Chamber and committees

The projected increase in total Scottish housing debt is not an entirely new development. In 2007-08 and 2008-09 total housing debt in Scotland was reduced due to the exclusion of debt within Argyll and Bute, Eilean Siar and Inverclyde. Had the debt from these local authorities not been written off there would have been year on year increases in total Scottish housing debt in each of the last two financial years, 2007-08 and 2008-09.

The Local Authority Housing Income and Expenditure statistics publication is based on information provided to the Scottish Government by local authorities. The information given for March 2009 is the position which Local authorities expect to reach based on their 2008-09 plans. From this expected expenditure it is estimated that the overall level of housing debt in local authority areas in Scotland will increase by £92.9 million to £1,934.9 million. This would be the first increase in overall housing debt for over a decade.

Closer inspection of the projected debt also shows that the largest expected increase totalling £85.9 million are in four council areas - Midlothian, Aberdeen, East Lothian and Edinburgh. In the case of Aberdeen, Midlothian and East Lothian, the councils have recently built council housing, are building council housing or have plans to build new council housing in the coming year on the strength of low levels of housing debt. This is in line with Scottish Government policy to encourage new council house building where councils have both a proven excess housing demand and prudential borrowing capacity.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15733 on 18 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The First Minister made clear in the Donald Dewar Memorial lecture on 19 August 2008 that, in line with the concordat, the proposed £40 million contribution from local government was subject to discussion with local government. There have been positive discussions with COSLA and these are continuing.

The individual level of housing debt in a local authority is a matter for the local authority itself, operating within the prudential borrowing regime. Local authorities will plan their borrowings on the basis of the need to spend to improve or add to their housing stock set against their ability to service any additional debt incurred using their expected stream of net rentals or to fund such expenditure from capital receipts.

Yes the Scottish Government can confirm that, based on figures provided by the local authority, it is estimated that the housing debt in Edinburgh City Council will be £14,517 per house in March 2009.

The amount of Housing Investment varies across Scotland from year-to-year depending on a number of circumstances including land availability, opportunities to meet identified need and carry-forward commitments from previous years. The initial allocation to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) for 2008-09 is £64 million less than was allocated in 2007-08. This reflects the tighter overall spending settlement for the Scottish Government in 2008-09. Over £1.5 billion of funding will be made available through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme over the three years

2008-09 to 2010-11. Funding in 2008-09 and 2009-10 will be augmented by the accelerated funding of up to £100 million announced on 19 August 2008 as part of the Scottish Government''s paper Responding to the Changing Economic Climate: Further Action on Housing. The resources allocated to RSLs will substantially increase in 2009-10 due to both planned increased spend profiles and the accelerated funding announced on 19 August.

The information sought could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Following the First Minister''s announcement on 19 August, the total level and profile of funding up to £100 million which will be available over this and next year is being discussed with local government partners. It is intended that most or all of the accelerated funding in 2008-09 will be routed through registered social landlords (RSLs).

Following the First Minister''s announcement on 19 August 2008, the total level and profile of up to £100 million which will be available over this and next year is being discussed with local government partners. It is intended that most or all of the accelerated funding in 2008-09 will be routed through registered social landlords.

The six Scottish local authorities that transferred all their housing stock to a registered social landlord had any residual housing debt and associated breakage costs repaid to the Public Works Loan Board. Resources to do so were provided by HM Treasury.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15727 on 9 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.