Meeting of the Parliament 30 September 2025
Deputy Presiding Officer, I apologise for the interruption earlier. I was looking for a figure on my phone, but when clicking on the message with the answer in it, I accidentally clicked on a message with sound, so forgive me for that.
I am pleased to close today’s debate on behalf of Scottish Labour. We have heard numerous times throughout this debate, and many others, that Scotland is in the midst of a housing emergency. Although that terminology is now commonplace, the gravity of the situation cannot be overstated. As my colleagues Mark Griffin and Davy Russell have set out, Scottish Labour will support the bill today because it recognises the emergency in law and it moves us forward on other crucial areas, including Awaab’s law, reviews of eviction grounds and rules on factoring.
However, we are clear that the bill is a missed opportunity. It fails to solve the fundamental problem of the lack of housing supply in Scotland, which is desperately needed to end the housing emergency, and it does not introduce proper and workable rent controls.
The reality is that the Government has done far too little far too late, so homelessness has risen on its watch. Figures that were released last week lay bare the stark reality of the situation in my region of Glasgow alone. More than 1,000 cases of rough sleeping were reported last year, and the overall number of people sleeping rough is rising to a record high across the country.
In Glasgow, there has been an 11 per cent increase in the number of people living in temporary accommodation—that is more than 4,000 people and is the highest number since 2022. Those people are living in Glasgow without somewhere permanent to call home. Furthermore, there has been a 9 per cent increase in homelessness applications.
Despite the current situation in Glasgow and across Scotland, the SNP Government has cut funding for the affordable housing supply programme in real terms.
As I said, we will support the bill on the basis that I have set out, but it was an opportunity to change the direction of all that. Nonetheless, it brings some improvements, including those that were added by my colleagues and me.
I am pleased that the Government was supportive of amendments that sought to make it easier for students to end their tenancy in specific circumstances. However, it is disappointing that my proposals on a purpose-built student accommodation charter and strategy were rejected.
I am also disappointed that other crucial amendments, such as my colleague Katy Clark’s amendment to support women fleeing violence, Paul Sweeney’s amendments on common buildings insurance, which would have protected many residents in Glasgow and elsewhere, or Mark Griffin’s amendment that would have allowed people with rent arrears to move to more suitable accommodation, have not made it into the bill. I hope that the Government will take urgent action in those areas, and Scottish Labour will continue to press it to do so.
I want to mention briefly the experience of disabled people. First, I thank members, including Jeremy Balfour and Meghan Gallacher, for their support on those issues today. Many disabled people require accessible homes. That means adapting old ones and building accessible new ones. That is why I moved the amendments that I did today.
I am pleased that the Government has committed to updating building regulations to make provision for accessibility and suitability for disabled people within two years of the act coming into force. That will be welcome news to the tens of thousands of disabled people waiting on housing lists for a home that suits their needs. With 25 years having passed since accessibility standards were reviewed, that is a significant step forward, but there is much more to be done in this space. Adaptations are a key part of that—they are a truly tangible, preventative approach to future proofing our homes.
It is, therefore, incredibly disappointing that the Government failed to support amendments on that aspect today and instead opted for a review. The time for reviews is over, and the time to act is now; I hope that the Government will reflect on that.
As I have set out, the bill moves us forward on some areas, so Scottish Labour will support it. However, as a whole—with no more homes built as a result; in the absence of proper and workable rent controls; and in the face of more reviews, with no action—the bill is a missed opportunity to address the housing emergency in Scotland. On such an emergency, the SNP has not met the challenge and, for that reason, we encourage it to go further and faster to end the housing emergency in Scotland.
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