Hansard

I am absolutely delighted to finally begin this last step of the Housing (Scotland) Bill with a debate at stage 3. It has been a long and thorough process. Before turning to the substance of what this groundbreaking bill will provide, I should like to offer some acknowledgements.

First, I want to mention members from across the chamber for their rigour in scrutinising the bill, and in particular the members of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, all of whom have taken a keen interest in the bill.

I extend significant thanks to all the experts who gave evidence to committee and who worked with the Scottish Government to help shape the contents of this ambitious piece of work. I also want to acknowledge the former ministers Patrick Harvie and Paul McLennan as well as the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, all of whom have contributed, at one time or another, to this momentous piece of work.

My thanks also go to the Scottish Government bill team, who have worked incredibly hard on the bill’s policies, as well as closely considering the policy purpose and legal effect of more than 1,000 amendments, and advising ministers on their implications. The team’s commitment to the service of Scotland has been abundantly clear throughout, and I want to thank them, as well as those in my private office, who have helped me to pull everything together—including the bill folder, which I have been carrying around for quite some time now.

Finally, and most importantly, I thank everybody with lived experience of homelessness or housing precarity whose advocacy will now help to change the law in Scotland in a significant way.

On that note, I should like to focus on just some of what the bill provides that the Government is particularly proud of. I will begin with the ask and act powers. We believe that everyone in Scotland should have the opportunity of a warm, safe and affordable place to call home. That is, ultimately, the cornerstone of a life of dignity and opportunity. Homelessness is not a one-off event. It is trauma, stigma and indignity, and it deprives people of the opportunity to live well, to succeed and to contribute fully in society. It must be ended, and we know that the best way to end homelessness is to prevent it from happening to people in the first place.

That is what our groundbreaking ask and act powers seek to ensure. They will sit atop Scotland’s already highly protective legal landscape and will ensure that ending homelessness is, ultimately, everyone’s business. Police officers, community link workers, social care staff, health visitors and social landlords are among those who will be expected to identify problems early and intervene if they believe that someone is threatened with homelessness. The approach is person-centred, flexible and responsive, and it will help to prevent the trauma and stigma of homelessness.

I mentioned the importance that the Government places on lived experience. I will share with the chamber a quote from a former service user, who was quoted by Advice Direct Scotland in September this year. They said:

“having experienced homelessness myself, I know how vital it is that people, regardless of their place in life, feel seen, heard and supported, with no judgement or feeling shame. ‘Ask & Act’ is a call to every front-line worker in Scotland to recognise the signs, to ask with compassion and act with purpose. The right question, asked at the right time, can change the course of a life.”

That is what the Government seeks, with the First Minister’s core objective for our Government being to eradicate child poverty in this country. The provisions of the big bill that we have been considering, together with the housing emergency action plan that was published at the beginning of the month, will help to serve that purpose. I hope that the Parliament will vote for the bill, offering as it does—and as was put to us by someone with lived experience and quoted by Advice Direct Scotland—the chance to

“change the course of a life.”

The bill does so much across a broad range of topics and, in the time that I have, I want to touch on a couple more. Since coming into post, I have been determined to do what I can to ensure that no one in Scotland—especially no child—has to live in a tenanted property with damp and mould. That is why we have been clear that Awaab’s law will be implemented across the social and private rented sectors in Scotland. My officials have already begun the series of round-table discussions with stakeholders that will help to bring in Awaab’s law from March next year.

By way of background, Awaab’s law is named after Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 in Rochdale in England, having been exposed to mould in his home. Although standards in Scotland have been rising gradually, to the extent that 90 per cent of all homes in Scotland are substantially free from damp and mould, we will not take any chances, especially not when it comes to the health and life chances of children.

I am conscious of the time, and this bold and ambitious bill does so much that I would like to mention, but another area of great importance to me is domestic abuse. It is utterly abhorrent, it is one of the leading causes of homelessness among women, and we must do all that we can to end it. That includes supporting the housing needs of women and children who are experiencing domestic abuse.

Among other things, the bill will create new rights to end a joint tenancy without an abusive joint tenant’s approval. I have also confirmed that I will work to lay regulations under part 2 of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 by Christmas to ensure that a victim survivor in a social home can stay in their home and remove a perpetrator of abuse. The bill will also require social landlords to implement policies to ensure that abuse or violence from a partner or former partner does not lead to somebody losing their home. That sits alongside a national fund to leave, which is backed by £1 million that the Government confirmed at the beginning of the month.

In opening, I have been able to touch on only three aspects of this groundbreaking bill. I have not yet been able to explore the system of long-term, evidence-based and balanced rent controls that the bill will create, nor the important rights to personalise a home. However, I will listen to members’ contributions and reflect on those other areas in closing. In the meantime, I commend the Housing (Scotland) Bill to the chamber.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees that the Housing (Scotland) Bill be passed.