- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to align its fair funding principles with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) definition of fair funding, which is defined as "a long-term, flexible, sustainable, and accessible approach to funding".
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to progressing a Fairer Funding approach for the third sector to improve the transparency and consistency of our funding relationships.
Improving grant-making practices across the Scottish Government is a significant undertaking and we are at the beginning stages of this process. The measures that we have prioritised to date – early notification of funding, increased multi-year agreements, improved relationship practices and grant conditions – do align with the SCVO’s principles. However, we have been clear that the implementation of Fairer Funding within the current financial context is challenging and that our ability to deliver on every aspect of SCVO’s ask is constrained.
I set out progress towards our priorities, the challenges that we have met and our next steps, in a letter to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee of 20 May and have committed to keep them updated as our work continues.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement an SME home builder impact assessment across the policy areas that support all-tenure housing delivery.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28339 on 10 July 2024. 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/questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 10 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will maintain funding for Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans until the end of the current parliamentary session, and what clarity it can provide regarding future funding plans for subsequent years.
Answer
The Scottish Government provided local authorities with funding of £8 million per annum between 2019-24 to implement Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPs). RRTPs set out each local authority’s five-year plan to transition to rapid rehousing, including through the delivery of Housing First.
In recognition of the positive impact of rapid rehousing for people experiencing homelessness and the challenging context in which RRTPs have been delivered, including a pandemic and cost of living crisis, the Scottish Government provided a one-year extension to this funding in 2024-25.
The Scottish Government evaluates the impact of RRTP funding via annual local authority monitoring returns. Future funding will be considered as part of the Scottish Government’s usual budget setting processes.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 10 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide clarity for investors by publishing, by the end of 2024, any proposed exemptions to the rent controls contained in the Housing (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of investment in housing to underpin quality, supply and affordability in the private rented sector, and is very clear that continuing to attract private investment is a priority to maintain the vital supply of new homes for rent that our communities need. We want to see a fair, well-managed private rented sector in which investment in quality rented homes for tenants is both viable and welcome.
Given the diversity of rent conditions across Scotland, our Housing Bill allows flexibility for local circumstance to be the guiding factor in applying rent control measures. We recognize this needs to be balanced by certainty where possible.
We are considering the information shared by stakeholders on how to support investor confidence, as we look to ensure that the rent control measures in the Housing (Scotland) Bill support investment in a quality, affordable and thriving PRS.
Ministers will continue to listen to parliamentary and stakeholder views.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 10 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to social landlords to maintain their wider remit investment in homelessness prevention services.
Answer
We know that registered social landlords are uniquely placed as housing providers to identify and assist people at risk of homelessness, building on existing housing management practice and the delivery of housing support.
There is already good practice happening across the country by social landlords. Their services, such as tenancy sustainment, are already key features of their work with tenants. We want to build on this so there is a consistent, robust and sector wide approach to prevention across Scotland.
We make a significant annual investment in discretionary housing payments (over £90 million in 2024-25) to help people who are struggling with housing costs to remain in their homes. We also have a multi-year fund of £100 million to deliver actions in our homelessness strategy, the Ending Homelessness Together action plan, which has prevention at its heart.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 10 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a new homelessness prevention fund that is accessible to local authorities, registered social landlords and the third sector for tenants across tenures.
Answer
There are currently no plans to create a new homelessness prevention fund. In line with our commitment to introduce homelessness prevention duties, we agree with the principle that investment should be prioritised for prevention work, to address homelessness before households reach crisis point and to prevent repeat homelessness.
We make a significant annual investment in discretionary housing payments (over £90 million in 2024-25) to help people who are struggling with housing costs to remain in their homes. We also have a multi-year fund of £100 million to deliver actions in our homelessness strategy, the Ending Homelessness Together action plan, which has prevention at its heart.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 10 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to target additional revenue funding specifically at any local authorities identified as experiencing, or being at heightened risk of, systemic failure in their homelessness services.
Answer
This year's budget is the most challenging since devolution. For that reason, our preference is for any available money to be targeted at areas which are experiencing specific pressures, particularly where there is sustained use of temporary accommodation.
The Scottish Government are working with COSLA to develop a targeted approach.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 10 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to extend funding for the Homelessness Prevention Fund, administered by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.
Answer
Between 2020 and 2023 the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations worked in partnership with the Scottish Government to administer the Homelessness Prevention Fund.
The time-limited fund, which ended in December 2023, provided a total of £1.5 million to support the work of housing associations across the country to prevent homelessness for low-income families in Scotland.
We have not extended this particular scheme as the work required to end homelessness has evolved. In particular, the commitment to introduce new homelessness prevention duties points to the need for more targeted funding fully aligned with the aims of the legislation.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on repair works on the A83 in each financial year since 2016-17.
Answer
Transport Scotland has invested £86,956,343 on maintenance and improvement of the A83 between financial years 2016-17 and 2023-24. This figure is up to March 2024.
This is broken down in the following table.
Year | Spend |
2016-17 | £5,313,575 |
2017-18 | £7,532,500 |
2018-19 | £8,993,229 |
2019-20 | £6,950,893 |
2020-21 | £14,392,640 |
2021-22 | £14,893,492 |
2022-23 | £16,040,111 |
2023-24 | £12,839,905 |
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 10 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prioritise the (a) building and (b) buying of larger properties to provide suitable homes for households with children that have been living long term in temporary accommodation.
Answer
The Scottish Government wants to see a reduction in the number of households with children in temporary accommodation and works closely with local authority partners to ensure their Strategic Housing Investment Plans reflect their identified priorities including high quality homes for larger families where these are required. Homes for larger families can be supported through a variety of routes including new build and acquisitions of existing properties.
We are investing almost £600 million in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in 2024-25, which includes up to £40 million for acquisitions announced in April this year, and a further £40 million next year. This additional £80 million investment in acquisitions offers another option to secure larger family homes where they are needed and will help reduce the time spent in temporary accommodation, including by children. This £80 million builds on the success of our National Acquisition Programme which has invested more than £83 million in 2023-24 and delivered almost 1,500 affordable homes.