Meeting of the Parliament 18 June 2025
I appreciate that and will endeavour to make the decision as soon as possible. Liam Kerr will understand that I must consider the terms of that decision very carefully.
As I mentioned, I have also written to the Deputy Prime Minister, who is the housing secretary for England. The properties were sold under the right to buy, which long pre-dates the devolution era. That is not buck passing—it is an instance of responsible Governments and individuals bringing together a coalition of responsible and responsive individuals.
I am aware of the calls for a public inquiry and for the establishment of a RAAC register. I think that the latter is impractical, because such a register would have to be continually updated as remediation took place. More importantly, it could have a negative impact on householders, not least those living in the mixed-tenure buildings that were mentioned. Public inquiries take significant time and have significant costs, and the focus, at least right now, must be on finding solutions and getting people settled.
Having people settled and settling the matter is what I want to achieve. North Lanarkshire Council has worked with affected home owners, which demonstrates that, although the issue is undoubtedly complex, we can find a path through it by working together.
My colleague Audrey Nicoll said that a meaningful and fair solution must be found. I want to find that, and I commit the Government to assisting in that.
Meeting closed at 18:14.