Chamber and committees

The following table shows Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF) budget and expenditure for each of the last six years broken down by Mortgage to Rent (MTR) and Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE). HOSF is a demand led scheme and any difference between budget and actual spend reflects demand in that year and so there is no underspend or carry forward.

The following table shows how many staff have been allocated to the Home Owners Support Fund in recent years. Staff are fully trained and highly experienced and levels have been sufficient to meet demand for the Fund.

An internal review of the Home Owners Support Fund began in the Spring and will complete later this year. If Ministers decide to make any changes to the eligibility or operational arrangements for the scheme updated guidance will be published.

The Scottish Government encourages our public collections to consider the method of acquisition of all objects in their care, the vast majority of which were obtained ethically and legally.

Any consideration of returning cultural artefacts would initially be a decision for the relevant Board of Trustees. However Scottish Government officials engage in ongoing discussions with the museums sector, and will continue to encourage open and inclusive discussion on this topic.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken specific planning or research regarding a reduction in the devolved civil service headcount in Scotland.

The Scottish Government regularly reviews its workforce numbers to ensure affordability, and that the organisation is delivering for the people of Scotland as efficiently and effectively as possible. The organisation's focus is on aligning its workforce plans with the outcome of the Resource Spending Review, and contributing to achieving the broad aim set out within the Resource Spending Review, to return the total size of the devolved public sector workforce to around pre-COVID-19 levels by 2026-27. This will be achieved through effective vacancy and recruitment management, working in partnership with the Council of Scottish Government Unions.

The RSR sets out how the wider decrease in the public sector workforce will not be achieved via a uniform approach due to varying trends in demand for different services and the recovery of services from COVID-19.

The area of land in community ownership was estimated to be 191,261 hectares as of 31 December 2020. This figure has been taken from the Official Statistics publication Community Ownership in Scotland 2020 which is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/community-ownership-scotland-2020/ . The next update to this publication will be published 27 September 2022 and will include information on any further assets brought into community ownership up to
‎ 31 December 2021.

The welfare of all displaced Ukrainians staying across the country remains the Scottish Government’s priority.

The Scottish Government has not sought assistance from the British Army in order to assist Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in Scotland.

I refer the member to answer S6W-10572 on 6 September 2022 which sets out what progress is being made towards the realisation of National Towns of Culture. Any decisions taken, including those related to the number of towns designated as National Towns of Culture, will be consulted on with the cultural and creative sectors, and community groups, as we progress.

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

Construction of the masts at Rackwick and Stronsay is complete. Both masts are being developed in collaboration with the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network (ESN). 4G service will, ultimately, be provided on these sites by mobile network operator EE. To move these sites to activation requires the Home Office to execute a Change Request as part of their ESN programme. The Scottish Government is aware of a substantial delay in the Home Office enacting this Change Request which is preventing these masts from moving to service activation.

All efforts are being made by the Scottish Government to expedite this issue which, once resolved, will enable a number of masts including Rackwick and Stronsay proceed to activation.

The Scottish Government is working with Creative Scotland to consider options for a National Towns of Culture scheme to build upon the Government’s strong track record of place-based cultural policy making. In developing options, the Government will consult with the cultural and creative sectors and community groups, and consider suitable means of financial support.