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Communities Committee, 05 Oct 2005

05 Oct 2005 · S2 · Communities Committee

Item of business

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Grahame, Christine SNP South of Scotland Watch on SPTV

Regretfully, I support much of what Mary Scanlon has said. I support the single seller survey in principle, but the process and the practicalities of single surveys have unravelled before us. It is incumbent on the committee to ensure that the legislation is workable. It is as simple as that.As Mary Scanlon mentioned, the prime mover for the single seller survey was the desire to improve the condition of Scotland's houses. On the evidence that I have heard, that will not necessarily happen. If a mandatory single seller survey finds something radically wrong with a property, the seller will not do anything about it because they are selling their house. Either the survey will simply impact on property values or people will get cosmetic work done.Another issue is the extent to which surveyors will be responsible for their reports. As we heard in evidence, indemnity cover will not be required for surveyors because that would push up the cost of the single seller survey. There are a number of concerns surrounding that issue.The single seller survey has been marketed to the public as a change that will get rid of the need for multiple surveys, but I am not convinced that it will have that effect. At the end of the day, notwithstanding the fact that the survey might contain a structural report, lenders might decide that they want another survey two and a half months later to establish the property's value. For that reason, I am not convinced that the single seller survey will get rid of the need for lenders such as building societies and banks to carry out additional surveys.Another concern is the fact that a valuation will be included in the single seller survey. If a seller is required to have the survey carried out in January when they are about to put the property on the market, the value of the property could have gone up or down by February or March. My understanding is that, in England, the idea of having the valuation incorporated in the single seller survey was abandoned. Perhaps the minister can address that point.Among the many issues that give me grave concern is the fact that so much of the detail will be in regulations. Both sections 101 and 102 begin:"The Scottish Ministers may by regulations—".The practicalities of the matter will be dealt with in regulations, which the committee will have no power to amend. Although the committee has the ability to consider regulations and comment on them, it cannot compel that regulations or other statutory instruments be amended.I have huge concerns about how the single seller survey will operate. I put on record the fact that—whatever my party's position on the processes and practicalities—my personal point of view was that single seller surveys and the purchasers information pack seemed a good idea. However, after hearing the evidence, my concern is that it will not work. I suspect that we will still end up with a single seller survey, but I put my view on record because I am pretty sure that the proposal will unravel.

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Communities Committee, 05 Oct 2005

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