Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 23 May 2018
23 May 2018 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Housing
Yes. We are committed to keeping our policy frameworks and legislation under review to ensure that everyone lives in a good-quality home.
In terms of existing powers and future regulation, actions have been taken already to improve property conditions. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 allows local authorities to pay, and subsequently recover, owner’s missing shares when they do not contribute to common works. We touched on that subject in the debate that Ben Macpherson brought to the chamber. Again, I say to all local authorities that they should use the power that they have to help their citizens. A number of local authorities have used those powers. The others must follow and there must be the sharing of best practice.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-12342, in the name of Graham Simpson, on housing. 15:52
Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
It would have been easy to lodge a motion on housing attacking sluggish house building under the Scottish National Party. A sector that is flatlining and an ...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
I agree with Graham Simpson’s point that factors need to behave properly, but does he agree that it is useful to have a factor or an organisation looking aft...
Graham Simpson
Con
Yes. I do not disagree with that at all, but we need to ensure that they operate properly. I do not want to give the impression that we are talking about an...
The Minister for Local Government and Housing (Kevin Stewart)
SNP
I am pleased to have the opportunity to welcome and speak in this debate that Graham Simpson has brought forward on the important issue of tenement property ...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
Should the proposals coming forth from that cross-party working group include one on the need for primary legislation, will the Government commit to bringing...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Yes. We are committed to keeping our policy frameworks and legislation under review to ensure that everyone lives in a good-quality home. In terms of existi...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
Can the minister clarify which local authorities have used and which have not used the legislation that he mentioned?
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I do not have that answer for Mr Johnson off the top of my head, but I am more than willing to provide him with that information. Glasgow City Council is us...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the debate on Graham Simpson’s motion. Tenement property is a complex subject, on which the Parliament has made significant progress, but the law ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I call Andy Wightman, who has up to four minutes. 16:12
Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Green)
Green
I thank Graham Simpson for using Conservative Party business time to propose a motion on a topic that is designed to achieve broad agreement across the chamb...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Four minutes.
Andy Wightman
Green
Thank you. Much of the flatted property in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee was built more than a century ago. With proper refurbishment and mainte...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
It is always hard to follow Andy Wightman in a debate such as this. I am very much one of those members of the Scottish Parliament who learns at the knee of ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I ask everyone to be quiet. I think that Mr Wightman would like to hear this. Laughter.
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
Despite their outburst, I am grateful to Conservative members for bringing today’s motion before us. Housing is important. I am also gratified to hear that t...
Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I thank members for their speeches so far and remind everyone that I was a councillor at the City of Edinburgh Council for 12 years. For all of that period, ...
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, very much welcome the use of this time for this important debate, which builds on the momentum of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, the Housing (Sco...
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
NPA
I call Daniel Johnson, to be followed by Gordon Lindhurst. 16:29
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
It is with huge pleasure that I stand to speak in this debate after Graham Simpson, Ben Macpherson and Andy Wightman. I am sure that others from the working ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Richard Lyle, to be followed by Gordon Lindhurst.
Richard Lyle (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP)
SNP
Oh!
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Did I get that the wrong way round? Okay—I call Gordon Lindhurst, to be followed by Richard Lyle.
Richard Lyle
SNP
I am ready, Presiding Officer.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Richard Lyle is ready, so we will let him speak. Laughter. 16:34
Richard Lyle (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP)
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to a debate on an issue with which I am very familiar, having served as a councillor on...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I thank Mr Lyle for being ready to speak. Gordon Lindhurst is next. 16:38
Gordon Lindhurst (Lothian) (Con)
Con
It is, indeed, a delight to be allowed an opportunity to speak in the debate. I am not sure whether I can match Richard Lyle’s speech; I certainly cannot mat...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
As others have said, there is a lot in the Conservative motion that I can agree with—not least the basic statement of the fact that we have a problem with co...