Chamber and committees

In March 2002 we published a consultation paper seeking views on how the Executive might best meet the duty placed on it by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that persons do not live in fuel poverty. The consultation paper asked for views on the definition of fuel poverty. Comments were required by 31 May and they will be considered carefully before a statement is published. Copies of the consultation paper, The Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement, Consultative Draft, are in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

We want to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life. Through programmes such as Sure Start Scotland and Starting Well we are providing a wide range of support to vulnerable and deprived families with pre-school children. This includes parental support, outreach services, childcare and specialist projects for families affected by drugs misuse.

Since April 1996 the amount set aside for improvement and repair grants has been for each local authority to determine. No expenditure figures are yet available for the current year, 2002-03. The latest confirmed figure available for expenditure on statutory and discretionary grants for housing across the whole of Scotland is £38.944 million for 2000-01. Most of this expenditure is on improvement and repair grants, although some other grants are included in the category.

The co-ordinator plans to give further consideration, in consultation, with the proposed working group, to the establishment of an internal appeals procedure relating to decisions made by her on eligibility for the scheme.

Work already undertaken suggests that a mortgage to rent scheme could have a number of benefits which would justify the cost of operating the scheme. A successful application under the scheme will avoid the possession by the lender of the applicant's home, and this will in many cases reduce the financial burden experienced by the lender in taking possession of the property. It will also avoid costs to the public purse, such as court costs and legal aid costs when the lender seeks an order for possession and the cost to the local authority of dealing with a homelessness application, an application to be re-housed and the possible need to transfer any children to a new school. It would also avoid the indirect costs of providing further replacement accommodation in the social rented sector.

Information on the number of people currently assisted by mortgage rescue schemes run by other agencies is not known. It is too early to say how many people might be helped under the Executive-sponsored mortgage to rent scheme since this will depend on the number of applications and the precise details of each case. We will, however, be seeking to ensure that the scheme, when it becomes operational, assists as many people as possible within the limits of the available funding.

There was no provision for defaulting debtors in shared ownership housing in the draft scheme which was issued for consultation last year. We may wish to review this, in due course, in the light of experience of the initial operation of the scheme.

This is one of the issues which will be considered by the recently appointed co-ordinator in consultation with a working group to be established to advise on the scheme.

The mortgage to rent scheme is an administrative rather than a legal scheme. It is not intended that there should be any formal link between this scheme and the involvement of sheriff courts in repossession actions.

We are aware of the existence of a small number of mortgage rescue schemes currently run by social landlords and local authorities, although the precise number is not known.