Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 March 2026 [Draft]
17 Mar 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill
We on the Labour benches are unequivocal that the horrors of Grenfell must never be repeated. It is incumbent on Governments across these islands to ensure that people have safe homes to live in and that lives are not needlessly lost through the neglect of Government and industry, which failed in their duties to the 72 residents of the Grenfell tower.
At the start of his contribution, Patrick Harvie set out many things that I agree with in relation to where responsibility and culpability for those areas lie. We have had a public inquiry that drew stark conclusions. To take that a step further and seek to demonise anybody who is involved in the building of houses as some kind of malignant force in Scotland is a jump too far.
There is the issue of some of the language that has been used in relation to this bill and around the polluter-pays principle. Of course, there are members of the house-building industry in Scotland—small family firms, for instance—that have never built a building above two storeys or taken on any of the projects that are involved in this issue, and they are worried that they will be affected by a general levy across the sector. It is right that we make sure that we get the language for the specific Scottish sector correct in that regard.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-21101, in the name of Ivan McKee, on the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill. I invite members who wish ...
The Minister for Public Finance (Ivan McKee)
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank the Finance and Public Administration Committee for its scrutiny of the bill and I welcome the evidence and insights th...
Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister confirm how many building remediations have been completed and whether he is satisfied with the progress rate?
Ivan McKee
SNP
As the member will know, a significant amount of work had to be done before the work commenced, but, as I have indicated, that work is now ramping up, as wil...
Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I reiterate the built heritage concerns. We already know that VAT is a major impediment to the development of derelict listed buildings, and we know that the...
Ivan McKee
SNP
Absolutely. The member will obviously be aware that VAT is the responsibility of the United Kingdom Labour Government. Regarding the points that he has made,...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I wish to say what I said at the start of my stage 1 speech:“Nobody could possibly doubt the far-reaching implications of the most appalling human tragedy at...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind)
Ind
I think that it was the member’s Conservative Government that actually brought in equivalent legislation in England, where I presume it will have a similar e...
Liz Smith
Con
The member is correct that it was the Conservative Government, but the housing markets are completely different north and south of the border. As I said earl...
Ivan McKee
SNP
More than 85 per cent of developers will not pay any levy at all and 89 per cent of development in rural areas will be exempt from the levy. How does the mem...
Liz Smith
Con
As I indicated earlier, I was pleased with the amendments that we agreed at stage 2, but there remains a percentage of developments in very rural settings th...
Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
On 4 September 2024, John Swinney said:“Keeping residents and home owners safe is our priority, and we are taking action to protect lives by ensuring that th...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
I will begin with a wee reminder of why the bill is necessary. It is necessary to ensure that the house-building industry collectively puts right the failure...
Michael Marra
Lab
Will Patrick Harvie give way?
Patrick Harvie
Green
I will make a little progress, and I will let Mr Marra in in a moment. I am responding specifically to some of his comments.The housing emergency should not ...
Michael Marra
Lab
Does the member recognise, though, that the number of housing completions is at a record low—the lowest level since records began—and that supply is critical...
Patrick Harvie
Green
There are many reasons why there are challenges in improving and increasing that supply, but supply is not just about numbers—it is also about type. We have ...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
That contribution shows why tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people across Scotland are delighted that Patrick Harvie is no longer a housi...
Ivan McKee
SNP
I know why Willie Rennie is going down the track that he is going down, but he knows very well that this is not something that is unique to Scotland—it is ha...
Willie Rennie
LD
Liz Smith was right. The housing sector in Scotland is different, and the market is different. We have been starved of investment, so we need to act incredib...
The Cabinet Secretary for Housing (Màiri McAllan)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Michelle Thomson (Falkirk East) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Willie Rennie
LD
I will take an intervention from Màiri McAllan.
Màiri McAllan
SNP
In this debate, it is worth remembering that we are talking about a contribution to what could be billions of pounds of public money to rectify something and...
Willie Rennie
LD
I understand some of the changes that have been made, and I welcome some of the ones that have been introduced, but the issue is still incredibly sensitive. ...
Willie Rennie
LD
I am concluding, I am afraid—I had only four minutes.That is why we will not support the bill. It is a cack-handed measure that will knock confidence in the ...
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
We move to the open debate.18:00
Michelle Thomson (Falkirk East) (SNP)
SNP
I will start my short remarks by popping in the intervention that I hoped to make on Willie Rennie. I hope that he will join me in my calls for an adjustment...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Michael Marra to wind up for the Labour Party.18:04
Michael Marra
Lab
We on the Labour benches are unequivocal that the horrors of Grenfell must never be repeated. It is incumbent on Governments across these islands to ensure t...