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-11538

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10193 by Shona Robison on 6 September 2022, regarding the single building assessment, how many queries it has received to date on the potential additional risk of fire spread related to car parks.

Question reference: S6T-00933

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported findings of an independent review of the cladding remediation programme that “successful delivery of the project is in doubt with major risks or issues apparent".

Question reference: S6W-10956

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10242 by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022, whether it will publish the (a) average apartment rental charges updated in line with CPI and (b) grant calculations shared with social landlords, for each year since 2017.

Question reference: S6W-10675

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10165 by Shona Robison on 19 August 2022, how many buildings over 11 metres it estimates are affected by combustible cladding.

Question reference: S6W-10677

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10165 by Shona Robison on 19 August 2022, what (a) assessment, (b) feasibility studies and (c) survey activity it has conducted to determine the number of buildings of 11 metres and over that will require (i) assessment for and (ii) remediation of combustible cladding.

Question reference: S6W-10734

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Home Owners' Support Fund Mortgage to Shared Equity scheme, what the (a) total and (b) average equity stakes taken was, and how many stakes have been taken, in each year of operation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10239 on‎ 7 September 2022 which shows there has been no spend under Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE) during the last six years. The most recent MTSE application was in 2015. The table below shows the total and average spend under MTSE and the number of MTSE cases that settled between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

Mortgage to Shared Equity
	Total Spend (£m)	Average Spend (£m)	No. of Cases
2010-11	0.166	0.033	6
2011-12	0.668	0.022	3
2012-13	0.354	0.039	9
2013-14	0.237	0.040	6
2014-15	0.259	0.032	8
2015-16	0.033	0.033	1

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-10228

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions or consultation it had with the sheriffs principal regarding the Management of Summary Cause Proceedings Housing Scotland Act 2001 guidance note prior to its publication on 1 July 2022; whether the sheriffs principal have advised it of the business case for the changes; what assessment it has made of the estimated number of actions, claimants and respondents that may be affected, and what estimates it has made of the costs and benefits of the changes.

We have had no discussions with the Sheriffs Principal regarding the Management of Summary Cause Proceedings Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 guidance note prior to its publication on 1 July 2022. The courts and judiciary are independent of Government. As such the Government has no role in the development of guidance issued by Sheriffs Principal. It is up to the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service itself to assess the business case for any changes it makes.

Question reference: S6W-10843

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Management of Summary Cause Proceedings Housing Scotland Act 2001 guidance note, published on 1 July 2022, and what assessment it has made of any potential impact of the guidance note on (a) legislation and policy regarding evictions and (b) the rights of (i) tenants and (ii) landlords.

Question reference: S6W-10733

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Home Owners' Support Fund Mortgage to Rent scheme, what the (a) total and (b) average purchase expenditure was, and how many purchases have been made under the scheme, in each year of operation.

Under the Mortgage to Rent scheme, the Scottish Government subsidise up to 60% of the property value. The total grant includes the purchase subsidy and the cost of repairs required to bring the property up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Further details on how subsidies are calculated can be found in the linked guidance HOSFGN/005 . The following table shows the total and average subsidy paid by the Scottish Government to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) for each year of operation of Mortgage to Rent.

Mortgage to Rent
Financial Year	Total Subsidy Expenditure (£m)	Average Subsidy Expenditure (£m)	No. of Homes Purchased
2008-09	15.226	0.065	233
2009-10	19.600	0.060	303
2010-11	20.097	0.052	374
2011-12	14.500	0.041	325
2012-13	9.871	0.035	288
2013-14	8.274	0.031	228
2014-15	5.661	0.029	192
2015-16	3.079	0.038	80
2016-17	2.980	0.046	65
2017-18	1.127	0.029	39
2018-19	1.536	0.040	32
2019-20	1.191	0.058	28
2020-21	0.303	0.044	8
2021-22	Figures will be published shortly

Figures for 2021-22 will be published shortly.

Question reference: S6W-10770

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it has undertaken to overcome challenges such as workforce and material shortages and rising costs, to ensure that the social homes it has committed to provide are delivered.