Meeting of the Parliament 18 November 2015
I begin with a plea to the Government. I welcome the fact that it has scheduled this debate on the important issue of housing, but will it finally recognise that the housing situation that Scotland currently finds itself in the midst of is a crisis?
It would appear not. In September, Labour called a debate on housing to allow the Parliament to recognise this very predicament, and we remain bitterly disappointed that the Government will not recognise that we have a housing crisis in this country. Instead, we have a self-congratulatory motion in which the Scottish Government praises itself for making a commitment that in itself falls far short of the demands in the housing sector. It also claims to be leading innovation in housing policy, but that does not stand up to scrutiny when we make a proper comparison with what is happening elsewhere in Britain.
As I made clear in the debate in September, it was and remains Labour’s position that every person and family in Scotland should have access to a safe, affordable home. It is a stepping stone to social and economic equality for all. Put simply, it is imperative that housing construction targets are raised to accommodate the growing need for reasonably priced homes in Scotland. In 2014, 15,000 new homes were built, and although there is no question but that that will contribute to reducing overcrowding, improving energy efficiency and supporting communities, the number is nowhere near enough. As I said in September, we must accept that house-building numbers in Scotland have fallen far too short for some time. That is why we are now in a crisis.