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Publication - FOI/EIR release

‘The Affordable Homes Supply Programme’: number of new homes built on each site: FOI release

Published
21 November 2018
Topic
Housing, Public sector

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

FOI reference: FOI/18/03159
Date received: 24 October 2018
Date responded: 21 November 2018
 
Information requested
 
You asked for;
 
1) A list of sites that have been delivered so far under the SNP’s current parliamentary manifesto, ‘the Affordable Homes Supply Programme’ together with the number of new homes that have been built on each site and who has built them; 
 
2) Is a map available showing where these affordable housing sites have been built? If so can we please have a copy?
 
3) Of the 50,000 new affordable homes to be built by 2021, how many have been completed to date?

Response
 

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.  

You asked for 

A list of sites that have been delivered so far under the SNP’s current parliamentary manifesto, ‘the Affordable Homes Supply Programme’ together with the number of new homes that have been built on each site and who has built them.

Response

We have enclosed a spreadsheet listing all projects funded by the Affordable Housing Supply Programme which were completed by the end June 2018. This includes new build, rehab, conversion and off the shelf purchases. This information relates directly to our most recently published Quarterly Housing Statistics.  

In instances where individual units have been funded under the Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) scheme, Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF) or through Rural Home Ownership Grants (RHOGs) the project name has been redacted in order to protect individuals’ personal data.

For information on units completed between July and October 2018 an exemption under section 27(1) of FOISA applies because we intend to publish information to end September on 11 December which is within 12 weeks of the date of your request.  We consider that it is reasonable to withhold the information until that date, rather than release this routinely published information before the planned publication date. 
 
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in release and this will be met by our planned publication. In the meantime, there is a greater public interest in taking the time necessary to ensure the information has been properly collated and checked before it is published as planned.  
 
For information to end October this will be included in the following Housing Quarterly Statistics once the appropriate quality assurance has been undertaken allowing the Official Statistics objective of orderly release and equal accessibility of statistics as outlined in the Official Statistics Code of Practice.

Is a map available showing where these affordable housing sites have been built? If so can we please have a copy 
Response.
 
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not currently map the sites which have been completed. We do, however, produce an annual out-turn report which includes information on completions by local authority area. The report for 2016-17 can be accessed at  https://www.gov.scot/publications/affordable-housing-supply-programme-out-turn-report-2016-2017/ and we will publish the 2017-18 report by end December 2018. 

Of the 50,000 new affordable homes to be built by 2021, how many have been completed to date? 
Most of the information you have requested is already publicly available. The Scottish Government publishes Quarterly Housing Statistics which include figures relating to units approved, started and completed through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.  
The latest set of statistics covering progress to end June 2018 was published on 25 September 2018.  Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you.  If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
 
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 27(1) of FOISA applies to that information as outlined above in our response to the first part of your request.
 
About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses
FOI-18-03159 - Completions list from April 2016
File type
25 page PDF
File size
726.3 kB

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit 
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000 


The Scottish Government 
St Andrew's House 
Regent Road 
Edinburgh 
EH1 3DG

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