Committee
Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee 28 May 2014
28 May 2014 · S4 · Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee
Item of business
Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I am pleased to speak to and move amendment 9, the purpose of which is to require owners to prepare a maintenance plan to cover common repairs, with a view to encouraging responsible home ownership and the avoidance of emergency repairs. Sarah Boyack said in an earlier discussion that there is a need to create an expectation and culture among home owners that repairs are not a one-off event but something that needs to be addressed throughout the lifetime of someone’s ownership of a property. Amendment 9 seeks to achieve that. In Edinburgh, 76 per cent of all private homes are in some form of disrepair and 38 per cent of private homes are considered to be in urgent disrepair. There is a clear need to encourage home owners to invest in their homes in order to preserve the fabric of the city and to keep buildings safe. Proactive maintenance helps prevent the need for emergency repairs, which can be costly and can potentially pose a danger to residents and the general public. The requirement to establish a maintenance plan would encourage owners to work together and take responsibility for the maintenance of their homes and would mark a shift in culture from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance. That would also help to reinforce the message that home owners have to take responsibility for the maintenance of their homes. It can be difficult for an owner to take the first step towards organising a common repair if they do not already know their neighbours, and that can lead to small jobs being put off. Establishing a relationship with neighbours to agree a maintenance plan would make it easier for owners to organise repairs when it becomes evident that work needs to be carried out. Under amendment 9, local authorities would have to establish local enforcement policies that could include a requirement for home owners to register details of their maintenance plan with the local authority or the use of powers in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 to require home owners to establish a maintenance plan. I move amendment 9.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Maureen Watt)
SNP
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee’s 16th meeting in 2014. I remind everybody to switch off their mob...
The Convener
SNP
The first group of amendments is on the tenement management scheme. Amendment 149, in the name of Sarah Boyack, is grouped with amendments 153, 154, 150, 151...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to my amendments. I will run through them in the order in which they appear in the groupings. As members will be ...
The Convener
SNP
Jim Eadie will speak to amendment 7 and the other amendments in the group.
Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the opportunity to speak to amendment 7, which is one of a number of amendments that I have lodged that arise from extensive discussion between mys...
The Minister for Housing and Welfare (Margaret Burgess)
SNP
Amendment 149 seeks to have the owners’ share of tenement management scheme costs calculated as the local authority thinks reasonable, but with the principle...
Sarah Boyack
Lab
I am very disappointed by the minister’s overall response, because the amendments address issues that have been raised through the consultation processes for...
Margaret Burgess
SNP
We have accepted a number of non-Government amendments at stage 2, and we have lodged a number of Government amendments following discussions at stage 1. I ...
The Convener
SNP
Sarah, are you pressing or withdrawing your amendment?
Sarah Boyack
Lab
The first set of amendments that I proposed—
The Convener
SNP
We are talking about amendment 149.
Sarah Boyack
Lab
I will not press it at this point. Amendment 149, by agreement, withdrawn. Amendments 153 and 154 not moved. Amendment 150 moved—Sarah Boyack.
The Convener
SNP
The question is, that amendment 150 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
The Convener
SNP
There will be a division. For Fee, Mary (West Scotland) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Against Eadie, Jim (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP) Ingr...
The Convener
SNP
The result of the division is: For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0. Amendment 150 disagreed to. Amendments 151 and 7 not moved.
Jim Eadie
SNP
May I just say a word by way of response to the minister? I am grateful for the minister’s response, in particular her recognition that my amendment 7 refle...
Sarah Boyack
Lab
I have a strong view about the 30-years issue. It is not the right period of time to set. Therefore, I move amendment 152.
The Convener
SNP
The question is, that amendment 152 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
The Convener
SNP
There will be a division. For Fee, Mary (West Scotland) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Against Eadie, Jim (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP) Ingr...
The Convener
SNP
The result of the division is: For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0. Amendment 152 disagreed to. Amendment 35 not moved. Section 72 agreed to. After section 72
The Convener
SNP
The next group is on discharge of costs notices applying to owners of properties. Amendment 117, in the name of the minister, is the only amendment in the gr...
Margaret Burgess
SNP
Amendment 117 proposes changes to the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003 and to the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 to aid the conveyancing process in a part...
The Convener
SNP
The next group is on the home maintenance framework duty. Amendment 9, in the name of Jim Eadie, is the only amendment in the group.
Jim Eadie
SNP
I am pleased to speak to and move amendment 9, the purpose of which is to require owners to prepare a maintenance plan to cover common repairs, with a view t...
Margaret Burgess
SNP
I thank Jim Eadie for raising this issue because it gives me an opportunity to set out some of the existing powers and duties in this area. Under section 8 o...
Sarah Boyack
Lab
The minister’s comments are illustrative. Although powers and requirements exist, none of them is being implemented, which leads to a problem. I have questi...
Margaret Burgess
SNP
There are existing powers. Where there is a problem, officials will want to discuss with local authorities why they are not using the powers and how they can...
Jim Eadie
SNP
Amendment 9 has the City of Edinburgh Council’s support and is designed to tackle an issue that it identified as requiring to be addressed. I appreciate the ...
The Convener
SNP
The next group is on maintenance plans: areas. Amendment 56, in the name of James Kelly, is the only amendment in the group. Mark Griffin will speak to and m...
Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Amendment 56 would clarify the position on premises and gardens. The 2006 act refers to premises, which we feel could be interpreted to mean simply buildings...