Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 03 December 2014
03 Dec 2014 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Private Sector Rent Reform
I welcome this debate because housing is an important and basic need and the Scottish Government takes it very seriously. As members have already said, it is a major issue in all our constituencies as we see from the cases that we deal with every day.
In my constituency, there is proof of the Scottish Government’s investment in private and social rented housing, which is being built right smack in the centre of town. This is not a case of a Scottish Government that is refusing to take action. Those buildings are right in the centre of town, creating homes for families and helping to regenerate the town centre in the face of all the challenges that face town centres such as Paisley’s.
There are many challenges around the private rented sector, but affordable housing is the main solution, and it is the solution that the Scottish Government is using. As the minister said, the Scottish Government plans to spend more than £1.7 billion on affordable housing during the current parliamentary session. That is part of an on-going bold and ambitious plan for housing.
In 2015-16 £390 million will be invested to deliver—
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-11763, in the name of Mary Fee, on private sector rent reform. 15:12
Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
In opening for Scottish Labour, I put on record our party’s support for Shelter Scotland’s make renting right campaign. As always, Shelter Scotland is at the...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
We have absolutely no spare time this afternoon. I call Margaret Burgess, who has up to seven minutes. 15:22
The Minister for Housing and Welfare (Margaret Burgess)
SNP
I am glad to have the opportunity to debate the private rented sector. The sector’s growth might be news to some members, but the Scottish Government identif...
James Kelly (Rutherglen) (Lab)
Lab
The minister tells the chamber that the Government has made good progress on issues in the private rented sector. Will she tell us why there was nothing in t...
Margaret Burgess
SNP
I say to the member that, when the strategy group met and consulted together, what he raises was not recognised as an issue. It was not part of our Housing (...
James Kelly
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Margaret Burgess
SNP
If it is brief.
James Kelly
Lab
I think that the minister has been listening too much to the letting agents saying that rents have increased at below the rate of inflation. Does she think t...
Margaret Burgess
SNP
I say to the member that we did not listen to letting agents to get that information. The information is based on Scottish Government research, which shows c...
Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I welcome Mary Fee’s motion because it gives us an opportunity to address an issue at the centre of the discussion on the private rented sector: the parties’...
James Kelly
Lab
On the point about a realistic understanding of the housing situation, does the member recognise that one in four of those living in the private rented secto...
Alex Johnstone
Con
We have to be careful of using inappropriate statistics. We have already heard one set of statistics balanced with the Government’s statistics in the two ope...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We move to the open debate, with speeches of up to four minutes, please. 15:34
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
The private rented sector is clearly changing and growing, so we need to keep legislation up to speed with those changes. My constituency of Glasgow Shettles...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
Your time is up, Mr Mason. I appreciate your brevity—thank you very much. 15:39
Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab)
Lab
In our previous debate on housing, I described the difficult and anxious situation facing a resident in East Renfrewshire who came to see me for advice and a...
Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I want to start by picking up on some of the comments of my colleague John Mason about the quality of tenancies. I chair the cross-party group on accident ...
Mary Fee
Lab
Clare Adamson says that the Government has acted responsibly. Would a responsible Government have a record on building housing that is the lowest since the s...
Clare Adamson
SNP
I remind Mary Fee of the Labour and Liberal Democrat record on this area. “Housing Statistics for Scotland 2014: Key Trends”, published by the Government, sh...
Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD)
LD
Will the member give way?
Clare Adamson
SNP
No, I only have four minutes. Sorry. We have taken action on tenancy deposit schemes and we have launched a consultation on tenancy, which will gather infor...
Siobhan McMahon (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to be able to take part in this afternoon’s debate. I will highlight just one of the housing issues that my constituents face. I was contacted ...
George Adam (Paisley) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome this debate because housing is an important and basic need and the Scottish Government takes it very seriously. As members have already said, it is...
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Will George Adam take an intervention?
George Adam
SNP
Unfortunately, I have only a short time. That money will be invested to deliver a further 6,000 affordable homes, of which 4,000 will be in the social rent...
James Kelly
Lab
Will Mr Adam take an intervention?
George Adam
SNP
I am running out of time, and the more interventions I get, the more time I seem to lose.
Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member take an intervention?
George Adam
SNP
If Labour Party members such as Mr Bibby believed in doing something for the constituents in my area, they would have had more than a short, last-minute deba...