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: S7W-00752

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has carried out of the size of the construction workforce required to meet its housing targets, including estimates of (a) total workforce demand, (b) current workforce supply and (c) any projected shortfall over the next five years.

The Scottish Government draws on a range of evidence to inform its understanding of construction workforce requirements, including Skills Development Scotland’s Sectoral Skills Assessments, which provide an overview of workforce demand and supply across the construction sector.

We also engage regularly with a broad range of partners to ensure the skills system is responsive to the needs of the construction sector and supports delivery of Scotland’s housing priorities. This includes key stakeholder representative bodies, such as Homes for Scotland, to ensure we are aware of current and emerging issues affecting the construction workforce.

Given the number of variables influencing the pace, scale and delivery of housing projects, including market conditions, planning considerations and investment decisions, it is not however possible to produce a precise estimate of total workforce demand, current supply or any projected shortfall over a five-year period.

Question reference: S7W-00754

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has carried out of the gap between planned and deliverable housing supply, and what analysis it has made of the extent to which construction sector capacity, including labour availability, firm size and contractor capability, represents a limiting factor in meeting housing targets.

The Scottish Government recognises that construction sector capacity, including the availability of labour, as well as the capability and capacity of firms, is key to the delivery of housing targets.

We engage regularly with local authorities who have responsibility for assessing local housing requirements and setting out delivery priorities in their Strategic Housing Investment Plans. We also engage broadly with registered social landlords who are responsible for procuring construction activity, and this engagement informs our understanding of strategic and operational delivery challenges including those related to construction sector capacity.

We have not produced a single estimate of the gap between planned and deliverable housing supply. This is due to the wide range of variables that affect delivery, including market conditions, supply chain pressures, planning factors and investment decisions.

Question reference: S7W-00693

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what estimates or modelling it has undertaken of the total financial returns generated from Help to Buy schemes it has previously operated, including equity repayments or profits, and what projections it has made of any future returns.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any modelling of the total financial returns generated from Help to Buy schemes it has previously operated.

The Scottish Government has previously published information on the return made on the Scottish Government’s investment through Help to Buy (HTB) (Scotland) from the launch of the scheme in September 2013 to the end of March 2020.

Help+to+Buy+%28Scotland%29+Return+Report+to+2020.pdf

The receipts from shared equity are driven by the actions of the homeowner and not by Government, therefore it is difficult to make projections regarding the timing of future returns. Historic trends are used to inform forecasting and planning.

The annual Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts include estimates of the fair value of Housing Shared equity held by the Scottish Government as at 31 March. This includes equity held from Help to Buy schemes, Open Market Shared Equity, New Supply Shared Equity and First Home Fund, the value is modelled using the House price index to estimate the change in property value.

Question reference: S7O-00030

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA regarding the pay negotiations for 2026-27.

Question reference: S6W-44153

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the next planning performance statistics will be published.

The Planning Application Statistics are published for Q1&Q2 (midyear), Q3&Q4 (yearend) and annually (all quarters) by the Scottish Government and can be accessed at www.gov.scot/collections/planning-statistics.

The statistics for Quarters 1 and 2 of the 2025-26 reporting period are due to be published on 29 May 2026.

The Planning Application Statistics are not the sole indicators of the performance of the planning system. The National Planning Improvement Champion (NPIC), a post funded by Scottish Government and hosted by the Improvement Service, has implemented the National Planning Improvement Framework which requires authorities to assess themselves against twelve attributes of a high performing planning authority.

The NPIC has recently published updates on the progress planning authorities have made with their National Planning Improvement Framework Improvement Action Plans. These can be viewed at: https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/products-and-services/planning-and-place-based-approaches/national-planning-improvement/improvement-action-plans-and-performance-assessments.

Question reference: S6W-44155

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the Planning Hub’s (a) current staff structure, (b) resourcing capacity, (c) number of full-time equivalent staff currently in post and (d) planned resourcing for 2026-27.

The National Planning Hub has 2 dedicated Scottish Government staff – a Head of the National Planning Hub (Grade 6) and Programme Manager (Grade 7), based within Planning and Development Delivery Division. This is complemented by 2.5 posts within the Improvement Service which are funded by Scottish Government, with a team led by the National Planning Improvement Champion, a Planning and Capacity Lead, and a Planning Officer.

In 2025-26 the Planning Hub budget was £1.35m, this figure includes the costs for the Improvement Service staff and programme delivery, and the additional resources provided to planning authorities. The Planning Hub also draws on the wider capacity across Government, including the Planning Housing team that lead work on brokerage for stalled housing sites.

Decisions related to any programme activity in 2026-27 and beyond will be the prerogative of the new government, post the Scottish Parliament election. Initial funding for 2026-27 has had approval to maintain current operational delivery.

Further detail on the activities of the Hub can be seen at https://www.planninghub.scot/.

Question reference: S6W-44154

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm that the next quarterly all-tenure housing statistics will be published before the next parliamentary elections.

Question reference: S6W-43954

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specific housing delivery targets and key performance indicators will be assigned to the new housing agency, More Homes Scotland; what increase in annual housing completions it anticipates will result from its establishment; when policy development work on this commenced, and what stakeholder consultation (a) has been carried out and (b) is planned.

We are investing a record £926 million in 2026-27 as part of up to £4.9 billion funding over four years to help deliver 36,000 affordable homes, providing safe, warm homes for up to 24,000 children. More Homes Scotland is in its design phase, so specific delivery targets, KPIs and any anticipated increase in completions will be confirmed once this work is complete.

Since 22 January, my officials and I have started a programme of extensive stakeholder engagement as part of this design phase. I will provide an update to Parliament in March.

Question reference: S6W-43958

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what statutory powers and operational functions the new housing agency, More Homes Scotland, will exercise; whether it will have borrowing powers or the ability to directly commission, develop or own housing stock, and what assessment it has made of potential duplication of functions with existing housing bodies or local authorities.

More Homes Scotland is in its design phase: its powers and functions will be confirmed once this work is complete. I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-43955 on 11 March 2026.

I will update Parliament in March on the ongoing process to design the agency’s functions and operating model.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-43957

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff the new housing agency, More Homes Scotland, is expected to employ at establishment; how many are anticipated will transfer from existing public bodies or the core Scottish Government; what governance arrangements are proposed for the agency, including whether it will have a board and chief executive, and what the timetable is for appointments to these roles.