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The Homelessness Statistics team are in the process of collecting, processing and quality assuring data returns from local authorities for the Housing Options (PREVENT1) Statistics in Scotland: 2020-21 publication. As such, we are not yet in a position to confirm a publication date. The statistics will be released as soon as they are considered ready, under the guidance of the Chief Statistician. At this stage we anticipate this will be between October and November.

Once there is more certainty around a publication date this will be pre-announced no later than 4 weeks in advance, in line with the Statistics Code of Practice, on the Scottish Government website: Official statistics: forthcoming publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

24,596 homes, which is 64% of homes assessed against benchmarks, have sought grant funding either at or below the relevant grant subsidy benchmark over the last five years. The table showing Affordable Housing Supply Programme Affordable Homes Approved At or Below Published Benchmarks has been placed in SPICe under BIB number 62585.

The table contains data submitted by delivery partners through our digital programme management system called HARP (Housing and Regeneration Programme) and provides the breakdown as requested. The analysis is based on information provided at tender approval stage which is when projects are assessed against benchmark grant subsidy levels. Only projects which have a relevant benchmark have been included i.e. social rent homes provided by Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), social rented homes provided by Local Authorities, and affordable homes for Mid Market rent provided by RSLs and their subsidiaries.

13,743 homes, which is 36% of homes assessed against benchmarks, have sought grant funding in excess of the relevant benchmark over the last five years. These homes were spread across 476 projects. All projects seeking grant funding in excess of the relevant grant subsidy benchmark will have been subject to more detailed value-for-money assessment. The tables showing the Affordable Housing Supply Programme Homes and Projects Approved Above Published Benchmarks have been placed in SPICe under BIB number 62586.

The tables contain data submitted by delivery partners through our digital programme management system called HARP (Housing and Regeneration Programme) and provide the breakdown as requested. The analysis is based on information provided at tender approval stage which is when projects are assessed against benchmark subsidy levels. Only projects which have a relevant benchmark have been included i.e. social rent homes provided by Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), social rented homes provided by Local Authorities, and affordable homes for Mid Market rent provided by RSLs and their subsidiaries.

The presence of working interlinked fire alarms is proven to save lives and is one of the most important investments home owners can make to protect life and property. Regulations setting out this new standard were unanimously approved by the previous Local Government and Communities Committee at their meeting on 18 December 2019.

Home owners are responsible for the costs of on-going work needed to protect and preserve their own property, which includes the costs for the fire alarms to meet the new standard. The cost of the alarms will vary according to what householders choose to install. We estimate that the cost for an average three bedroom house which requires three smoke alarms, one heat alarm and one carbon monoxide detector will be around £220. This is based on using the type of alarms that can be installed by the homeowner, without the need for an electrician.

In our Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (Tolerable Standard) (Extension of Criteria) Order 2019 we estimated that 600,000 owner occupied properties were likely to fall below the proposed standard. Updating this to the latest 2019 Scottish House Condition Survey data: of the approximately 1.55m owner occupied properties in Scotland, 7% (or around 100,000) of homes did not have any smoke alarm at all, and around a quarter (or 400,000) had only one alarm. This indicates that around 500,000 owner-occupied properties are likely to fall below the proposed standard. It is possible that a proportion of the remaining 1,005,000 properties with more than one alarm would also not comply with the standard, although it is not possible to determine this from the available data.

It is not possible to determine exactly how many owner occupied homes have alarms of the prescribed type installed as this information is not currently collected as part of the Scottish House Condition Survey. In the future, when the regulations on the new fire alarm standard have come into effect, it will be possible to collect more precise data because compliance with the tolerable standard is included in the Survey. This will allow us to monitor progress in bringing Scotland’s homes up to the new standard.

The proportion of Home Energy Scotland loan offers that have expired during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to the previous three years is:

a) A total of 338 expressions of interest were received, 5 were subsequently withdrawn leaving 333.

b)Breakdown of respondents by tenure:

A public consultation exercise, Building standards (fire safety) - a consultation on external wall systems - Scottish Government - Citizen Space , is currently being undertaken which includes options on the role of BS 8414 (and associated BR 135).

Responses to the consultation will be used to inform the Building Standards (Fire Safety) Review Panel 2020-21 work and final policy that will be prepared in support of any legislative changes. Any legislative changes may have an effect on ‘building standards verifier requirements’. The consultation closes in October 2021.

As an interim measure, the Scottish Government Building Standards Division have requested notification from local authority verifiers under S34 of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 where BS 8414 / BR 135 and BS 9414 extended field of application assessments have been used to demonstrate compliance with the mandatory building standards. These interim measure decisions to remove reference to BS 8414 and BR 135 were taken and implemented, respectively, as follows:

(a) March 2021

(b) March/ April 2021

Additionally, pending the outcome of the review, advice on avoiding the use of MCM (category 3) was introduced into Section 2 (fire) of the Technical Handbooks in April 2021 .

The Private Rented Sector Landlord (PRSL) Loan was launched in April 2020. The following table shows the total number of applications received, the total number of offers made and the total number of expired offers. These figures represent the total number from launch to the end of June 2021, and relate to the location of the applicant.

The Private Rented Sector Landlord (PRSL) Loan was launched in April 2020. The following table shows the total number of applications received, the total number of offers made and the total number of expired offers. These figures represent the total number from launch to the end of June 2021, and relate to the location of the applicant.

My officials have sought confirmation on this issue from panel members. There are 25 panel members, of whom 18 have responded to date.

Of those responses:

• 1 member of the 2018 panel and 3 members of the 2020-21 panel had a role in designing BS 8414;
• 1 member of the 2018 panel and 2 members of the 2020-21 panel have worked for organisations that carry out BS 8414 tests on behalf of commercial sponsors; and

Once a full response is received I will provide an update on the above information.