Chamber and committees

Firm Foundations proposes that local authorities, developers,housing associations and other stakeholders should aim to increase the rate at whichnew houses are built from 25,000 a year at present to 35,000 a year by the middleof the next decade. Given the long-term nature of the goal, the document does notmake any assumption about how many of the 35,000 houses will be for social rentand how many for other tenures.

In the period 2008-11,the Scottish Government plans to spend £1.47 billion on affordable housing, includingnew housing for social rent. This represents an increase of £130 million over provisionfor 2005-08.

Used efficiently,this expenditure is sufficient to ensure, as a minimum, that completion of new affordablehouses in 2008-11 exceeds the rate of completions in 2005-08. The Scottish Governmentwishes to ensure that the expenditure achieves a better outcome than that. Its proposalin Firm Foundations to award Housing Association Grant on a competitive basisis intended to achieve that objective by requiring new social housing to be builtmuch more efficiently than at present. The number of new houses built under thisapproach will reflect housing associations’ ability to become more efficient.

The primarypurpose of the Housing Supply Task Force is to tackle blockages that arepreventing the construction of housing of all types across Scotland. The Task Force is taking evidence from a range ofstakeholders on the issues to be addressed to support delivery of more housingin the short term and will form its work programme accordingly. I also referthe member to the question S3W-6037 answered on 12 November 2007, in respect of PAN74.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the searchfacility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Firm Foundationssets out the Scottish Government’s proposals to make the housing system in Scotland offer an improved supply and choice across alltenures. A central aspiration in the discussion document is to see a stepchange in the numbers of homes of all types built in Scotland in order to meet requirements for housing. Firm Foundations also notesa number of actions already underway that will strengthen the housing andplanning delivery framework. One of these actions is the current review of ScottishPlanning Policy 3 on housing, which will strengthen national policy onhousing to ensure the provision of sufficient land for housing and support thecreation of quality residential environments. The revised SPP3 willcontinue to link with the guidance on the delivery of affordable housing (PAN74) that has now been in place for over two years.

The purpose of the Housing Supply Task Force is to promote action and to make a practicaldifference to the delivery of housing across Scotland. The investigative work that the task force is undertaking is with thepurpose of challenging those with responsibility for delivery and pressing forchange where this is hampering housing supply.

While increasinghousing supply is vital, we recognise that the new homes need to be built tohigh standards of design and sustainability. Sustainability requires that homescan accommodate the needs of an ageing and diverse population, including theneeds of people with disabilities. The new Scottish building regulationsinclude requirements that will make homes more accessible and easier to adaptin future. We will also be stressing to local authorities the importance oftaking into account the needs of this important group within our communities inthe preparation of their next local housing strategies.

Since 2005, publicsatisfaction or dissatisfaction with the ways in which local authorities are tacklingantisocial behaviour has been measured through a specific question in the ScottishHousehold Survey. In addition, many local authorities conduct their own public satisfactionsurveys and solicit customer feedback and reflect this information in the annualoutcome agreement reports they submit to the Scottish Government for assessment.

Furthermore, the reviewof the national antisocial behaviour strategy will consider the use and effectivenessof key measures in the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 and we will be consulting with communities on this as part of the review.

The following research,which will help to inform the review of the antisocial behaviour strategy, has alreadybeen published:

Use of AntisocialBehaviour Orders in Scotland (20 September 2007, Bib. number 43671);

A Review of DispersalPowers (25 October 2007, Bib. number 43909);

The Impact of LocalAntisocial Behaviour Strategies at the Neighbourhood Level (25 October 2007, Bib. number 44006), and

An Evaluation ofLocal Authority Noise Nuisance Services (25 October 2007, Bib. number 44007).

All other researchthat is undertaken to inform the review will be published.

The following research,which will help to inform the review of the antisocial behaviour strategy, has alreadybeen published:

Use of AntisocialBehaviour Orders in Scotland (20 September 2007, Bib. number 43671);

A Review of DispersalPowers (25 October 2007, Bib. number 43909);

The Impact of LocalAntisocial Behaviour Strategies at the Neighbourhood Level (25 October 2007, Bib. number 44006), and

An Evaluation ofLocal Authority Noise Nuisance Services (25 October 2007, Bib. number 44007).

In addition, as partof the review we are conducting interviews with each police force in Scotland andwith most Scottish local authorities to develop our understanding of the use andeffectiveness of key powers in the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. We are also conducting further research onthe breach rate for Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) to supplement the researchon ASBOs referred to above.

We may instigate furtherresearch as necessary during the course of the review.

The purpose of the Housing Supply Task Force is to promote action that will make a practicaldifference to the increase of housing supply across all tenures in Scotland. Membership of the core group has deliberately beenrestricted to those in a position to bring about change to the delivery of morehousing. Through its activities, the Task Force will engage with a wider set ofinterests concerned with housing delivery.

The ScottishGovernment recognises the particular housing needs of people with disabilities.We are determined to drive forward the integration of equality into all ourpolicies and plans and, with this in mind, have specifically sought the viewsof disability organisations on the range of proposals set out in our recenthousing discussion document Firm Foundations.

Since 2005, publicsatisfaction or dissatisfaction with the ways in which local authorities are tacklingantisocial behaviour has been measured through a specific question in the ScottishHousehold Survey. In addition, many local authorities conduct their own public satisfactionsurveys and solicit customer feedback and reflect this information in the annualoutcome agreement reports they submit to the Scottish Government for assessment.

The HousingSupply Task Force is charged with tackling the impediments to increasinghousing supply in Scotland and as a consequence has no current plansto meet representatives from disability organisations.