Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 November 2011
17 Nov 2011 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Housing
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 on house building and housing of the current UK Tory-Liberal coalition Government’s economic and social policies. As Keith Brown said in his opening remarks, the unprecedented cuts in public spending that the UK coalition Government has implemented are undoubtedly the single biggest cause of the decline in house building throughout the country. If Alex Johnstone is serious about addressing that problem and if he wants to see an upturn in house building, I encourage him to add his voice to the Scottish Government’s demands that David Cameron and George Osborne immediately change course and increase spending on capital projects, particularly on house building.
We should all recognise that housing is fundamentally about people and that social housing is often about protecting the welfare of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged people. If Alex Johnstone is concerned about that, as he seems to be, I again urge him to join us in campaigning against the Tory reforms to housing benefit, which will hit the poorest people in society hardest.
Housing associations the length and breadth of Scotland are telling us that reducing housing benefit is a direct attack on the poor. In a housing debate on 6 October, prior to her elevation to the leadership, Ruth Davidson spoke of first-time buyers’ struggle to get on the property ladder because of the high deposit required and pointed out that people of a similar age to herself—that is, early to mid-30s—were below the average age for getting a first-time buyer mortgage; it tends to be 36 to 37-year-olds who are able to get on the housing ladder for the first time. How, then, can she justify the Westminster-led benefit reforms that will raise the age at which the local housing allowance rate will apply? With that move, 4,400 single people in Scotland aged between 25 and 34 without dependants will be restricted in their ability to apply for housing assistance.
The Conservative motion proposes that the Scottish Government remove the limitations on right to buy that were introduced in 2010. The right-to-buy policy, which was introduced by a Tory Government, has been a disaster in Scotland and has led to more than half a million homes being taken out of social housing stock, leaving councils unable to address housing needs in their areas. Few would dispute that the right-to-buy policy destroyed the council house building programme in Scotland; indeed, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has said that it has been absolutely disastrous for the low-cost homes for rent sector.
Instead of voting for a Tory party determined to push social housing stocks down further, leaving less of a chance of getting affordable housing, the people of Scotland voted for an SNP Government that was determined to see through its vision for a fairer Scotland.
In debating the motion, we need to consider the effects on house building and housing of the current UK Tory-Liberal coalition Government’s economic and social policies. As Keith Brown said in his opening remarks, the unprecedented cuts in public spending that the UK coalition Government has implemented are undoubtedly the single biggest cause of the decline in house building throughout the country. If Alex Johnstone is serious about addressing that problem and if he wants to see an upturn in house building, I encourage him to add his voice to the Scottish Government’s demands that David Cameron and George Osborne immediately change course and increase spending on capital projects, particularly on house building.
We should all recognise that housing is fundamentally about people and that social housing is often about protecting the welfare of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged people. If Alex Johnstone is concerned about that, as he seems to be, I again urge him to join us in campaigning against the Tory reforms to housing benefit, which will hit the poorest people in society hardest.
Housing associations the length and breadth of Scotland are telling us that reducing housing benefit is a direct attack on the poor. In a housing debate on 6 October, prior to her elevation to the leadership, Ruth Davidson spoke of first-time buyers’ struggle to get on the property ladder because of the high deposit required and pointed out that people of a similar age to herself—that is, early to mid-30s—were below the average age for getting a first-time buyer mortgage; it tends to be 36 to 37-year-olds who are able to get on the housing ladder for the first time. How, then, can she justify the Westminster-led benefit reforms that will raise the age at which the local housing allowance rate will apply? With that move, 4,400 single people in Scotland aged between 25 and 34 without dependants will be restricted in their ability to apply for housing assistance.
The Conservative motion proposes that the Scottish Government remove the limitations on right to buy that were introduced in 2010. The right-to-buy policy, which was introduced by a Tory Government, has been a disaster in Scotland and has led to more than half a million homes being taken out of social housing stock, leaving councils unable to address housing needs in their areas. Few would dispute that the right-to-buy policy destroyed the council house building programme in Scotland; indeed, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has said that it has been absolutely disastrous for the low-cost homes for rent sector.
Instead of voting for a Tory party determined to push social housing stocks down further, leaving less of a chance of getting affordable housing, the people of Scotland voted for an SNP Government that was determined to see through its vision for a fairer Scotland.
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...