Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:30 pm on 2 October 2025.
Douglas Lumsden
Conservative
2:30,
2 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £20 million housing infrastructure fund that was launched in 2016, as part of the 10-year Aberdeen city region deal, has been spent. (S6O-05025)
Màiri McAllan
Scottish National Party
The housing infrastructure fund forms part of our affordable housing supply programme. A commitment was made in 2016, alongside the 10-year Aberdeen city region deal, that £20 million of infrastructure funding would be made available. The HIF enables funding for housing developments that have stalled or cannot proceed due to excessive costs or the nature of the infrastructure works that are needed. It is the responsibility of councils to bring forward eligible HIF projects. Neither Aberdeen City Council nor Aberdeenshire Council has submitted any projects that would meet the fund criteria.
Douglas Lumsden
Conservative
First, I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I was a councillor at Aberdeen City Council at the start of this parliamentary session.
While I was council leader at Aberdeen, we found it impossible to access that cash, which is why zero of it has been spent. Calls by my colleague Liam Kerr to use that £20 million pot to compensate reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete home owners in Torry, which I would have thought was a good solution, have fallen on deaf ears in this Scottish National Party Government. Will the Cabinet secretary reach out to both Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council to find ways for that money to be spent on housing before it is lost to the north-east?
Màiri McAllan
Scottish National Party
The housing infrastructure fund is well used throughout the country, so I do not recognise Douglas Lumsden’s characterisation of it. He ought to catch up a little bit. Today, I have written to Aberdeen City Council to confirm that its request for £10 million to meet the cost of RAAC remediation does not meet the criteria of the housing infrastructure fund. I have instead invited the council to submit a proposal for additional grant support through the affordable housing supply programme for the equivalent amount. That will not only help the council to meet the cost of remediation from within its budgets but make a valuable contribution to Scotland’s supply of affordable housing.
Annabelle Ewing
Scottish National Party
That concludes portfolio Question Time. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of business, to allow front-bench teams to change positions, should they so wish.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
