Meeting of the Parliament 12 March 2024
The engagement process is key in the cladding role that I have taken on. I have met individual developers on a number of occasions, and we have had round-table discussions with Homes for Scotland. Discussions on the SBA process and the scheme will continue as we move through the bill process. I have mentioned to the committee that I am happy to come back and update it on any discussions that we have had in that regard. Those discussions with developers will continue on the SBA and the responsible developers scheme that the member mentions.
I want to come back to a few things. Woven through our fundamental duties is our obligation of responsibility for public finances—in this case, making it explicit and clear where developers must contribute will allow public funding to be focused on orphan buildings, which are buildings without a linked developer.
Notwithstanding that, I reiterate my assurances to residents of orphan buildings that the Government is committed to funding the remediation of orphan buildings and to progressing that work. That has been considered and is integrated into our future financial planning process in the remediation programme.
Although I have responded in writing to the committee’s report, I will briefly make two points. Although the Scottish Government did not consult specifically on the bill, the policy underpinning it was developed based on a period of significant and on-going engagement with stakeholders through the ministerial working group and the cladding remediation programme stakeholder group and on lived experience gathered during the pilot phase of the programme.
Continuing with the programme, we are committed to engaging closely with stakeholders, including home owners and residents, a number of whom I have met in constituencies and virtually, and to ensuring that comprehensive consultation is undertaken ahead of bringing forward any secondary legislation.
Although additional risks related to building safety or fire prevention may become evident during the process of assessing and remediating unsafe cladding, it is important that we recognise that there are broader systems and legislation in place to manage those risks, where they fall outside the scope of the cladding remediation programme.
The committee has rightly considered many other issues, such as building MOTs, which may merit wider consideration outside the scope of the bill. However, the provisions of the bill, the process and the timetable’s expedited nature and narrow focus reflect the urgency with which we are treating the known risk to life that is associated with unsafe cladding.
By introducing the bill, the Scottish Government recognises the acute problem that cladding represents in relation to safety, the urgency of remediation of cladding and the need for transparency and accountability in how the Government exercises proportionate powers in the context of cladding.
I look forward to continuing to work with members of all parties to secure those objectives as we take the bill through Parliament.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill.