- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what metrics it uses to decide on the geographical settlement of Ukrainian refugees under its Super Sponsor scheme.
Answer
The Super Sponsor scheme is designed to provide a quick and safe route for displaced people from Ukraine to come to a place of sanctuary by removing the need for applicants to be matched to an individual sponsor prior to being given permission to travel to the UK.
Once people have arrived, a national matching service, delivered by COSLA, will match those settling here with longer-term accommodation across Scotland.
Displaced people from Ukraine are asked to complete a short questionnaire that captures key information and preferences. This information is then used to find suitable longer-term accommodation. All 32 of our local authorities are taking part in this programme, and hosts have offered up their homes right across the country. The national matching service will ensure that people are offered settlement opportunities across Scotland, recognising that people will have different preferences and available housing is limited in some local authorities.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what communications it has had with the UK Government regarding the location of settlement in Scotland for Ukrainian refugees.
Answer
The Scottish Government is not involved in the UK Government’s private sponsorship arrangements, or associated matching process through Homes for Ukraine.
The Scottish Government and partners are working hard within the UK Government’s sponsorship scheme to provide a fast and safe alternative to displaced people from Ukraine seeking sanctuary in Scotland and providing support when they do get permission to travel.
Once people have arrived through our super sponsor scheme, a national matching service, delivered by COSLA, will match those settling here with longer-term accommodation across Scotland. Displaced people from Ukraine are asked to complete a short questionnaire that captures key information and preferences. This information is then used to find suitable longer-term accommodation. All 32 of our local authorities are taking part in this programme, and hosts have offered up their homes right across the country. The national matching service will ensure that people are offered settlement opportunities across Scotland, recognising that people will have different preferences and available housing is limited in some local authorities
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings in Scotland have had combustible cladding (a) removed and (b) remediated since the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect information where work is progressed by building owners or developers outwith the Single Building Assessment programme.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings of the Cladding Stakeholder Group a minister, other than the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, has attended since the group was established.
Answer
As the Minister with responsibility for this area, I am the only Minister to attend the Cladding Stakeholder Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in connection with the recommendations of the Working Group on Mortgage Lending and Cladding, which reported in March 2021.
Answer
With the support of stakeholders across industry, the Single Building Assessment programme started in June 2021. All other recommendations are progressing and will further develop based on evidence from the Single Building Assessment pilot. The update to parliament on the 12 May 2022 provided more detail on progress: https://www.gov.scot/publications/update-cladding-remediation-programme-cabinet-secretarys-statement/ .
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings of the Cladding Stakeholder Group the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has attended since the group was established.
Answer
The Cladding Stakeholder Group is operationally focused and so no expectation of ministerial attendance, however, I did attend the August meeting of the group to thank them for their on-going contributions to the evolving Cladding Programme.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Welsh Government’s plans to establish a support scheme to allow leaseholders to sell their property and where appropriate provide the option for them to either move on or rent the property back, which, reportedly, is to be funded by the Development Bank of Wales, what plans it has to establish such a scheme in Scotland, and whether it has explored the establishment of such a scheme with the Scottish National Investment Bank.
Answer
The Scottish Government is actively looking at a number of ways to support homeowners affected by unsafe cladding, which may include property purchase schemes. We will work with stakeholders and homeowners to find solutions that work in the unique Scottish context, which does not include leaseholders.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has chosen a model whereby it provides grants to fund Single Building Assessments rather than commissioning this work to be carried out directly on its behalf.
Answer
A grant model was used to enable a quick start to the programme and to test the viability of an arm’s length delivery approach based on established principles behind Scotland’s property systems. Interim learning from this approach shows there is a need to move to a model based on directly procured contracts to speed and scale delivery and at lower overall risk. This change was announced to the Scottish Parliament by myself on 12 May 2022 - Update on cladding remediation programme: Cabinet Secretary's statement - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has had with her counterpart in the Welsh Government regarding the sharing of best practice on building safety.
Answer
I have met with Julie James, MS, Minister for Climate Change on 4 occasions to share best practice and to cultivate collaboration on building safety.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for how many of the 25 buildings identified in the Single Building Assessment pilot have payments been received to enable the assessments to take place.
Answer
Eight buildings have received grant payments and all other buildings are being supported through the Single Building Assessment process.