Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 November 2011
17 Nov 2011 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Housing
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 Parliament that that record is denigrated by our opponents, so I make no apology for the fact that I begin by detailing that proud record.
In the 1950s, the Conservative Government broke records for the building of public housing. During that period, it was the Conservatives who provided the homes fit for heroes that were spoken about in the years after the second world war. The quality of that housing has stood us in good stead for many years. Moving on through the decades, I note that, in the 1980s, it was the Conservatives who came up with the ingenious plan of allowing the tenants of many of those houses to own the property themselves.
The concept of selling social housing to its tenants delivered social change on a scale that Britain and particularly Scotland had never seen before and has not seen since. The communities of mixed tenure that it created are among the safest, most sustainable communities that we have in Scotland. Furthermore, the sale of council houses created a pool of houses in the market, which gave many young tenants the opportunity to buy their own homes at an affordable price. In many parts of the country, if it were not for the market in ex-council houses, it would be impossible for people to make the jump from the private rented sector into home ownership. That vital stepping stone is essential to many young potential home owners.
However, the concept of the right to buy has been the subject of political prejudice in the Parliament for many years. The stimulation for bringing the matter to the chamber for debate today, although not the key issue, was the news last week that one local authority in Scotland, East Lothian Council, has gone forward with a project that is designed to buy back ex-council houses. I do not know the specific circumstances and I do not wish to raise them. It is the concept that I will address today. I do not want the practice to spread because it is dangerous and we should not allow it to be the next step of the anti-right-to-buy prejudice.
In the 1950s, the Conservative Government broke records for the building of public housing. During that period, it was the Conservatives who provided the homes fit for heroes that were spoken about in the years after the second world war. The quality of that housing has stood us in good stead for many years. Moving on through the decades, I note that, in the 1980s, it was the Conservatives who came up with the ingenious plan of allowing the tenants of many of those houses to own the property themselves.
The concept of selling social housing to its tenants delivered social change on a scale that Britain and particularly Scotland had never seen before and has not seen since. The communities of mixed tenure that it created are among the safest, most sustainable communities that we have in Scotland. Furthermore, the sale of council houses created a pool of houses in the market, which gave many young tenants the opportunity to buy their own homes at an affordable price. In many parts of the country, if it were not for the market in ex-council houses, it would be impossible for people to make the jump from the private rented sector into home ownership. That vital stepping stone is essential to many young potential home owners.
However, the concept of the right to buy has been the subject of political prejudice in the Parliament for many years. The stimulation for bringing the matter to the chamber for debate today, although not the key issue, was the news last week that one local authority in Scotland, East Lothian Council, has gone forward with a project that is designed to buy back ex-council houses. I do not know the specific circumstances and I do not wish to raise them. It is the concept that I will address today. I do not want the practice to spread because it is dangerous and we should not allow it to be the next step of the anti-right-to-buy prejudice.
In the same item of business
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...