Question reference: S5W-34633
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 18 January 2021
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Current status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 January 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when funds will be released to enable the Cunninghame Housing Association in Dumfries and Galloway and other groups building housing for responsible social landlords to pay their contractors for COVID-19-related delays.
Answer
The Scottish Government published guidance outlining the action that local authorities and Registered Social Landlords should be taking to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on delivering grant funded affordable housing projects which were contractually awarded prior to lockdown. While the guidance notes that the firm aim of local authority/ Registered Social Landlord engagement with their contractors should be to reach agreement which negates the need for additional funding support, it also sets out the circumstances under which applications for additional grant funding will be considered if a contract cannot be made to work and no other negotiated solution is achievable. Once we receive an application from Cunninghame Housing Association for projects in Dumfries and Galloway, we will review this in line with our published guidance.