Committee
Local Government and Communities Committee 16 December 2020
16 Dec 2020 · S5 · Local Government and Communities Committee
Item of business
Subordinate Legislation
Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Modification of the Repairing Standard) Amendment Regulations 2020 [Draft]
The minimum standard for fire alarms under the tolerable standard defines what is expected for all homes. The measure is proportionate. We use many vehicles in secondary legislation to enact regulation. I am more than willing to discuss with the committee and with Mr Wightman in particular how they might want to proceed in the future, but we can use the proposed legislative vehicle to bring the arrangements into play. We all place importance on fire safety. Using the tolerable and repairing standards is the right thing to do, but I am willing to have further conversations with Mr Wightman and the committee. We are using the tolerable and repairing standards as the vehicle today and I urge the committee to back the motions that I will move later.
In the same item of business
The Convener
SNP
Agenda item 2 is an evidence session on two instruments: the draft Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (Tolerable Standard) (Extension of Criteria) Amendment Order 2...
The Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning (Kevin Stewart)
SNP
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to the two motions seeking approval for the instruments. With the committee’s permission, I intend to speak to bot...
The Convener
SNP
We move to questions from members. If Graham Simpson has any questions, I will invite him to ask those after committee members have had the opportunity to as...
Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Green)
Green
Given that the committee approved the instrument in December 2018 and Parliament passed it in 2019, can you explain what efforts were made to raise awareness...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
The legislation was highlighted in the media as it passed through Parliament. As with all publicity campaigns, timing is a key factor. If you promote things ...
Andy Wightman
Green
Are the public confused between the understandable need for homes to have adequate fire protection equipment, which most people regard as an obvious requirem...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
The minimum standard for fire alarms under the tolerable standard defines what is expected for all homes. The measure is proportionate. We use many vehicles ...
Andy Wightman
Green
The Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (Tolerable Standard) (Extension of Criteria) Order 2019 says only that “satisfactory equipment” must be in place and does not...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Something is better than nothing, but the committee agreed at the tail end of 2018 that we had to make—Inaudible.—to set the most rigorous standards that we ...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Good morning, minister. Will you say a bit more about what happened in 2019, after those SSIs were passed? How many installations were carried out in 2019, a...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I do not have those figures in front of me. If we can ascertain them, I will be more than happy to write to the committee. All homes in the private rented s...
Sarah Boyack
Lab
I am very much aware of that work. As you have said, it is really important, because of the Grenfell fire legacy. How many Scottish homes in the private owne...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I expect local authorities to use their discretionary powers in many areas of business—and they do that, as Sarah Boyack knows. We are in continuous discussi...
Catriona MacKean (Scottish Government)
We have focused our discussions on the fire service as a trusted source of information, advice and direct support to households, particularly those at the hi...
Sarah Boyack
Lab
That is helpful. I am keen to find out what happened after Parliament passed the legislation. Local authorities are important, not only in relation to monito...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I did not catch the start of Ms Boyack’s question—I do not know whether it was the same for everyone—so I would be grateful if she could repeat the first par...
Sarah Boyack
Lab
Given the letter that you sent us on 11 December, how many homes do you think will have had alarms installed before February 2022? We are about to move into ...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I urge everyone who can do it to do it as soon as possible, so that they can make their homes as safe as possible. We will keep a close eye on how the whole...
The Convener
SNP
I think that what Sarah Boyack was asking was, given the pandemic and the fact that we were struggling last year, how we can be assured that we will not hit ...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I do not think that we were struggling last year. As I said earlier, when it comes to marketing such programmes and moving things forward, timing is everythi...
Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I welcome the minister’s acknowledgment that the Scottish Government dropped the baton on the issue. In the past, whenever the committee made representations...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
There was a bit of break-up again, but I think that I got the gist of Alexander Stewart’s question. If I miss anything out, I am sure that he will come back ...
Alexander Stewart
Con
We have a number of vulnerable individuals who are elderly and who require to have such devices installed. Is there a mechanism in place to protect them from...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
As Alexander Stewart knows, because we have had discussions about the issue previously, I want to do everything possible to ensure that scammers do not put t...
The Convener
SNP
Keith Brown is next.
Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP)
SNP
Thank you, convener. I understand perfectly that Covid and the pandemic have had an impact on all sorts of Government business and not just the obvious stuff...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Not necessarily. We are still discussing how to deal with the marketing campaign. As I said, I am not a marketing professional or expert in any way, and we w...
Keith Brown
SNP
That is a useful suggestion because, as MSPs, we all have the ability to put such information in annual reports to get it out there. However, given what you...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
As I said earlier, on the Scottish Government website, we have all the detail of what folk should be looking for in order that they do not get, as Mr Brown p...
Keith Brown
SNP
Thank you.