Chamber and committees

The following table shows the number of properties, by local authority area, as shown in the Scottish Landlord Register for each month in 2022 to September 2022. In relation to the social rented sector there is no monthly data available. Figures on the new supply of social housing are published as part of Quarterly Housing Statistics that includes information on the number of completions for social rent each quarter. In addition, the Scottish Housing Regulator collects annually, stock data by local authority area as part of social landlords Annual Return on the Charter Statistical information | Scottish Housing Regulator , although the data does not contain stock gain or losses, only figures at year end.

The Scottish Government does not hold this data centrally.

Associated monthly data on the stock of private rented properties is as set out in my answer to S6W–11915 and a description of available rented stock data in provided in S6W–11913 and S6W-11915 on 17 November 2022.

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

The Scottish Government doesn’t want anyone to stay in a hotel or temporary accommodation for longer than necessary. We are therefore taking action to strengthen the matching process to help more displaced people access host or longer-term accommodation as quickly as possible. Through our review of the super sponsor scheme, we have identified a number of interventions to improve matching that we are already taking forward. This includes introducing a new digital matching tool to support the matching process.

This is in addition to the £11.2 million the Scottish Government has committed to Local Authorities to increase capacity of resettlement teams, support refurbishment of properties, help integration and enhance the pace of checks.

We have also introduced the £50 million Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund: Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Through this Fund, the Scottish Government is working with Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords to increase the number of homes available to support the longer term resettlement of displaced people from Ukraine, by improving and bringing void homes back into use. The Fund has so far provided over £400,000 to North Ayrshire Council and £6 million to Aberdeen City Council to increase the number of homes available to support displaced people.

The two new vessels intended for the Uig, Harris and North Uist routes have the same specification as the Islay vessels currently under construction and will both have a Diesel/Electrical hybrid propulsion system.

The Super Sponsor Scheme continues and displaced Ukrainians are still arriving and benefiting from welcome accommodation, advice and support. The scheme is paused to new applications, and reopening to new applications must be predicated on ensuring we are able to honour our commitment to displaced people already in Scotland and those yet to travel and meets the seven criteria as set out in our paper published on 1 November - Super Sponsor Scheme review paper .

This criteria includes ensuring displaced people already here are in safe and suitable accommodation with access to advice and services; mitigating pressures on local Councils; ensuring accommodation is available for people who are yet to travel; assessing the current situation in Ukraine, including unforeseen developments leading to mass migration; and understanding costs related to re-opening the scheme with confirmation funding is in place. The Scottish Government will continue to monitor the situation closely and only re-open the scheme when it is safe and deliverable to do so.

Official statistics on trends in the number of properties in the rented sectors over time can help to track the net effect of additions and removals of stock. These include survey based estimates of the number of households living in the private rented sector each year available from Scottish Household Survey publications . Although the latest published figures for 2020 are not directly comparable to results for previous years due to the change to a telephone survey based approach during the pandemic period. The Scottish Household Survey based estimates also feed into annual Scottish Government annual Dwelling Stock by Tenure figures , which provide annual estimates of the number of dwellings which are either privately rented or where the household is living rent-free. In addition, the Dwelling Stock by Tenure figures include the number of local authority and housing association dwellings each year to 2020, based on annual social landlord stock data. These figures include Local Authority stock data collected by Scottish Government and Housing Association stock data collected by the Scottish Housing Regulator. More recent figures for the year 2021 available as part of the latest Housing Statistics Annual Key Trends publication .

The Annual Key Trends publication also includes figures on demolitions and closures of housing stock, although there are data quality caveats associated with these figures, and in addition whilst the figures are presented with a local authority housing category separately identified there is no split available into private rented or for the total social sector component. In terms of new supply of social housing, quarterly affordable housing supply figures published as part of Quarterly Housing Statistics updates on the Housing Statistics webpages include information on the number of completions for social rent each quarter.

Alongside these sets of annual official statistics, the Scottish Government receives monthly aggregate information extracted from the Private Rented Sector Landlord Register system. This include figures on the total number of active registrations each month and the total number of properties that these relate to, although it does not contain a breakdown of the number of properties added to or removed from the system. Local authorities are responsible for the administration and enforcement of landlord registration, and are the data controllers of the information on the landlord registration IT system for landlords in their area. It should be noted that the Landlord Registration System is an administrative system used primarily to manage the registration of landlords and rental properties, and has not been designed to produce robust statistical figures on the sector. Figures from this system should therefore be considered in the context of data quality issues which include impacts from changes to IT systems over time, a risk of duplicated data and double counting of rental properties in certain instances for joint owners, as well as data issues stemming from any potential lags in the provision of information by landlords on changes to circumstances to existing registrations. The Scottish Government set out ways to improve data from the Private Rented Sector Landlord Registration system within the ‘New Deal for Tenants’ Consultation Paper.

Scotland stands with the rest of the UK, Europe and the world in condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is a nation with a rich cultural heritage, and it is of vital importance that this is protected for future generations – which includes working closely with artists and cultural organisations. That is why I recently took part in the Edinburgh International Culture Summit’s Cultural Leadership Dialogue, which brought together political and cultural leaders from countries who share a strong interest in supporting Ukrainian cultural colleagues and institutions affected by the invasion of their country, to consider practical steps for action. The Scottish Government also provided £75,000 to support the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, comprised of more than 70 displaced Ukrainian musicians, to play a free concert at the Edinburgh International Festival, with special invites extended to the Ukrainian community in Scotland and organisations leading efforts in the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees.

Budgets have been realigned to take into account the updated plan agreed between the Scottish Government and our R100 delivery partner, Openreach, following on from the 19 August announcement that coverage through the R100 North contract has been extended. This plan will see Openreach align the delivery of the R100 contracts alongside the commercial work that they carry out on a day-to-day basis. This does mean that some properties will receive access earlier than planned, while some properties will receive access later than planned. The £16 million referenced in the Emergency Budget Review is still expected to be spent as part of the overall R100 contracts.

Our address checker at https://www.scotlandsuperfast.com remains the best way to track the most up-to-date connectivity status of individual properties, including the most recent plans and timescales for R100 contract build for eligible properties.

With regard to the safe collection and disposal of dead wild birds suspected of having been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), current government disease control guidance is for carcases to be left in situ.

At present there is no scientific evidence that the removal of carcases significantly reduces the risk of onward spread of the current strain of HPAI H5N1 amongst wild birds. However, this matter continues to be under review, including currently being the topic of a veterinary risk assessment carried out by the Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (EPIC), commissioned by the Scottish Government.

Without such evidence, there is no animal disease control reason for the collection and disposal of wild bird carcases and, as such, no additional funds have been, or are planned to be, allocated. Collection and disposal of such carcases are carried out at the local council’s discretion.