Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-14859, in the name of Margaret Burgess, on an ambitious house building programme for Scotland. I call the...

The Minister for Housing and Welfare (Margaret Burgess) SNP

The Scottish Government is clear in its recognition of the critical role that housing plays in promoting social justice, strengthening communities and tackli...

Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD) LD

The minister mentioned the Government’s social rented homes target. However, in her manifesto, which includes a picture of a certain Alex Neil and—some membe...

Margaret Burgess SNP

The member is like a broken gramophone record—he raises that issue all the time. Since 2011, we have made it very clear that our target was for 30,000 afford...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Let the minister be heard, please.

Margaret Burgess SNP

I am delighted to tell the chamber today that the Scottish Government has now not only met but exceeded its target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes. That i...

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab) Lab

The minister is clearly very pleased that she has met the target, but has she met housing need?

Margaret Burgess SNP

I certainly think that we have met housing need better than the previous Administration did. It built fewer houses with rising budgets, while we have met the...

Paul Martin (Glasgow Provan) (Lab) Lab

Will the minister give way?

Margaret Burgess SNP

I want to make progress—I want members to hear about our ambitious housing programme. That is a 67 per cent planned increase in affordable housing supply an...

Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Con) Con

When will the successor to the help-to-buy scheme become operational?

Margaret Burgess SNP

I will answer that shortly. We have announced continuing support for a more targeted affordable help-to-buy scheme and we are working with the industry to d...

Gavin Brown Con

Will the minister give way?

Margaret Burgess SNP

Not at the moment. I ask the member to let me continue, as I want to make progress. That is why we are taking through the Parliament the Private Housing (Te...

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) LD

The minister will be aware of the concerns in the islands that I represent about the fact that standard assessment procedure provisions do not allow mains el...

Margaret Burgess SNP

We have already had numbers of conversations with the island communities and the Minister for Transport and Islands about how we address fuel poverty and the...

Michael McMahon (Uddingston and Bellshill) (Lab) Lab

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 ...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Michael McMahon Lab

If Mike MacKenzie wants to confirm that that is the case, I would be happy to take an intervention.

Mike MacKenzie SNP

Does the member agree that if it is the case that there is a housing crisis, the blame for that rests squarely on the shoulders of one Gordon Brown, who prom...

Michael McMahon Lab

That is number 3 on the grievance list, I think. I am surprised that Mike MacKenzie went so far down to find his target, but we will have to accept that Gord...

John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) SNP

Will the member give way?

Michael McMahon Lab

I will make some progress, if the member does not mind. It is an unavoidable truth that we need more affordable homes than the Scottish Government has built...

John Mason SNP

I do not think that anybody is really arguing with the member’s description of the need, but does he have any solutions? Would he like to switch money out of...

Michael McMahon Lab

That intervention shows the lack of depth of understanding of the problem. The issues are health issues, which spending on housing will improve. If we wan...

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

I will begin where the previous speaker left off. There is complacency written right through the Scottish Government’s motion. It says at the outset “That t...

Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) SNP

Will Mr Johnstone give way?

Alex Johnstone Con

Indeed, why not?

Kevin Stewart SNP

I do not think that the Government has ever said that it is paying for every single council house that is being built. However, this Government’s policy has ...

Alex Johnstone Con

Ah, right to buy—one of those little totems that this Government waves occasionally. The truth is that right to buy had withered on the vine and very few peo...