Chamber and committees

The following table provides details of the units approved and the associated grant approved for the development of sheltered and very sheltered housing from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme since 1999. The grant approved figure will not necessarily have been paid out in that financial year depending on the timing of approval.

Year of Approval	Sheltered		Very Sheltered
	Units Approved	Grant Approved (£)	Units Approved	Grant Approved (£)
1999-2000	84	3,336,389	168	6,806,520
2000-01	17	611,438	189	9,138,179
2001-02	56	2,488,319	117	6,683,069
2002-03	31	1,793,976	62	3,619,824
2003-04	137	6,015,830	78	4,403,497
2004-05	87	6,170,377	111	5,795,745
2005-06	111	9,683,925	167	11,801,069
2006-07	123	9,886,149	146	12,480,929
2007-08	63	6,636,062	124	6,577,195
2008-09	35	2,432,591	73	7,401,158

It should be noted that our systems do not code the information in the format of sheltered and very sheltered, however the figures above show units approved which are classed as sheltered if they are supported accommodation and very sheltered if they are supported with residential care provided.

All local authorities publish Local Housing Strategies (LHSs). They supplement their LHS with an annual Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP), which sets out how they plan to prioritise for delivery of objectives set out in their LHS. These are the key documents for setting out priorities for Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) at the local level. The SHIPs provide the basis for targeting the AHIP and aid prioritisation where there are competing demands on resources. Any potential project for sheltered and very sheltered housing units would require to be identified through this process.

As part of the Scottish Government''s AHIP, we fund a range of provision for clients with particular housing needs. These include the provision of sheltered and very sheltered housing, the provision of supported accommodation and adaptations to allow people to stay in their own home when circumstances change. These new homes are generally required to meet Housing for Varying Needs standards, which ensure that the housing is designed to allow it to continue as far as possible to meet the changing needs of the occupant.

The Scottish Government also supports the Telecare initiative to enable people to live at home for longer as their needs change, and the Supporting People Demonstrator projects (through the Scottish Government Joint Improvement Team).

The following table details how many housing association units were grant assisted from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme.

Year of Approval	Sheltered Units Approved	Very Sheltered Units Approved
1999-2000	84	168
2000-01	17	189
2001-02	56	117
2002-03	31	62
2003-04	137	78
2004-05	87	111
2005-06	111	167
2006-07	123	146
2007-08	63	124
2008-09	35	73

It should be noted that our systems do not code the information in the format of sheltered and very sheltered, however the figures above show units approved which are classed as sheltered if they are supported accommodation and very sheltered if they are supported with residential care provided.

The total number of sheltered and very sheltered units provided by all social housing providers can be found on the published statistics:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/SpecialNeeds.

It should be noted that this information only goes back to 2001. We do not hold information for the years 1999-2001.

The Scottish Government recognises the concerns of consumers who feel disadvantaged by courier surcharges. However, given that the market for courier services is a free market and not regulated by government, there is no locus for or basis on which Scottish ministers could intervene.

The issue of surcharging by couriers for deliveries in remote areas was considered by the Public Petitions Committee at the end of last year and the Scottish Government was invited to comment. The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism replied on behalf of the Scottish Government on 5 January 2009 (PE 1211 refers).

Post offices and postal services are reserved to the UK Government under Schedule 5 Section C11 of the Scotland Act 1998.

The Scottish Government''s position remains that we want to secure a sustainable postal service for Scotland that serves the needs of all our communities. This position is reflected in the Scottish Government''s response to the Independent Review of the UK Postal Services Market:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/postalreviewresponse.

The Scottish Government is aware of recent changes to the migratory patterns of North-East Atlantic mackerel which have brought about a change in fishing patterns in recent years. Such movements either into or out of Scottish waters are more common for this stock than for other non-pelagic stocks. Changes to the migratory patterns for this stock are implicitly taken into account each year by ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Seas) when it is formulating scientific advice on the sustainability of the stock. This advice forms the basis of all international negotiations on north-east Atlantic mackerel, which take place regularly between Norway, the Faeroes and the European Union.

The government recognises the valuable contribution that deer farming can make to the rural economy. We support the work of the Scottish Venison Working Group, which is currently promoting Scottish venison to consumers across the UK.

My officials are also working closely with the working group, to consider what funding options might be available to support the sector to maximise the opportunities provided by the framework set out in the National Food and Drink Policy.

The inquiry team met for the first time on 17 September 2009 and as the first stage in its programme of work has issued a call for written evidence from all interested organisations and individuals including deer farmers.

The inquiry will also draw upon relevant statistics, reports, international experiences and research, including the forthcoming findings of the Rural Land Use Study before publishing an interim report in December 2009.

Following publication of the Interim Report there will be a further opportunity for interested parties to present their views on that report and the key issues it identifies to the inquiry team through a public consultation and a series of meetings that will take place early next year.

The inquiry''s final report is due in April 2010.

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0924-01.htm

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0917-01.htm

Where appropriate, the power in section 10 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill could be used to confer new or modified functions on the Private Rented Housing Panel and committees provided these functions remain broadly consistent with the existing general objects and purposes of the panel and Committees. However, before approving any such proposal, Parliament will need to be satisfied that the provisions will improve the exercise of public functions having regard to efficiency, effectiveness and economy, and that it meets the various pre-conditions. As with any other legislative proposal, Parliament would also need to consider how much such a function would cost and how it might be funded.

Current work on tenancy deposits considered by stakeholders in the Tenancy Deposit Working Group has shown that the cost of determining tenancy deposit disputes by the committees in their current form is likely to be considerably higher than other approaches. The group has agreed it wishes to examine the appropriate future wider role of the panel in relation to rented housing more generally.