Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 06 October 2022
06 Oct 2022 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill
I absolutely accept what the cabinet secretary said, but the impression out there among private landlords—rightly or wrongly—is that the Government is anti-landlord. The Government therefore has a responsibility to go further and ensure that good landlords are seen as being valued in contributing to meeting the overall need for housing in this country. We have a shortage of housing, and we need to ensure that they are valued so that we can stem the decline in their numbers. I accept that the numbers have perhaps increased over a longer period of time, but there is no doubt that there has been a decline more recently, and we need to address that.
I would like to hear ministers talk more positively in the future about good private landlords and the good things that they can do, because we need them to do good things.
16:00In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-06213, in the name of Shona Robison, on the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3...
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government (Shona Robison)
SNP
I am very pleased to open today’s stage 3 debate on the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill. The debate over the past three days has been wide...
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I heard what the cabinet secretary has just told the Parliament. Can she reference where that evidence comes from?
Shona Robison
SNP
I think that the evidence of a cost of living crisis is evident to everybody other than the Tories, who have, through the consideration of the bill, shown on...
Miles Briggs
Con
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Shona Robison
SNP
We had to act with this temporary intervention to make sure that people have the support that they require—
Miles Briggs
Con
On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Cabinet secretary, will you resume your seat, please?
Miles Briggs
Con
Presiding Officer, I think that the cabinet secretary is deliberately trying not to answer the question that I asked her. I asked her for the reference for w...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Mr Briggs, as you will well know, that is not a point of order. It is a debating point.
Shona Robison
SNP
I can tell Mr Briggs that, over the course of those 15 years, we have seen the private rented sector go from 100,000 to 300,000 private rented properties. I ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I call Miles Briggs to speak for around six minutes. I advise Mr Briggs and other MSPs that there is a bit of time in hand, so if they take an intervention, ...
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I start by thanking all the organisations that have provided useful briefings during the passage of the emergency bill, and I thank the Parliament’s bill tea...
Shona Robison
SNP
In his analysis of what is impacting on landlords, will Miles Briggs acknowledge the immediate impact in the here and now—today—of the rise in interest rates...
Miles Briggs
Con
As I said to the cabinet secretary just the other day, this is happening across western Europe—indeed, across the world—at this moment in time. It is not a S...
Shona Robison
SNP
I know that various members have said that interest rates are a global issue and are not particular to the UK. Has the member seen the Bank of England analys...
Miles Briggs
Con
I can tell the cabinet secretary that what is worrying landlords, especially those in the social rented sector, is the bill. That sector is worried about whe...
Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I indicate at the outset that Labour will support the bill at decision time, and I thank the minister for his collegiate work on our amendments on what has b...
Miles Briggs
Con
Given that the Labour Party has developed and pushed the policy, is the member able to say in what other part in the world such an approach has not been remo...
Mark Griffin
Lab
The part of the world that I can tell the member about is this part of the world, where people are worried about having to make a choice between feeding thei...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
I thank the minister for listening to members who have had concerns about the inclusion of the social housing sector in the scope of the bill. What I like to...
Shona Robison
SNP
I take the member’s point. The only thing that I would say is that one of the things that the housing to 2040 strategy is strong on is the vision that people...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Willie Rennie should be winding up now.
Willie Rennie
LD
I absolutely accept what the cabinet secretary said, but the impression out there among private landlords—rightly or wrongly—is that the Government is anti-l...
Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
SNP
I am pleased to support the emergency legislation, which will secure—with limited caveats, of course—a six-month eviction ban and a six-month rent freeze for...
Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I will start on a note of consensus. Over the past few days, Mr Doris has made sensible points about the situation in social housing. It has been good to hea...
Bob Doris
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Jamie Greene
Con
In a second. However, if we pitched things differently, we might get a different answer. If we told someone that, if the Government capped their rent, that ...
Bob Doris
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Jamie Greene
Con
I have a lot to get through. If we told someone that their rent might be frozen but that, by this time next year, when they want to move, the market might l...