Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-23200

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it accepted advice from officials to use the £30 million of Barnett consequential funding through the Moving on Fund in a way that recognises housing pressures in the round, rather than looking at support for Ukrainians and homelessness housing needs separately.

Scottish Government wrote to local authorities on 12 September confirming the strategic objective, distribution methodology and individual allocations of the £30 million fund. The distribution methodology, agreed with local authority leaders, is based 50% on the number of displaced people from Ukraine in each local authority area and 50% on the adjusted Strategic Housing Investment Framework (SHIF) indicator formula that is used for distributing homelessness prevention funding.

While there is an expectation that this funding will help councils support displaced Ukrainians into longer-term accommodation and reduce the risk of homelessness, the funding is not ring-fenced, and local authorities are able to exercise full discretion locally to support other groups. This is in line with the Verity House Agreement and recognises that local authorities are best placed to allocate their resources to meet competing demands for their services.

The letter has been published and is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/ukraine-resettlement-letter-to-local-authorities-about-funding/

Question reference: S6W-23208

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 5 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of its review into the Home Owners' Support Fund.

My officials are continuing work on a detailed review of the policies and operating arrangements that underpin the Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF), including detailed analytical work on property thresholds and allowances that has taken more time to develop than originally anticipated. I now expect this work to be concluded by the end of the current financial year.

The scheme continues to be open, and applications remain steady. We are not seeing additional demand for the programme at this time.

HOSF also continues to sit alongside support for advice services and legal aid for homeowners. We continue to support free welfare, debt and income maximisation advice services with funding of over £12.3 million allocated this year. A further £2.3 million is available, through the Scottish Legal Aid Board, to offer direct assistance and legal representation for people at risk of or facing court action connected to debt related eviction or repossession.

This investment provides households across Scotland with a holistic, multi-channel offering, ensuring they are able to access advice and support in a manner which best suits their needs.

In addition, as part of the UK Government’s Mortgage Charter, announced in June this year, the UK’s largest mortgage lenders and the Financial Conduct Authority agreed a set of standards that they will adopt when helping borrowers worried about higher rates.

Anyone who is concerned about the paying their mortgage should contact their lender as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-23199

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 5 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it received the advice relating to the European Convention on Human Rights implications of Compulsory Rental Orders and Compulsory Sales Orders; whether it has been refreshed, and whether ministers have begun the "substantial consideration" that officials have suggested.

We have committed to continue consideration of the justification for, and practical operation of, Compulsory Sales Orders in the 2023-24 Programme for Government. Parliament will be informed of the outcome of this work in due course. In the meantime local authorities already have powers to utilise Compulsory Purchase Orders, and we have further committed to reforming and modernising the Compulsory Purchase Order process.

Question reference: S6T-01678

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect local authorities from the risk of bankruptcy.

Question reference: S6W-23033

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) progress it has made and (b) discussions it has had with the housing sector regarding setting an all-tenure housebuilding target.

Local authorities have statutory responsibility for assessing and evidencing housing need and demand, and setting out through local housing strategies and local development plans the housing requirements for their area. We have committed to delivering 110,000 high quality, energy efficient affordable homes by 2032 and work closely with a wide range of housing partners including local authorities, to ensure the delivery of homes to meet the housing needs of communities across Scotland. The Minister for Housing engages regularly with Homes for Scotland to discuss a wide range of issues and most recently met on 7 November.

Question reference: S6W-23089

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister has responded to the Scottish Occupational Health Action Group's reported proposal for a Scottish Occupational Health Service provision.

As Minister with lead responsibility for Occupational Health, as part of the Health & Social Care portfolio, I responded on 20th November 2023 to the proposal submitted by the Scottish Occupational Health Action Group (SOHAG).

Many of the drivers of ill-health, and particularly ill-health in the workplace, are wider societal factors and I am clear that a cross-government response is required to address both the social determinants of health, as well as improving people’s experiences at work. Occupational health has a key role to play as part of the range of interventions that support fair and healthier work places.

Question reference: S6W-23087

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing with the UK Government to ensure that the proposed amendments to the UK Renters (Reform) Bill that would make it illegal for landlords and letting agents to apply a blanket ban on renting to people who receive benefits or to families with children can be extended to apply in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has been working closely with the UK Government to implement the proposed amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill that would make it illegal for landlords and letting agents to apply a blanket ban on renting to people who receive benefits or to families with children.

It is intended that a further amendment for Scotland will be tabled at the Bill’s Report Stage. This will ensure that an important legislative proposal to benefit renters can commence in Scotland at the same time as England and Wales.

I have notified the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, at the earliest possible opportunity, of my intention for a Legislative Consent Memorandum to be lodged in relation to that amendment, after it has been tabled at Report Stage.

Question reference: S6W-23032

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it financially supports small and medium-sized developers and housebuilders to design and progress planning applications for rural affordable housing plans at an early stage.

Direct funding is not provided to private developers to finance their engagement in the planning application process. The Minister for Housing and I jointly hosted a roundtable on planning for housing on 16 November 2023. Support for small and medium-sized developers and housebuilders to progress through the planning processes in all areas was highlighted, as were matters relating to rural and affordable housing. We are now collating and prioritising suggested actions that can be taken collaboratively to accelerate delivery of more quality homes to create quality places.

Question reference: S6W-22778

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of the impact of Regulation 6 of the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Regulations 2022, which provides planning authorities with the power to levy a surcharge of up to 25% on retrospective applications as a means of recovering the costs of undertaking enforcement investigations.

Question reference: S6W-22957

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what investigations Consumer Scotland (a) has conducted since it was established and (b) plans to conduct.