Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

Pressing swiftly on, the next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-15944, in the name of Margaret Burgess, on the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland...

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights (Alex Neil) SNP

For the purposes of rule 9.11 of the standing orders, I advise the Parliament that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Private Housing (T...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

I call Margaret Burgess to speak to and move the motion. 17:19

The Minister for Housing and Welfare (Margaret Burgess) SNP

I thank everyone who contributed to the development of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill, including members of all parties and all stakeholders...

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab) Lab

It is good to reach the stage in a bill where the arguments have all been made and the amendments have been won or lost. Whether or not the bill will do ever...

Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP) SNP

Hear, hear.

Ken Macintosh Lab

Thank you, Mr Eadie. Secondly, I thank the alliance that is the living rent campaign, which is led by the National Union of Students Scotland and includes m...

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

I have reached an interesting point in the passage of the bill. I said at stage 1 that it was not possible for me to support the bill then but that I could e...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab

We move to the open debate. I can give members up to five minutes at this stage. 17:42

Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I associate myself with the comments that have been made about the bill team and the clerks to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee, who have ...

Alex Johnstone Con

I remind the member that I took a very careful position on the matter and, despite expressing concern, did not vote against it.

Clare Adamson SNP

I thank Mr Johnstone for that clarification, because this is a very important issue. After all, the family home is at the heart of what we are doing today. ...

Lesley Brennan (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

In 1999, only 5 per cent of households in Scotland lived in the private rented sector but, by 2014, that figure had increased to 14 per cent. Clare Adamson i...

Jim Eadie SNP

Does the member recognise that the greatest contribution to what she rightly calls the residualisation of public sector housing was the right to buy, a pract...

Lesley Brennan Lab

The right to buy stripped away properties, but the fact is that not enough houses were built in addition. The two things are not incompatible; people were ve...

Clare Adamson SNP

There is certainly no member in my group who does not see merit in what Mr Macintosh brought forward, and who does not think that a charter would be possible...

Lesley Brennan Lab

There may have been challenges, but the hurdles were not insurmountable. We need to improve the standard across the sector. Many non-HMO rented properties ne...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

Can you begin to close, please?

Lesley Brennan Lab

Tenants have to chase landlords for repairs and annual gas safety checks, so we need to make sure that we put a charter in place. If more people are living i...

Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD) LD

I remind members of my registered interests in this debate. My colleagues and I are supportive of the bill. We want to see the more than 330,000 households...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

Given the way that you started your speech earlier, Mr Hume, I am delighted that you did not start that one with a high five. 17:57

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) Green

The pressure is on me, then. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in the closing stages of the debate on an important bill. I am particularly pleased ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

Draw to a close, please.

Patrick Harvie Green

Either way, there will be continuation of that gradual incremental change and of constantly fighting to catch up with wider changes in the economy that we ar...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

Many thanks. I ask the next two members to stick to a maximum of five minutes. Jim Eadie will be followed by Siobhan McMahon. 18:02

Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP) SNP

Thank you. I welcome the opportunity to speak at stage 3 in support of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill. The Infrastructure and Capital Invest...

Siobhan McMahon (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

As I said at stage 1 of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill, I welcome a lot of what the Scottish Government and, in particular, the minister, Ma...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

On behalf of the Parliament, I thank you for your service and wish you all the best, particularly with the imminent arrival. We move to the closing speeches...

Alex Johnstone Con

I will keep this short and simple. I explained in my opening remarks that I feel that we could have done better and that the bill at stage 1 was better than ...

Patrick Harvie Green

Will the member give way?