recognised training and apprenticeship schemes to attract new trainees to the industry. The opportunities which the programme is generating should also encourage entry to the skills market. We are also undertaking both national and local research on the labour demands and skill requirements now being generated not just by the growing level of public spending on housing but also by the community ownership programme and other infrastructure investment.

Resources for the installation of central heating in all sectors of the stock, including housing associations, will be allocated from the central heating programme budget in the fuel poverty line of the Annual Expenditure Report.

Local authorities, housing associations and the Managing Agent for the private sector are responsible for ordering the systems for the their respective dwellings. We do not hold information on the number of ordered systems nor the cost of the units being installed. The cost of the units will vary depending upon the type of systems to be installed.

We keep all budgets and allocations under review to ensure that resources are used effectively for the benefit of all the people of Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14423.

We consider that a forum of this sort is unnecessary, since local authorities have already established an HMO Benchmarking Group in which they can discuss problems and best practice relating to mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). Executive officials and the voluntary sector have established contacts with this group.The licensing structures set up by local authorities were informed by the guidance on the mandatory licensing of HMOs published by the Executive in September 2000. This guidance, which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 13706), was based partly on examples of best practice and it includes Benchmark Standards for safe, good quality accommodation, as well as information on tenancy management standards. However, under the provisions of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, it is the responsibility of each local authority to set reasonable licensing conditions.Under the 1982 Act it is also the responsibility of each local authority to set licensing fees for its area at a level sufficient to meet the expenses of the local authority in exercising its licensing functions under the Act. Details of fee levels are among the information currently being obtained from local authorities on the revised HMO licensing monitoring return.We have no substantive evidence that landlords are selling properties or evading licensing because of the level of fees. Information on any such trends, and on the impact of licence fees on landlords and tenants, will be sought in the course of a review of the first year of mandatory licensing of HMOs, which the Executive will be carrying out later this year.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15911.