News

The largest and most comprehensive study of housing stock and living conditions in Scotland is launched this week.

Undertaken by the Scottish executive, the survey will look at living conditions in 30,000 properties chosen at random from the public and private sectors throughout Scotland. The study will include a survey of physical property characteristics as well as an interview with householders about the quality of their lives.

The last time such a major study was carried out was five years ago it was revealed that 25 per cent of Scotland’s properties suffered from dampness. That resulted in the executive investing heavily in grants to combat dampness as well as a multi-million pound programme of installing central heating and double glazing.

Campaign groups are not satisfied that the government’s programme has dealt effectively with the dampness problem. According to Shelter (Scotland): "Scotland still has twice the amount of winter deaths than the average for other European countries."

The results of the survey are expected to be published in the summer of 2003.