Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-8128, in the name of Alex Neil, on the Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Bill.15:45

The Minister for Housing and Communities (Alex Neil) SNP

I am pleased to open the debate and to move the motion in my name.I thank the Local Government and Communities Committee for its detailed consideration of th...

Tricia Marwick (Central Fife) (SNP) SNP

Will the minister assure the chamber that the powers that the bill establishes will force local authorities to act when private landlords do not live up to t...

Alex Neil SNP

I agree with Tricia Marwick that enforcement is crucial. The powers are now well in place and I believe that the local authorities have the tools to do the j...

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab) Lab

I am sure that I am not the only one who feels a sense of achievement when we reach stage 3 of a bill, and that is especially true when one has been particul...

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

The Conservatives support and will vote for the bill.Going through the process has been interesting and certain aspects of today’s procedures have been parti...

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD) LD

I thank my colleagues on the Local Government and Communities Committee, the committee clerks, the bill team and the minister for their hard work and dedicat...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

We now move to the open debate.16:07

Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow) (SNP) SNP

Sometimes it might seem to people as if we in this Parliament are navel gazing or talking only to ourselves, but nothing could be further from the truth. Thi...

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab) Lab

Although the bill is one of the last that we shall consider in this session of the Parliament, its gestation has been fairly long. Most of its provisions wer...

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

It was a privilege to be a member of the committee that examined the bill. It was clear that not all local authorities have taken a vigorous approach to land...

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab) Lab

I welcome the opportunity to make a brief contribution. In the stage 1 debate I spoke exclusively on the rogue landlord aspects of the bill, given the antiso...

Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP) SNP

I start by saying something that I think that we all agree on: the private rented sector must become increasingly important in the provision of good-quality,...

Jim Tolson LD

One principal element of the bill is the measures on the registration of private landlords. Alex Neil said that the bill is targeted at a minority of landlor...

Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

In winding up for the Conservatives today, I begin what will possibly be my final contribution in this place by saying how grateful I am for the kind words o...

Alex Neil SNP

Can the member confirm that he is registered? Laughter.

Ted Brocklebank Con

Absolutely, as the minister will discover if he checks the register of landlords.However, there have been problems. Pauline McNeill and Patricia Ferguson all...

Mary Mulligan Lab

I offer my best wishes to Ted Brocklebank for all that he has done, particularly today. He said that his closing speech will probably be his last contributio...

The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson) NPA

Given Patricia Ferguson’s earlier warning about what Alex Neil is capable of doing in an empty house, I am a little bit loth to let him loose on a fairly emp...

Alex Neil SNP

I am delighted that Mary Mulligan is confident that I am going to be the minister moving the commencement order after the election.Earlier, when we were disc...

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Michael Russell) SNP

Indeed.

Alex Neil SNP

This has been a consensual debate, with good contributions from throughout the chamber. It is appropriate that it has been consensual, because the issue that...

Bob Doris SNP

I just want to add to the list the Home Owner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Act 2010, under which all evictions for mortgage arrears must call in court, w...

Alex Neil SNP

That is a good point from Mr Doris. I am always one to undersell our achievements. Laughter. The legislation is extremely important, but it is also importan...

Patricia Ferguson Lab

Does the minister accept that the issue is not just the location of the judgment but the courts having an understanding of the effects that behaviour can hav...

Alex Neil SNP

Absolutely. My view is that some kind of tribunal system may be more appropriate, certainly in some circumstances, than a case immediately going to the sheri...