FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Publication schemes
This is Communities Scotland’s publication scheme, as required by the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Under the Act, anyone can ask for information from us. The publication scheme shows what sort of information we hold and where you can get it. If you do not see what you are looking for in the scheme you can ask us for further information (the scheme tells you how). Your request must be in a permanent, recordable form – for example, a letter or an email.
The Scottish Government publication scheme
Information not listed in the publication scheme
Communities Scotland’s publication scheme does not list all the information held or published by us. If the information you are looking for is not included in the scheme you can search our website, or submit a written request for it to us:
Communities Scotland
Thistle House
91 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5HE
Tel: 0131 313 0044
or email: foi@communitiesscotland.gsi.gov.uk
Information released recently under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Communities Scotland receives many requests for information, and responding to these is part of our daily business. The following were requests made specifically under the Act, and are those cases which we feel may be of wider interest. We are developing this section of our website and in due course, wherever possible, will provide all material relating to each request. For now, in most cases, we have given a summary of the request and a contact name if you would like further information.
Date of release |
Request |
February & March 2008 |
To provide a copy of Glasgow Housing Association’s (GHA) improvement plan submitted 13th November 2007 and details of correspondence and meetings with GHA after the 13th November with regard to GHA’s submitted improvement plan. |
December 2007 |
To provide information as to how many owners of the flats at MacKintosh Place, Inverness IV2 3US – which were sold as low cost affordable flats under the condition that the flats would be discounted by approx 19-20K – have actually declared that they are renting out their property and how many people have paid back the discounted amount under the penalty of renting out their flat? |
December 2007 |
Full details of meetings attended by Ministers with officials and by Ministers with external organisations - or letters or emails sent or received between the same - to discuss Glasgow Housing Association since the announcement by the Scottish Government on 18th September 2007. Details requested are for the agendas, minutes, supporting factual briefing papers and documents, notes of the outcomes of the meetings, together with attendance lists for each meeting |
November 2007 |
Request for a complete list of the public bodies, organisations and individuals awarded funding as part of the £3 million in new affordable homes in Kelso, Eyemouth and Jedburgh announced on 28th August 2007. Information requested includes copies of correspondence sent to recipients of funding, the conditions and phasing attached to the funding, the monitoring arrangements, the evaluation methods proposed and any performance indicators established. |
November 2007 |
Request for all correspondence relating to the approach for valuing land for affordable housing and the calculation of commuted sums between Communities Scotland and the District Valuer since January 2007 |
October 2007 |
Information (including dates, venue and attendees) about any meetings held from 3 May to 1 October at which the GHA inspection report was discussed, between the following groups of people: 1 Communities Scotland officials and Scottish Executive officials 2 Scottish Ministers and Communities Scotland officials 3 Scottish Ministers and Scottish Executive officials 4 Scottish Ministers and GHA officials and/or Board Members 5 Scottish Executive officials and GHA officials and/or Board members |
October 2007 |
Request for information about Glasgow Housing Association’s plans for the Sighthill area of Glasgow |
October 2007 |
Request for details of the number of central heating installations have been funded by the Scottish Government Central Heating Programme in the past two years and what proportion of the figure relates to boiler only installations |
October 2007 |
Documentation (minutes, meetings, emails) between the RICS and Scottish Executive in relation to Purchasers Information Packs |
September |
Request for information on number of units approved and spend by Communities Scotland in Stirling between 2000/01 and 2006/07 |
August 2007 |
Request for information on the remuneration and pension entitlements of senior management staff |
July 2007 |
To provide information on grants to housing associations or groups linked to associations in the Glasgow area |
July 2007 |
Request for correspondence between Communities Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council regarding Craigmillar Castle Services between 1 April and 3 July 2007 |
May 2007 |
Request for names of housing associations closed down by Communities Scotland between 01 January 2005 and 21 December 2006, and reasons for closure |
May 2007 |
Request for information regarding the Mortgage to Rent scheme |
April 2007 |
To provide information on any request for funding regarding any aspect of the proposed redevelopment of the Museum Hall, Bridge of Allan by developers or others |
April 2007 |
Request for information regarding Scottish Housing Quality Standards for Dumfries & Galloway Housing Partnership |
April 2007 |
All records held by Communities Scotland in relation to the resignation of Michael Lennon as chief executive of the Glasgow Housing Association and its aftermath. |
April 2007 |
Request of letter sent to GHA regarding homeowner concerns |
March 2007 |
The business plan that the GHA submitted to the Executive to get authorisation to become the landlord. |
December 2006 |
All information held regarding government grants to Camvo 37. |
December 2006 |
Copies of reports commissioned by Communities Scotland or the Scottish Executive since 1999 in relation to the Glasgow housing stock transfer. |
October 2006 |
Details of the public money provided by Communities Scotland to North Glasgow Housing Association during 2005/06. |
August 2006 |
Communities Scotland Travel expenses; staff taxi expenses; hospitality expenditure; staff sickness levels; numbers of Communities Scotland staff; numbers of staff who have left and why; office equipment expenditure; stationery supply expenditure; staff expenditure on overseas trips. All requests relate to 2002/03 to present. |
June 2006 |
Correspondence regarding the funding by Communities Scotland of Wishaw & District Housing Association for the eradication of Japanese Knotweed at Easter Road, Shotts, North Lanarkshire. |
June 2006 |
ICT spend on hardware, software and support, telephony and external services. Information to cover past 3-4 years and budgets for 2005-06 and 2006-07. |
April 2007 |
Request for a copy of the report to the Regulation Board (RB/12/05AG9) which dealt with a request for an appeal against our decision to inspect Blochairn Housing Cooperative as a small registered social landlord and not provide grades. |
May 2006 |
Documentation relating to Ainslie/Maclehose Road, Kildrum, Cumbernauld in relation to repurchasing of properties from residents previously purchased from Cumbernauld Development Corporation. Any documentation demonstrating the reasons for the repurchasing of these properties. |
April/May 2006 |
The Valuation Report produced in 2002 for Communities Scotland and the Scottish Executive by FPD Savills relating to the second stage of housing stock transfer and copies of any exchanges of correspondence between 27 Nov 05 and 27 Jan 06 between Communities Scotland, the Scottish Executive and Glasgow Housing Association on financial, structural or policy issues associated with the second stage of housing stock transfer. |
March 2006 |
Communities Scotland expenditure on Stirling stock transfer. |
March 2006 |
Communities Scotland social research consultancy contracts commissioned from external consultants in 2005-2006, along with the value of each of the contracts. |
March 2006 |
Copies of the tenders and the contract that was awarded by Communities Scotland for the Single Seller Survey Pilot Evaluation. |
February 2006 |
Details of the Scottish Executive's Warm Deal and Central Heating Programme for those aged 80 and over which were in operation as at 11 February 2005 and 20 January 2006 respectively. |
February 2006 |
Average waiting time in each local authority area for installation of central heating programme for each year since the programme was introduced. |
February 2006 |
To provide information on Glasgow Housing Association’s interim Standard Delivery Plan. |
January 2006 |
New Housing Act directive from Scottish Ministers to GHA to delegate housing management fuctions to another RSL. |
December 2005 |
To provide details of the Scottish Executive's contract for delivery of the Central Heating Programme, with Eaga Partnership and Annual Reports covering the Programme for the last three years. |
October 2005 |
To provide information on Communities Scotland’s investment in Inverclyde. |
October 2005 |
To provide all the drafts of the housing and support needs of older LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people 2005 report. |
September 2005 |
To provide inspection grades for Glasgow RSLs audited under Scottish Homes performance audit system. Performance audit reports and grades were not published by Scottish Homes – release of these to be considered under FOI. |
September 2005 |
To provide information on the Futurebuilders funding programme decision-making process particularly relating to the refusal of a grant to voluntary action (East Renfrewshire). |
September 2005 |
To provide Barrier Free housing information in Drumchapel from 1997. |
August 2005 |
To provide information relating to the request for a minute of waiver to be granted to the Bothwell Tennis Club to lift the burden to allow housing development to take place on part of the tennis club’s grounds. |
July 2005 |
To provide information about the cost of school building and use of private contractors to do so. |
June 2005 |
Number of unoccupied housing association properties in various localities in the Fife area. |
May 2005 |
To provide a copy of the summary of version 11 of Scottish Borders Housing Association’s business plan, as approved by the Scottish Executive. |
May 2005 |
To provide consultation material on registration criteria 9d; Combined Code (Financial Reporting Council, 2003) for plcs and other ‘limited’ companies; Code of Good Governance for the Public Sector (Joseph Rowntree Foundation and CIPFA, 2004). |
April 2005 |
To provide copies of all file and interview notes, correspondence from third parties, decision-making processes and all computer records of the inspection of Govan HA. |
April 2005 |
To provide procurement policy details and information on current contracts and responsible officers. |
April 2005 |
To provide information on how many RSLs have received funding from the Scottish Executive for building social housing that conforms to the ‘Secure by Design’ ethos since 1995. |
March 2005 |
To provide all communication relating to the evaluation of social inclusion partnerships in Glasgow City. |
March 2005 (partial disclosure) |
To provide contact details for IT Director and Manager; number of IT staff working for Communities Scotland; name of current security partner; plan/strategy document with IT Department’s objectives for next two to three years. |
March 2005 |
How often is East Lothian Housing Association audited? Also, request for general information on ELHA. |
February 2005 |
To provide all information relating to Communities Scotland’s last IT business rollout project. |
February 2005 |
To provide copies of all books and records held relating to the proposed grant for a building project by Wishaw and District Housing Association Ltd in respect of a piece of land off Woodside Crescent, Crindledyke, Newmains. |
February 2005 |
Details of how much has been spent on media training, and which companies or individuals have been used. |
February 2005 |
To provide details of contracts since 1999 with individuals (including well-known personalities) to either address or chair conferences. |
