Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

Good morning. The first item of business is a debate on motion S4M-01346, in the name of Alex Johnstone, on housing. I remind ministers and members that time...

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

It is nice to be here to raise the subject of housing once again. The Conservative party has a proud record on housing, but it is a feature of this Parliamen...

Nigel Don (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Alex Johnstone Con

No. I will not take an intervention at this stage.East Lothian Council’s decision to buy back former council houses is simply a rehash of that old prejudice....

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Will the member take an intervention?

Alex Johnstone Con

No. I will not take an intervention at this point. Surely East Lothian’s action goes against everything that the Scottish National Party has said about suppo...

The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment (Alex Neil) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Alex Johnstone Con

No, not at this point. Sadly, it is our neighbourhoods that are left to pay the price. The whole thing is a sham, and all the while the Government has done l...

The Presiding Officer NPA

Perfect timing, Mr Johnstone. I call Keith Brown, Minister for Housing and Transport, to speak to and move amendment S4M-01346.2—you have precisely seven min...

The Minister for Housing and Transport (Keith Brown) SNP

Thank you very much, Presiding Officer.First, I congratulate Alex Johnstone on his elevation to his new post, which I think gives him the title of the offici...

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab) Lab

I recognise the great difficulties that the minister faces because of the cuts in the capital budget from Westminster, but given that £200 million of capital...

Keith Brown SNP

The member can rest assured that I will always argue for more funding for housing, but both housing and transport are central to the Government’s policy of e...

Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Con) Con

Will the minister give way?

Keith Brown SNP

I do not have time for more interventions; I apologise to Mr Brown.I look forward to working with Alex Johnstone and others on devising legislation that work...

Alex Johnstone Con

Will the minister take an intervention?

The Presiding Officer NPA

You have one minute, minister.

Keith Brown SNP

I will take an intervention, although Alex Johnstone refused to take any.

Alex Johnstone Con

I want to ask the minister whether the money used to buy back those houses would have been more effectively used to promote the building of additional houses...

Keith Brown SNP

That would be true if it was an either/or situation. If the member went to speak to East Lothian Council, he would find that it is doing a great deal, despit...

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

The Scottish Conservatives might have changed their leader and reshuffled their front-bench team, but there is no evidence this morning of any profound chang...

Keith Brown SNP

The member mentioned election commitments. Is the Labour Party’s position that which has been put forward by a contender for its leadership, Tom Harris: that...

Lewis Macdonald Lab

It is a shame that the minister rose to his feet to respond to my challenge to tell us what he is doing about his manifesto commitment and did not mention it...

Aileen McLeod (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the opportunity to put on record once again my views on the housing situation in Scotland.In debating the motion, we need to consider the effects o...

Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD) LD

Will the member give way?

Aileen McLeod SNP

No—I want to keep going.This Scottish Government has a proven track record not only of investment in housing despite the severe funding constraints—indeed, i...

Jim Hume LD

Will the member give way?

The Presiding Officer NPA

The member has no time, Mr Hume.

Aileen McLeod SNP

The Scottish Government is doing everything that it can in very difficult financial circumstances to provide affordable, sustainable and original housing sol...

John Pentland (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab) Lab

Although we are all concerned about the dire state of house building, I think that we begin to part company over what should be done about the situation. I b...

Jamie Hepburn (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) SNP

If awards were given out for persistence and obstinacy, the Tory benches would be weighed down by bunting and medals. In every debate on housing, they return...