Hansard

I speak in the debate as someone who was a member of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee when its report scrutinising the bill was completed. I thank the committee clerks for their assistance in producing the report. We received helpful evidence from a range of expert witnesses and those with lived experience, which we found extremely helpful in reaching our conclusions. I am glad that the committee supports the general principles of the bill and welcomes it as a step towards accelerating the remediation programme.

We are all aware of the tragic events of 14 June 2017. A high-rise fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell tower block in North Kensington in London. Seventy-two people died and more than 70 were injured, and more than 220 escaped but were traumatised. The fire was started by an electrical fault in a refrigerator on the fourth floor and it spread rapidly up the building’s exterior, accelerated by the dangerously combustible aluminium composite cladding in external insulation.

Grenfell tower stands as a symbol of symptomatic failures and social injustices. It represents the neglect of marginalised communities, a disregard for basic safety standards and the prioritisation of profit over human life. Every person there had a life, loves, hopes and dreams, and aspirations. Their memories serve as a reminder that this cannot be allowed to happen again.

In the light of the tragedy, it has been concluded that extensive work is required in Scotland to ensure that a similar event does not happen here. The Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill must make housing in Scotland safer. The committee worked on a cross-party basis to secure a report that will be helpful in identifying how the bill can be improved at later stages of the process, and how engagement must happen with those who are living in affected buildings.

We made recommendations on a range of issues that need to be addressed and clarified. Very recently, the minister provided a detailed reply to our recommendations, and the committee will study that in detail. On the face of it, the response recognises that the issues that we highlight have considerable merit, and I welcome the minister’s commitment to work those through and engage with many stakeholders as the bill progresses.

The bill will ensure that Scottish ministers can assess, and take action on, certain buildings with unsafe cladding. It will also allow the Scottish Government to create and maintain a cladding assurance register in order to give residents confidence about the assessment and works undertaken once the buildings are remediated. The Scottish Government must ensure that the timing of a building’s entry on to the cladding assurance register should not delay resolution of the issues that are faced by owners and residents. The bill will also present an opportunity for the future creation of a responsible developer scheme, which would recognise those developers who are doing the right thing and protect the reputation of responsible operators.

However, it is noted that it may not be financially viable for all developers to finance remediation, and there are concerns about the potential impact of a responsible developer scheme on SMEs. We want the Scottish Government, therefore, to fully engage with those issues ahead of stage 2, by assessing the risk.

We are determined to safeguard people who are living in buildings with potentially unsafe cladding, and the bill has been introduced quickly to ensure that any safety hazards are dealt with swiftly. By proactively addressing the issue, we can help to restore trust and confidence in our housing stock for residents. To that end, it is important that the Scottish Government ensures that it communicates effectively with residents and owners so that they have confidence in the process and an indication of when the remediation programme might be completed.

I would welcome a commitment from the Scottish Government to report regularly on the progress of the remediation programme, to ensure that the bill has resulted in acceleration of the process.

The Grenfell tragedy caused a lot of anger, upset and, ultimately, fear among people living in tower blocks. The bill demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to the wellbeing of our residents, and I hope that, with its issues clarified, the bill can reassure them that their voices are being heard and that their safety is paramount. Every individual has the right to feel safe and secure in their home, and the bill must be a step further in helping our citizens to feel protected.

We therefore support the broad principles of the bill, but there is much to be improved and clarified before stage 2. It is essential that the Scottish Government responds positively to all the recommendations in the committee report. That would send a strong message that the safety and wellbeing of Scottish citizens are a clear priority for the Scottish Parliament.