Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 22 November 2023
22 Nov 2023 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Housing
I welcome this afternoon’s debate on housing. I also thank stakeholders who have engaged with us today, whom I meet on a regular basis.
The Government has three missions—equality, opportunity and community. Housing is the building block for success in all three. To tackle poverty and protect people from harm, we must have secure and affordable homes. For people to share in economic opportunities, they need the stability of a home; for communities to thrive and to realise their full potential, people need a place to live in peace and dignity.
Housing is at the heart of our social, emotional and economic lives. I am committed to giving housing and homelessness the support and attention that it deserves, and I have been doing that since being in post.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-11351, in the name of Mark Griffin, on Scotland’s housing emergency. I invite members who wish to partici...
Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Before we begin, I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I ceased to be a landlord over the summer. I am please...
John Swinney (Perthshire North) (SNP)
SNP
The member rather glided past the question of economic illiteracy in the United Kingdom Government. I do not think that it helps the debate for Mr Griffin to...
Mark Griffin
Lab
My colleagues at Westminster have been highlighting that economic illiteracy and will sweep that Government out of office and make changes for the better for...
Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)
SNP
I have some sympathy with the scale of the challenge, as I will say later in the debate. However, real leadership requires sound policies to resolve it. The ...
Mark Griffin
Lab
We would build more houses. Labour’s record in Government shows that we built an average of 5,000 more houses each year in office than this Government has ma...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
You need to conclude, Mr Griffin.
Mark Griffin
Lab
It is time for the Government to accept and admit that there is a housing emergency in Scotland and to support the motion. I move, That the Parliament agre...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Thank you, Mr Griffin. I remind those who are looking to participate in the debate but who have not already done so to press their request-to-speak button. ...
The Minister for Housing (Paul McLennan)
SNP
I welcome this afternoon’s debate on housing. I also thank stakeholders who have engaged with us today, whom I meet on a regular basis. The Government has t...
Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the minister take an intervention?
Paul McLennan
SNP
I will not at the moment, thanks. I have met many experts in the sector, and I have spoken to tenants in the private and social rented sectors. I have heard...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister give way?
Paul McLennan
SNP
I will not at the moment; I have only a limited time. Our ambition is for everyone to have a safe and affordable home that meets their needs—
Daniel Johnson
Lab
Will the minister be taking any interventions?
Paul McLennan
SNP
Yes, I will—if I can make progress. That is why we are making £3.5 billion available in this parliamentary session for the delivery of more affordable and s...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the minister give way?
Paul McLennan
SNP
I will not at the moment, thanks. Scotland has seen 40 per cent more affordable homes delivered per head of population than in England and more than 70 per ...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the minister give way?
Paul McLennan
SNP
I will not at the moment, thanks. We have delivered more. Let us look at the figures, which I have here. Between 1999 and 2007, 43,500 affordable homes were...
Mark Griffin
Lab
Will the minister give way?
Paul McLennan
SNP
I will.
Mark Griffin
Lab
Social homes are clearly crucial. The figures that I gave were for all-tenure house builds. In every single year of a Labour Government, we built, on average...
Paul McLennan
SNP
Government does not build private houses. We help the private sector to do that, but we do not build private houses. The Scottish Government has delivered 40...
Daniel Johnson
Lab
Will the minister give way on that point?
Paul McLennan
SNP
No, I have to make progress. Back in 2016, we also brought an end to the UK Government’s policy of right to buy, which took more than 500,000 homes out of t...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Will the minister give way?
Paul McLennan
SNP
No, thanks. Looking forward, we are committed to delivering our target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70 per cent will be availabl...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Will the member give way?
Paul McLennan
SNP
No, I am not going to take—