- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 October 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 25 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35789 by Alex Neil on 30 August 2010, what the outcomes were of the seminars on the hub model for distribution of funding under the Housing Options programme.
Answer
Five hubs have now been established, roughly on a regional basis. We currently await the submission of an action plan from each hub, which will provide a basis for consideration as to how the funding should be distributed. We expect to have all five action plans submitted by the end of October 2010.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 18 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive for how many years it will guarantee local authority funding under the National Housing Trust.
Answer
Each guarantee to local authorities under the National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative will last for 10 years from the date the homes are completed and purchased by an NHT special purpose vehicle (SPV) or until the point when the local authority''s loan to an SPV has been repaid in full, where that happens before the end of the 10 year period.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 18 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average level of rent will be for homes built under the National Housing Trust.
Answer
The level of rent for homes procured through the National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative will start at 80% of the current relevant local housing allowance rate in each area. At this level they will be affordable to those on housing benefit even after the reductions due next year. Rents are expected to increase by the Consumer Prices Index plus 1% each year.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 18 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses will be built under the National Housing Trust.
Answer
The Scottish Government anticipates that the first phase of the National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative will allow around 1,000 additional affordable homes to be built. However, the precise number of homes built will depend on the number of suitable tenders put forward through the current NHT procurement process.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 18 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how much capital will need to be raised by local authorities under the National Housing Trust.
Answer
The amount of capital that each participating local authority will have to lend for the National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative will be dependent upon the number of homes which will be provided by those developers who are successful in the NHT procurement process and the purchase price of each home, which will vary according to the location and type of housing provided.
Local authorities will lend funds to pay 65 to 70% of the purchase price of each NHT home in their area once each phase of housing is completed.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many tenants will face a reduction in Local Housing Allowance as a result of changes proposed by the UK Government.
Answer
The data collated so far indicates that 97% of housing benefit claimants receiving Local Housing Allowance will be affected by the housing benefit reforms. DWP estimate around 50,000 households could be affected Scotland, losing an average of £10 per week as a result of the changes.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned research on the impact on the Scottish economy of the UK Government’s proposed changes in housing benefit and Local Housing Allowance.
Answer
We are considering these issues. Further clarity is needed from the UK Government on the second tranche of reforms (planned for 2013) to enable a robust assessment of the impact of housing benefit changes on Scotland''s economy.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be lost to local authorities as a result of the proposed reduction in housing benefit for people in temporary accommodation, broken down by local authority.
Answer
This information is not held centrally. I have raised my concerns about this particular issue with Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform. We are now setting up a working group with representation from COSLA, housing service providers and other key stakeholders. Feedback from this group will help inform our understanding of the potential impact in Scotland, which we will continue to communicate to DWP.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has researched what impact the UK Government’s proposed changes in housing benefit and Local Housing Allowance will have on tenants.
Answer
Detailed work has begun to assess the full extent of the impact in Scotland. This includes setting up a working group to assess the impact of reforms in Scotland. We are concerned that the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and other Whitehall departments have yet to scope out the wider policy implications of many of the reform proposals that are likely to arise as a result. As such, we will continue to communicate our findings and concerns to DWP.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many tenants will face a reduction in housing benefit as a result of changes proposed by the UK Government.
Answer
Only private sector tenants who receive Local Housing Allowance will be affected by the first tranche of reforms when they are brought in April 2011. The Department of Work and Pensions estimate this will affect around 50,000 households in Scotland. The UK Government has yet to provide details on the second tranche of housing benefit reforms, making it difficult at present to gauge the number of social rented sector claimants that might be affected.
