Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 30 September 2025
30 Sep 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
The next item of business is stage 3 proceedings on the Housing (Scotland) Bill. In dealing with the amendments, members should have the bill as amended at stage 2—SP bill 45A—along with the second marshalled list and the second grouping of amendments.
The division bell will sound and proceedings will be suspended for around five minutes for the first division. The period of voting for the first division will be 30 seconds. Thereafter, I will allow a voting period of one minute for the first division after a debate.
Members who wish to speak in the debate on any group of amendments should press their request-to-speak buttons or enter RTS in the chat function as soon as possible after I call the group.
Members should now refer to the marshalled list of amendments.
Section 41—Duties of relevant bodies in relation to homelessness
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is stage 3 proceedings on the Housing (Scotland) Bill. In dealing with the amendments, members should have the bill as amended at s...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
We have reached group 19, which is on housing and homelessness: supporting persons experiencing etc abuse. Amendment 309, in the name of Katy Clark, is group...
Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I will speak to amendment 309 and my other amendments in the group. Amendment 309 would require relevant bodies to ask individuals who they have reason to be...
The Cabinet Secretary for Housing (Màiri McAllan)
SNP
I will begin by addressing Katy Clark’s amendments 309 and 310, which would oblige the relevant body to ask “whether the person is homeless or threatened wi...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Màiri McAllan
SNP
Speaking of interests, I will absolutely take Mr Stewart’s intervention.
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I thank the cabinet secretary for taking my intervention. I am very pleased to hear her say that the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 will be ...
Màiri McAllan
SNP
I am very happy to give that assurance to Kevin Stewart, because I know the import that he places on those matters. I hope that he, and other members, see th...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Màiri McAllan
SNP
Yes, I will.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Please be brief.
Maggie Chapman
Green
I understand what the cabinet secretary is saying, but given that, as we have discussed in relation to other legislation, including legislation that we passe...
Màiri McAllan
SNP
I understand entirely the point that Maggie Chapman puts to me, but I am afraid that I cannot commit today to putting that into primary legislation, because ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I call Maggie Chapman to speak to amendment 327 and other amendments in the group.
Maggie Chapman
Green
I am grateful for the work that I know the cabinet secretary has done with Scottish Women’s Aid. Because of that work, I will not move amendment 327. I have...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I call Meghan Gallacher to speak to amendment 111 and the other amendments in the group.
Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
It is good to begin today’s housing bill proceedings on a positive note. I thank the previous cabinet secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, and Màiri McAllan f...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I call Katy Clark to wind up and to press or withdraw amendment 309.
Katy Clark
Lab
The cabinet secretary seems to be saying that amendments 309 to 312 and 329 are not required, because the bill will require that landlords adopt a domestic a...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
To clarify, are you pressing amendment 309?
Katy Clark
Lab
I press my amendment.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
The question is, that amendment 309 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
There will be a division. As this will be the first division of the stage 3 proceedings today, I suspend the meeting for around five minutes, to allow member...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
We will proceed with the division on amendment 309, in the name of Katy Clark. The vote is closed.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (Neil Gray)
SNP
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect to the app. I would have voted no.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Thank you, Mr Gray. I will ensure that that is recorded. For Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (C...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
The result of the division is: For 48, Against 58, Abstentions 0. Amendment 309 disagreed to. Amendment 310 moved—Katy Clark.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
The question is, that amendment 310 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
There will be a division. The vote is closed. I call Angus Robertson for a point of order.
The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture (Angus Robertson)
SNP
I am sorry, Presiding Officer, but I wanted to make a point of order for the previous vote. I would have voted no in the previous vote, but I have taken part...