Ditch flawed Housing Bill, Tories tell government

The Scottish Conservatives will call on the Scottish Government to ditch its Housing Bill during a debate in Holyrood this afternoon.

The bill – which seeks to establish homelessness prevention duties and rent controls – is currently undergoing stage one scrutiny.

But the Tories have said it will not help address the housing emergency caused by a shortage of homes in Scotland, adding the government needs to redraft major parts of the bill.

It also wants rent control proposals scrapped permanently.

Housing spokesperson Meghan Gallacher said: “The housing crisis needs action, but the SNP’s Housing Bill is hopelessly flawed. It could actually make it more difficult to build houses and increase the cost of a new home by £30,000, according to experts.

“It also fails to address the fact that the SNP have failed to deliver on the affordable homes they promised, preventing many first-time buyers from getting on the property ladder.

“The SNP must ditch this flawed bill immediately, go back to the drawing board and come back with a bill that truly addresses the housing and homelessness emergencies.”

The party has instead argued that support small housebuilders, fixing the planning system and reducing regulations would help more homes get built.

A statement from public finance minster Ivan McKee on Tuesday confirmed the government would create a new housing planning hub as part of improvements to the planning system.

He told parliament: “Planning has not created the housing emergency, but it can help us to find solutions to the challenges we are facing. The Scottish Government is focused on working with partner organisations to identify how our planning system can help to provide these solutions.

“This decisive and properly targeted action, based on evidence, will provide more homes and better places for people to live in.” 

But Gallacher accused the minister of making a “last-ditch attempt to save their flawed Housing Bill”.

Scottish Labour has previously been critical of the bill, with housing spokesperson Mark Griffin saying it lacked detail. He has called on the entire bill to be redrafted to better tackle the housing emergency.

The parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee is expected to publish its stage one report on the bill shortly, and a series of amendments have already been confirmed by ministers.

The Scottish Government declared a national housing emergency last May. The announcement came during a Labour-led debate, and followed five council areas declaring emergencies within their areas.

Five further councils have since also declare housing emergencies, with East Lothian Council – part of which housing minister Paul McLennan represents – expected to become the eleventh to declare one later this week.