Chamber and committees

The slowing of social rented approvals and starts has not been escalated. The AHSP risk register has not been changed on that basis.

The number of directly employed staff with More Homes Division in each quarter since May 2021 is shown in in the following table, for both headcount and full time equivalent (FTE).

The 81,900 first-charge homeowner mortgages in arrears of 2.5 per cent or more of the outstanding balance at the end of Q2 2023, as reported by UK Finance, represents an increase of 7% from the previous quarter, although it is 3% below the post-covid peak of 84,010 recorded in Q1 2021, and also 33% below the 122,610 recorded in Q2 2014, the earliest figure in this particular time series. UK Finance does not publish a breakdown for Scotland. We continually monitor UK Finance and Financial Conduct Authority data on arrears.

Oversight and regulation of mortgage lenders is a reserved matter, as a result the Scottish Government has no powers or authority to intervene in the operation of the mortgage market. We are doing all that we can with limited powers which is why, both last year and this, we have allocated almost £3 billion to support policies which tackle poverty and to protect people as far as possible during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Our Cost of Living Support Scotland website provides information on the wide range of advice and support available, and we would also urge people concerned about their finances and mortgage payments to contact their lender as soon as possible.

COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to the Procurator Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis, and the information within it is structured accordingly.

The COPFS systems do not count “crimes” per se. The information we can provide is based on the total number of accused reported in criminal cases to prosecutors. Any questions relating to the overall level of reported crime should be directed to Police Scotland.

Thereafter, prosecutors do not “bring charges” per se. Where there is sufficient admissible and credible information, as set out in the Prosecution Code, prosecutors will decide what action, if any, is appropriate in the public interest. Prosecutorial action is not limited to court proceedings but includes a range of direct measures, e.g., Warning Letter, Fiscal Fine, referral to the Children’s Reporter etc.

The information provided is therefore based on the first substantive marking decision in relation to the individual accused in reported cases.

The following table sets out information relating to prosecutorial action taken as a percentage of the total number of accused receiving a first substantive marking. The numbers are broken down to show the proportion of accused marked for court proceedings and the proportion of accused receiving a direct measure. No action markings are included for comparison.

The Scottish Government notes the findings of the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index ranking on exports and would like to draw the member’s attention to response to S6W-20781 on 4 September 2023.

A Trading Nation (ATN) is our national export growth strategy, which takes an evidence-based approach to maximising our efforts in priority markets and sectors that can yield the greatest opportunities for trade and help us achieve our target of an increase in Scotland’s GDP from 20% to 25% over ten years. As well as targeting the economic benefits of export growth, ATN aligns with the key guiding principles of our Vision for Trade strategy. The Vision for Trade focuses on specific actions we are taking to achieve broader economic, social, and environmental ambitions by ensuring that the decisions we make in terms of where, how, and who we trade with align with those key principles and will enhance our global trade reputation.

The Scottish Government has subscribed to the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index? (NBI) survey since 2008 and biennially since 2010.

The Scottish Government has used the NBI to assess and monitor how Scotland is perceived around the world. Data from the NBI is used to update one of the Scottish Government’s 81 National Performance Framework (NPF) indicators on ‘Scotland’s reputation’.

The NBI examines the image of 60 nations by looking at a country’s reputation along six dimensions of national competence: Exports, Governance, Culture, People, Tourism, Immigration and Investment. Together these provide an overall indication of a nation’s reputation.

The data supplied through the NBI should be viewed as a snapshot of people’s attitudes and perceptions of Scotland, which is useful in helping us understand more about Scotland’s international reputation. By subscribing biennially, Scotland can track its reputation in the long term. This data can also be used to compare Scotland’s reputation with that of other countries and to monitor how Scotland sees itself. We do not set target rankings.

The most recent NBI publication reports on findings from the 2022 data. Scotland is expected to be included in the sample of the 60 measured countries in 2023, as it is every year; however, we did not subscribe to the survey in 2023.

It is not appropriate for Scottish Government to be involved in contractual decisions or discussions between grant applicants and firms constructing the homes. Any inflationary claims from construction firms should be submitted to their client whose role it is to assess such claims. It is for the client to decide if they want to support a claim.

The Scottish Government notes the findings of the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index ranking on "contribution to innovation and science", and would like to draw the members attention to response to S6W-20781 on 4 September 2023.

Scottish Government-funded initiatives such as the Scotland Asia Partnerships Higher Education Research (SAPHIRE) Fund, have helped to build connections and grow our reputation in research and innovation with key priority countries, such as India.

SAPHIRE is now in its third year and has supported 29 partnerships with ASEAN nations, including Australia, India, Japan, Pakistan, and South Korea, across all disciplines, including key Scottish Government priorities from Net Zero to Health. SAPHIRE has launched its fourth cohort in 2023–24, and eligibility has expanded to New Zealand.

The Scottish Government notes the findings of the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index ranking on "contribution to innovation and science", and would like to draw the members attention to response to S6W-20781 on 4 September 2023.

Scotland’s world-class university research and its key outputs of new knowledge and insights are fundamental to green economic recovery and growth. The most recent Research Excellence Framework found that there is world-leading (4*) research in every one of our universities in Scotland, and almost 90% of its impact was judged as outstanding or very considerable.

Scotland's National Innovation Strategy sets out a vision for Scotland to become one of the most innovative small countries in the world over the next decade.

Scotland’s research sector is highly regarded in the international community, with publications related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals research being cited twice as often as the global average and over half of this research carried out with international partners.

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

Local authorities have statutory responsibility for housing, including assessing and meeting housing needs of their areas, and setting out how requirements for housing will be met in their local housing strategies (LHSs).

Guidance published in 2019 to support local authorities with preparing LHSs includes a strong focus on consultation and engagement and Association for Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO) were involved in its development.

All LHSs are subject to a robust review process by the Scottish Government and an independent peer reviewer and feedback provided to local authorities.