Official Report 302KB pdf
Social Justice and Housing
Good afternoon. The first item of business this afternoon is portfolio question time, and the portfolio on this occasion is social justice and housing.
Social Security Budget
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the United Kingdom Government’s reported austerity policies on the Scottish social security budget. (S6O-05603)
We are investing somewhere in the region of £150 million a year to mitigate the impacts of UK Government welfare reforms. Any further reforms emerging from the Timms review of the personal independence payment or wider changes that are aimed at reducing the UK benefit bill could reduce our block grant. The strategic concern is that the UK Government’s chaotic approach to reform means continuing uncertainty for our funding settlement. Our approach to managing that risk is outlined across the fiscal sustainability delivery plan and the medium-term financial strategy, and is reflected in the balanced annual budget propositions.
A few weeks ago, I sponsored an event in the Parliament with Professor Gerry McCartney and Dr David Walsh from the University of Glasgow to present the findings of their book, “Social Murder? Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK”. It shows that the UK Government’s austerity policies are the main driver behind a decline in life expectancy in the UK. The event heard that most of those austerity policies are still in place and that they will be added to as a result of the health element of universal credit for sick and disabled people being cut by 50 per cent next month. Does the cabinet secretary agree that those appalling findings should shame successive UK Governments? Is it not fundamentally clear that only with independence can we fully protect our constituents from harmful austerity?
I welcome the work of Professor McCartney and Dr Walsh on the adverse impacts of UK Government austerity on life expectancy. Their research reflects that reducing poverty and inequality is key to improving life expectancy.
The changes to the UC element are one of a number of reductive policies that successive UK Governments have inflicted on the most vulnerable people in our society. Despite our repeated raising of the issues with the UK Government, it persists with those harmful policies. The member is correct that only with full powers of independence can Scotland realise its full potential.
That nonsense is all too predictable from Scottish National Party members and ministers. Let us look at the facts. There is no sustainable way to fund—[Interruption.]
I do not know what they are shouting “human beings” at. They just want to spout about independence, and I want to talk about helping people get back into work, because there is currently no sustainable way to fund the ballooning costs of benefits. The SNP spends £1 in every £7 on welfare. By 2030, the cost will hit £10 billion, with 1 million Scots receiving benefits by that date. Should the Scottish Government not have some ambition to help our country get back to work by planning to reduce the benefits bill and to help people get back to work?
The Scottish Government very much encourages people to get back to work, which is one reason why we have a lower unemployment rate in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.
My colleagues were shouting “human beings” because we need to remember that these payments go to some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. It is important to have the context in this. The proportion of the Scottish Government resource budget that is needed over and above the funding that is received from the UK Government through the block grant adjustment to meet the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s forecast will be around 1.7 per cent each year from 2026-27 to 2029-30.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure (North East Scotland)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the protection of people’s human rights in relation to new renewable energy infrastructure, including the proposed SSEN Transmission 400kV overhead power line in the North East Scotland region. (S6O-05604)
Regarding the specific proposal that the member raises, I am unable to comment on live applications.
In June last year, I met the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy to discuss areas of her portfolio where different groups experience particular impacts in relation to net zero, climate justice and just transition. The member can be assured that we will continue to engage on and consider those matters carefully.
Regarding new infrastructure, it is important to note that Scotland’s fourth national planning framework, known as NPF4, ensures that the potential impacts of proposals on communities and nature are important considerations in the decision-making process. Matters relating to electricity networks, including legislation and regulation, are, of course, reserved to the United Kingdom Government, with strategic planning undertaken by the National Energy System Operator, and the Scottish Government has no role beyond its statutory planning and consenting functions.
Human beings matter, and my question relates to the Scottish Government and its powers. Can the minister confirm that the proposed infrastructure will conform to all statutory and regulatory requirements and that consent will not be granted unless the Scottish Government is satisfied that the design properly reflects foreseeable and lawful land use? In the light of the serious safety concerns that have been flagged to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets about minimum statutory clearances and transmission line sag heights, can the minister also confirm that the infrastructure will not endanger agricultural workers?
As I have already said, I cannot comment on live applications.
More Homes Scotland
To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates the establishment of more homes Scotland will lead to additional social housing being built in Fife, in light of reports of long waiting lists in the region. (S6O-05605)
More homes Scotland will bring together housing, land, planning support and delivery expertise to simplify, scale and speed up the delivery of homes across Scotland, including in Fife. A design phase is under way and I will update Parliament on the detail this month.
Our record £926 million budget for the coming financial year and our commitment for the first time to multiyear funding certainty will give confidence to the sector, as will the £39 million that we have provided to Fife this year to acquire properties immediately, helping to reduce the use of temporary accommodation.
I am sure that we all agree that more homes Scotland must be laser focused on delivery. In that regard, what consideration will be given to making Fife the first test case area for the new body, with regard to funding and to the location of social housing, in order to tackle the chronic shortage of decent homes for people living in the kingdom?
I welcome Ms Ewing’s suggestion of a test case. The whole point of the current design phase is to draw on existing good practice while challenging ourselves, and the housing industry across Scotland, to identify ways to simplify, scale up and speed up.
The agency will be for all of Scotland, and my officials and I continue working closely with all councils, including Fife, to tackle the housing emergency. I reiterate that their expertise is helpful, as is the strong investment of around £153 million that we have made for affordable homes in Fife during the first four years of this session of Parliament.
Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the child poverty practice accelerator fund and how it is supporting families in Scotland with the cost of living. (S6O-05606)
I was delighted two weeks ago to announce round 3 of the child poverty practice accelerator fund, which supports the national mission to eradicate child poverty. Over the next two years, we will make almost £1.9 million available to enable projects to test innovative ways to support that mission. That builds on the fund’s first two rounds, which have supported a range of work, including work to improve the uptake of income maximisation support. Local authorities and health boards are already undertaking transformative work to tackle child poverty, and the fund supports them to do just that.
While the Labour Government continues to sit on its hands, it is encouraging to hear about the bold action that the Scottish National Party Government is taking to tackle child poverty and help families with the cost of living. Does the cabinet secretary agree that, if the United Kingdom Government is serious about tackling those issues, it must listen to the Child Poverty Action Group and finally scrap the benefit cap?
I very much agree with Jackie Dunbar. Analysis by Policy in Practice has found that, across the UK, as a result of the benefit cap, one in 10 children hit by the two-child limit would not benefit from it being abolished and a further one in 10 would benefit only partially. Keeping the benefit cap has been a conscious choice by the UK Labour Government and it is a disappointing one, to say the least.
In the coming year, the Scottish Government will invest £15.5 million to help to mitigate the impact of the benefit cap, but I urge the UK Government to scrap it at source as soon as possible.
Will the cabinet secretary clarify how many families in Scotland are impacted by the benefit cap? One of the main drivers is high rents, and most of the people who are affected by it are concentrated in the south of England.
One of the issues that particularly impact people with high rents is the freezing of the local housing allowance by the UK Government. That is another area where the Scottish Government is having to do the UK Government’s job for it and support people to keep them in their homes. We are doing that alongside our mitigation of the bedroom tax, which, again, the UK Labour Government has decided to keep.
New-build Housing (Adaptations)
To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that newly built housing is adaptable for future needs. (S6O-05607)
Scottish building standards already include provision that supports accessibility in new homes and enables future adaptations as occupants’ needs evolve. Those provisions help to create inclusive, flexible environments and reduce the need for later alterations. By way of example, the standards already require a designated future shower space on the main living level, space to allow the installation of a stair lift, and guidance on robust wall construction to support adaptations such as grab rails.
During the passage of the bill that became the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025, I committed to advancing, within the next two years, both accessibility and adaptability across all tenures through a Scottish accessible homes standard.
In my region, there have been instances of disabled people having to wait for lengthy periods for housing that meets their needs. None of us knows when we might need accessible housing, and, with an ageing population, it seems sensible to invest in that type of housing stock. What action can the Scottish Government take to support local authorities to adapt existing housing that is in their control, to ensure that the long delays that we are seeing in housing being allocated can be shortened?
This matter takes a lot of my time as housing secretary and, equally, as an MSP. Constituents are frequently in touch with me about it.
I am determined that the design of new-build homes should be such that they are accessible and adaptable and that our standards should drive that to the greatest possible extent. Equally, I am conscious that most people will grow old in the house that they are already in, so it is also a concern of mine that the adaptations system should be person centred and speedy. That is why we are updating the standards for new builds, and it is why I have committed to reviewing the adaptations programme across the board in order to drive those improvements.
I welcome the fact that the recently passed Scottish budget for 2026-27 will invest in Scotland’s housing sector. Can the cabinet secretary speak more to the Scottish Government’s plans to build our future by maximising growth and investment?
Marie McNair is absolutely right. The Government has put a great deal of emphasis on driving the delivery of more homes in the coming years and on driving simplicity, scale and speed. That will be done via the record £4.9 billion of investment that we have committed to in the coming four years, coupled with the certainty that we have offered. That is intended to deliver at least 36,000 affordable homes across Scotland and to support our all-tenure ambition by building the strength of the housing sector generally. All of that will be aided by the development of more homes Scotland.
Tenanted Properties (West Wemyss and Denbeath)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any recent discussions it has had with Fife Council regarding a solution for households in West Wemyss and Denbeath that were issued with eviction notices, following the sale of their tenanted properties by Wemyss estate to Torah Capital last year. (S6O-05608)
I understand that this is a very difficult time for those who are affected, and I am concerned about the significant impact that could arise for them and their community.
I am being updated by officers from Fife Council, and I met them and the council leader on 11 February. I also met David Torrance, the constituency MSP, on 29 January. I have committed to Fife Council that I will remain engaged with it as it supports the affected tenants and as it considers what options might be available, and it intends to report to me on those options.
In 2007, Wemyss estates disposed of properties in Coaltown of Wemyss. After a focused campaign, along with support from the Scottish Government, the properties were eventually sold to Kingdom Housing Association, which resulted in continued tenancies. Does the cabinet secretary share my disappointment that that option was not pursued on this occasion and that, instead, the properties were sold to the private company Torah Capital, which has subsequently issued eviction notices? Is the cabinet secretary able to give any indication of whether financial support will be available for Fife Council or a housing association, if it is needed, to facilitate the purchase of those properties?
The situation that has emerged and the background to it are regrettable. My heart goes out to the tenants who are affected by it. I understand that many of them have been in that area for a very long time and that it is a very close-knit community. None of us would want to see that disrupted.
That is why I have sought updates from Fife Council officers on this matter since the moment that it arose. I believe that they are considering the options very carefully, and I have committed to them that they can come to me with options to be considered and I will consider each of them and what the Scottish Government might be able to do to provide support.
I am sure that we all share deep concern regarding the on-going situation in West Wemyss and Denbeath. Can the cabinet secretary advise what engagement she and her officials have had with Fife Council to offer support and monitor any further developments?
I thank David Torrance for the question and for the time that he and those in his office took to meet me and explain some of the background and the available options as he saw them.
As I said to Claire Baker, I am in discussions with Fife Council. I am aware that it is considering options such as acquisition to support the tenants who are affected. It has committed to keep me updated on any developments, and our respective officials continue to engage.
Question 7 has been withdrawn.
Social Homes (Retrofitting)
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support registered social landlords with the costs of retrofitting the building fabric of social homes to make them energy efficient and fit for the future. (S6O-05610)
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of improving the energy efficiency of social homes to tackling the twin challenges of environmental degradation and fuel poverty. Since 2021, we have provided almost £90 million of funding to social housing providers via the social housing net zero fund, which has supported the installation of clean heat and energy efficiency measures in more than 13,000 homes. In our budget for the coming financial year, we committed to continuing existing capital programmes for the retrofitting of social homes, and I confirm that the social housing net zero heat fund will open to applications shortly.
Community-based housing associations in Scotland are leading the way on retrofitting Scotland’s ageing tenement stock. Reidvale Housing Association, of which I am very proud to be a board member, has been leading the charge in retrofitting and making fit for the future Glasgow’s historic sandstone tenements through the extensive renovation of a building at Bellfield Street, in Dennistoun. That is thanks to its securing a £1.2 million grant via the Glasgow local voids programme, which was funded by the Scottish Government’s housing investment budget.
That is a good news story that everyone can celebrate. However, with 70,000 pre-1919 tenements in Glasgow, there is a huge amount of work to be done. Does the cabinet secretary agree that that development shows the power that social landlords can have in improving their housing stock, and what commitment will the Government make to build on the momentum that is being driven by Reidvale and other community-based housing associations?
Like Paul Sweeney, I acknowledge and thank housing associations for the work that they do on retrofitting. I do not for one moment underestimate what a significant task it is, given the associated costs and the disparity in tenure and housing types that we are dealing with across Scotland. All of that is against the backdrop of some 30 per cent of people in Scotland living in fuel poverty and very volatile electricity prices. It is a complex picture, and our registered social landlords are working very closely with the Government on that task. I mentioned the £90 million that we have provided so far and the 13,000 homes that have benefited, and I have said that the social housing net zero heat fund will shortly open to continue that work.
That concludes portfolio questions on social justice and housing. There will be a brief pause before we move on to the next item of business.