Meeting of the Parliament 13 November 2024
That aspect of rent controls is one of the areas where Patrick Harvie and I fundamentally disagree. Although the Government’s continuing priority is to eradicate child poverty—and rent controls are one aspect of that—we need to provide certainty to private investors to ensure that we have investment in the capital city and across the country. There needs to be a balance that achieves appropriate protections for the property rights of landlords and support for investment, but we must also always ensure that we protect tenants.
However, let us be very clear that we continue to listen. That is why, in the minister’s very recent statement, we said that we will move forward with consultation on exemptions to rent controls, whether those relate to issues such as those that have been raised with us about the build-to-rent market or those in relation to mid-market rent. That is a conscious attempt by the Government to continue to listen and to ensure that we strike the right balance.
I point to what is in the motion, which will also be read into support by the Parliament for the Conservatives’ motion. The motion talks about redrafting the bill, and there is talk in the press about scrapping the bill. That means scrapping prevention from homelessness, which does not help us to tackle the housing emergency. It means scrapping protection from overly high rents, which also does not help with the housing emergency, nor does it help those in poverty who are in difficulty in the private rented sector. The Parliament will have the opportunity to debate the bill at stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3, and to lodge amendments. The Government is keen to continue the dialogue, but we will not sway from our determination to move forward, tackle the housing emergency, have rent controls, protect those in poverty, provide certainty for private investors and, most importantly, introduce the prevention duties that are in the bill. The Tories want to scrap the bill, and that will in no way, shape or form tackle the housing emergency; it will make it worse.
I move amendment S6M-15401.3, to leave out from “believes” to end and insert:
“welcomes the Scottish Government’s Housing (Scotland) Bill, which delivers a package of support for tenants across Scotland, including rent controls and homelessness prevention duties.”
16:12Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.