Hansard

The Convener SNP

Under agenda item 4, the committee will take evidence from the minister on the order. Andy Wightman has lodged a motion to annul this negative instrument, wh...

Kevin Stewart SNP

I thank the committee for the opportunity to outline the work that led to the laying of the order. It is clear from the First Minister’s daily updates that t...

The Convener SNP

We know that COSLA backs the extension, but what about front-line organisations that work with homeless people? Do they say that people are happy to remain i...

Kevin Stewart SNP

As the committee is well aware, I have regular meetings with front-line organisations, because I want to know exactly what is going on out there. I met a num...

Sarah Boyack Lab

I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of interests about my former employment with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations. Minister...

Kevin Stewart SNP

There were a huge number of questions there, but I would expect nothing less from Ms Boyack. I will bring in Marion Gibbs to describe some of the detail of w...

Marion Gibbs (Scottish Government)

Thank you for the opportunity to speak. Our data collection is comprehensive. I am sure that Sarah Boyack has seen the publications, but we can extract and c...

The Convener SNP

I think that you have. Minister, do you want to come back in?

Kevin Stewart SNP

I think that we have covered almost all the bases. If we missed anything, we are happy to come back to the committee on it.

The Convener SNP

Sarah, are you happy with that?

Sarah Boyack Lab

Yes. I also asked about the proposed national temporary accommodation task force, but I will come back to that later if the minister has not said anything ab...

Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Ind) Ind

Good morning, minister. It has been eight or nine months since the original order came into force in May 2020, and we are being invited to extend that again ...

Kevin Stewart SNP

I remind the committee that we brought in the change, early, in May; we were not going to do that until the tail end of this parliamentary session. However, ...

Andy Wightman Ind

I challenge the notion that the people on the front line to whom you have spoken regard that as being of some utility. Shelter Scotland has told us that the ...

Kevin Stewart SNP

My officials talk to Shelter Scotland all the time. We have asked for examples of all such issues because I would follow them up. However, I do not have any ...

Andy Wightman Ind

Finally, I have a quick question about the rights of families and pregnant women to suitable temporary accommodation. Are they being fully met?

Kevin Stewart SNP

I expect local authorities to ensure that pregnant women and families with children are suitably accommodated. That is essential. From what I am seeing, we a...

Marion Gibbs

The unsuitable accommodation order still applies to pregnant women and families with children. We still have the normal rule that has been in place since 201...

The Convener SNP

We now consider motion S5M-23878, in the name of Andy Wightman, which asks the committee to recommend that the Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (S...

Andy Wightman Ind

There have been two extensions to the temporary exemption from the order—first until 30 September 2020 and then until 31 January 2021. The instrument would e...

Sarah Boyack Lab

I agree with Andy Wightman’s comments. People are going through horrendous experiences. We are in a difficult position, but I cannot support Andy’s proposal,...

Keith Brown SNP

I do not agree with Andy Wightman’s position. He does not seem to accept that local authorities have responsibilities in relation to how they manage their pa...

Kevin Stewart SNP

I agree with a great deal of what has been said by Ms Boyack and Mr Brown. Without doubt, as Ms Boyack said, vulnerability has been exacerbated by Covid. We ...

The Convener SNP

I invite Andy Wightman to respond to the debate.

Andy Wightman Ind

Time is pressing, so I will be brief. I accept that local authorities have their view and that the minister has his view. Whether homeless people should have...

The Convener SNP

The question is, that motion S5M-23878, in the name of Andy Wightman, be agreed to. Are we agreed? I can see that we are not agreed, so there will be a div...

The Convener SNP

The result of the division is: For 1, Against 6, Abstentions 0. Motion disagreed to.

The Convener SNP

The committee has agreed not to recommend to Parliament that the instrument be annulled, and has made no recommendation to Parliament in respect of the instr...