Official Report 1027KB pdf
Social Justice and Housing
Good afternoon. The next item of business is portfolio question time. The portfolio this afternoon is social justice and housing—
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Thank you, Mr Stewart. I do not think that the sound is working.
Housing Emergency Action Plan
To ask the Scottish Government how the steps set out in its housing emergency action plan will support its work to tackle the housing emergency, particularly for young people and first-time buyers. (S6O-04922)
The plan delivers on three principal objectives: ending cases of children living in unsuitable accommodation; supporting the housing needs of vulnerable communities; and building our future by investing up to £4.9 billion in multiyear funding. As well as investing significantly in a boosted affordable house building programme to support young people and first-time buyers in particular, we are expanding the scope of the open market shared equity scheme, increasing the targeted acquisition fund from £40 million to £88 million, working with councils to flip temporary accommodation and providing financial support for women to leave an abusive partner. Furthermore, subject to the Parliament’s approval, we will introduce a long-term system of rent controls via the Housing (Scotland) Bill.
I welcome those measures, including the expansion of the open market shared equity scheme. Guidance shows that the scheme is available to those on lower incomes based on affordability and that the Scottish Government can take up to a 40 per cent stake in the property purchase. However, the scheme is not open to younger people outwith certain priority groups, and applicants must be social rented tenants. Given that younger people, including families, often stay with friends and relatives and do not have any form of tenancy, will the Scottish Government consider reviewing the criteria in order to enable that group to apply? More generally, what further support can be offered?
I am pleased to say that, from 2 September 2025, the OMSE scheme is available to all qualifying first-time buyers, as well as to priority access groups. That policy change has been implemented to ensure that the maximum number of people are able to access the scheme, and it will help many who would not otherwise have been able to secure a home. I will consider the specific point that Mr Doris has raised and see whether anything can be done in that regard.
Pension Age Disability Payment (Redetermination of Assessments)
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage increase in redeterminations of pension age disability payment assessments there has been since January 2025. (S6O-04923)
Social Security Scotland’s priority is to make the right decision on applications first time and to do so as quickly as possible. As it is a new benefit, pension age disability payment application volumes are still increasing, but the number of redeterminations has remained low since the launch of the benefit in October 2024. Out of 2,575 processed applications for pension age disability payment, only 45 redeterminations had been requested up to 30 April 2025.
The figure that the cabinet secretary was looking for was a 221 per cent increase. Although that represents a small number of actual cases, it also largely covers the short trial period before the wider roll-out of pension age disability payments. Since April 2025, the benefit has been extended to 14 more councils, including Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Renfrewshire and West Lothian, which are some of our largest council areas. Given the rapid expansion in eligibility, does the cabinet secretary anticipate further increases in self-determinations? How does she expect that to affect the time that it takes to process applications across the system? Could we see significant delays as a result?
No, we will not see significant delays, because processing times are being kept under close review. That is very different from what happens with a redetermination, which is, I think, what Jamie Halcro Johnston meant in his question.
I appreciate that, when the member and the Scottish Conservatives are preparing a press release, they want to go for the percentage figure, but if we genuinely want to talk about how to get the right decision first time round, it is important that we have a sensible conversation about the fact that, strangely enough, as a benefit goes from being rolled out in three council areas to 32, the number of applications—and, therefore, the number of redeterminations—will go up. That is why it is important that we look at the proportion of redeterminations overall, which is still exceptionally small. As I said in my earlier answer, the absolute figure remains small. That is the important aspect in getting perspective on and context around the matter, rather than going for a cheap headline.
Recipients of disability benefits in Scotland will, understandably, be concerned following the United Kingdom Government’s recent proposals to cut social security, given the implications for disability benefits in Scotland. Will the cabinet secretary provide an update on the Scottish Government’s engagement with the UK Government on those proposals? In addition, what reassurance can she provide to disabled people and those living with long-term health conditions that their interests are being protected?
It is very important that we provide reassurance for disabled people. As I said, we are prioritising getting the decision right the first time for all benefits. It is also very important that we give reassurance that the Scottish Government will not undertake the cuts to disability benefits that are, unfortunately, still happening at Westminster. There was, rightly, great pushback on the threat to take away personal independence payments for people. The Scottish Government clearly laid out that it would not follow suit on that. However, cuts are still being made to the incomes of disabled people because of what is happening with universal credit, which is part of the reserved benefits system. I will make clear to the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions the impact that that has, not only on disabled people but on child poverty levels.
Disability Equality Plan (Funding and Timelines)
To ask the Scottish Government what funding and timelines will support the new disability equality plan to ensure that its aims deliver real change for disabled people. (S6O-04924)
I was delighted to attend the launch of the disability equality plan over the summer and to see the energy and commitment behind it. It is encouraging to witness progress and to know that real change is being prioritised. Timely and targeted funding is essential to the plan’s success and to disabled people’s organisations across Scotland, which play a vital role in advancing equality and inclusion. To support the plan, we are investing £2.5 million in key services and initiatives, including a new £1 million improving access fund to enhance advice, digital inclusion, mental health support and access to health and social care.
I thank the minister for that encouraging reply. Many disabled constituents struggle with accessible transport, housing adaptations and local mental health services. How will the plan directly improve support and accessibility in communities throughout Strathkelvin and Bearsden and the rest of Scotland?
We believe that Scotland should be a place where disabled people can live the lives that they choose with the support that they need to do so. Everybody should be able to participate in society, access their rights, take advantage of opportunities and thrive in their communities, including in Rona Mackay’s constituency.
In addition to the £1 million improving access fund to enhance digital inclusion, mental health support and access to health and social care, the disability equality plan directly links to and aligns with the work of the mental health and wellbeing strategy and delivery plan. We are focused on improving access to care and support, including through grass-roots projects that are supported by our communities mental health and wellbeing fund for adults.
We have successfully reopened the independent living fund for new applicants for the first time since 2010, enabling up to 1,400 disabled people in Scotland who face the greatest barriers to independent living to access the support that they need. We continue to work on ensuring that disabled people can travel with the same freedom, choice, dignity and opportunity as other citizens.
The Scottish Government says that it is committed to improving the lives of disabled people, but, for many people living with disabilities, there are still far too many barriers to getting into employment. In particular, people in rural areas have a huge issue, which we have seen in Moray, Orkney and the Highlands, where disabled employment gaps are much larger than those across the United Kingdom. What is the Scottish Government doing to ensure that those gaps are closed, particularly in rural areas?
It is unfortunate that UK Government leaders are backing cuts in that area, which is not helpful. Due to my extensive engagement with disabled people’s organisations, I am well aware of the variance in availability and access across rural and urban areas. One measure to address that is the launch of the pilot scheme in which funding is provided to enable companions of people who are blind or partially sighted to travel on trains. That helps people to access not only work but leisure activities and to be connected to communities. That has never been so important across areas where it takes longer to travel.
The delivery of targeted financial support, including the pension age disability payment, provides between £290 and £434 per month to eligible disabled people over state pension age. Measures such as the child winter heating payment also help in that regard.
Small and Medium-sized Home Builders (Support)
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scotland’s population being around 5.5 million and the reported need to expand the housing sector capacity, whether it will provide an update on what targeted support it is providing to address the reported decline in small and medium-sized home builders. (S6O-04925)
Over the summer, I worked extensively with partners, including small and medium-sized enterprise house builders, to inform the housing emergency action plan, which I presented to the Parliament last week.
A key pillar of the plan, as I said in response to an earlier question, is creating the optimal conditions for confidence, investment and growth in our sector. The actions in the plan which speak to that aspect include specific cross-Government interventions to better support SME builders and Scotland’s housing sector, including by working with the Scottish National Investment Bank, with investment over four years of up to £4.9 billion. That is complemented with an all-tenure delivery ambition across all sectors to grow by at least 10 per cent each year over the next three years.
Planning is another area that has been raised with me as being critical. As I announced, we will shortly write to planning authorities to set out our expectation for proportionality when dealing with SME house builders. We will extend the forthcoming planning consultation on accelerating the build of new homes to specifically cover measures for SMEs. I am very pleased that some of the actions that I announced were welcomed by Homes for Scotland, among others.
I thank the cabinet secretary for her full reply and agree that all steps must be taken to support SME house builders, particularly around planning and certainty over access to finance. House building is part of the picture to address pent-up demand; another part is retaining existing stock. I welcome the cabinet secretary’s recent warmth to the removal of rent caps to mid-market rent and build to rent, but will she extend that to all types of provisions, such as private landlords, or, as a minimum, will she allow rent rises between tenancies? My concern is that the Government could be at risk of legal action in differential treatment or, even worse, mass exit, which would inadvertently exacerbate the current undersupply of housing stock.
I reiterate that one of the principal concerns in responding to the housing emergency is about creating confidence in the sector. I hope that responding to key calls for multi-annual certainty, for an uplift in funding and for an all-tenure target will create optimal circumstances.
In respect of Ms Thomson’s specific question on exemptions from rent control, I was able to confirm last week our intention in principle to exempt from rent control build-to-rent properties and mid-market rent properties. That was informed by consultation, as well as by our housing investment task force. Included in the consultation was the question of exemptions for, for example, rents that have been below market rent or where repairs and investments have readily been made. I will confirm our position in respect of those exemptions as part of stage 3 of the Housing (Scotland) Bill.
The cabinet secretary will be aware of the report that was published by Homes for Scotland on 17 June. In it, Homes for Scotland recommended an overhaul of Government regulations to reduce the cost and complexity for SMEs that are trying to build more homes across the country.
However, I will ask the cabinet secretary about planning hold-ups, specifically. I was appreciative of the cabinet secretary’s previous commentary in response to Michelle Thomson’s question, but 96 per cent of SME house builders still believe that the planning process is slow. Is the cabinet secretary working cross-Government, with different portfolios, to ensure that we speed up the planning process and that SMEs are not disadvantaged when they try to build more homes?
In general, regulation and planning are good things. Regulation provides us with some of the best homes in the country. For example, those that are being built under our affordable housing supply programme are warm, modern and efficient. However, regulation needs to facilitate progress and not hinder it. I am very mindful of the cumulative effect of regulations in respect of house building, as I am with planning.
In response to the point about cross-Government working, absolutely; I am undertaking that, not least with Ivan McKee, the Minister for Public Finance. He and I are very closely engaged in the suite of planning adjustments that are being made as part of the Government’s programme for government, and also in those that I included in my statement last week—specifically, the new planning direction that ministers will give for the monitoring of the application of national planning framework 4, which will give us the ability to intervene in that process. That will sit alongside our expectations of proportionality, customer service and delivery.
It is no real surprise that, in recent years, 100 per cent of houses in Orkney have been SME built. Although it is clear that SME firms across the country face challenges of the sort that Michelle Thomson alluded to—including, ironically, the availability of housing for those working in the sector—there are specific barriers for those that are operating in island communities, with increased development costs, a one-size-fits-all approach to planning requirements and a lack of sufficient funding to take forward key projects. The cabinet secretary has helpfully committed to visit Orkney to meet those involved in housing development in the islands. Ahead of that visit, will she commit to looking at what further tailored support might be made available for small house builders to address the concerns that they have raised?
As housing secretary, I will remain in on-going contact with SME house builders, as I will with other representatives in the sector, because it is very much in my interest to understand the barriers as they see them and to seek to overcome them. Aspects of the plan that I set out last week intended to do exactly that, not least in respect of planning and my clear expectation of proportionality in the treatment of SMEs.
Mr McArthur is right that not only is supporting our SME house builders important in and of itself, but it also supports the development of much-needed housing in rural and island Scotland, where we know that SME house builders have an important part to play. I assure Mr McArthur and other members that the needs of SME house builders have been a very important consideration for me and my team as we have developed our housing emergency response. It has been informed by collaboration with them and it will continue to be.
The number of SME house builders in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years. According to the Homes for Scotland report that was published in June, nine in 10 SMEs say that it is their perception that the Government’s policies make building harder. I listened carefully to what the cabinet secretary said about her forward direction in addressing that. Is it her intention to intervene in the local government planning process to speed things up? If it is, how will she go about that?
Local authorities are independent corporate organisations, and planning is a semi-judicial process. I would not propose to seek to usurp or take the place of the planning authority’s job in carefully considering all that has to be weighed up. However, we have been clear about the Government’s expectation of a significant uplift in the development of housing and affordable housing.
Through the new notification direction, which I will set out, we will monitor how NPF4 is applied on housing across the country. That will give us the opportunity to intervene in the normal way when we believe that that is needed.
Housing Development (Inverclyde)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Inverclyde Council, private developers and registered social landlords operating in Inverclyde regarding housing development activity planned for the current financial year and for 2026-27. (S6O-04926)
My officials hold regular meetings with key housing stakeholders in Inverclyde to discuss progress, to share updates and to engage on key aspects of the affordable housing supply programme. At the most recent meeting, which took place in August and involved Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association and Inverclyde Council, the discussions focused on current priorities and future programme planning. This financial year, we are making £9.6 million available for affordable housing in Inverclyde.
The cabinet secretary is aware of the on-going discussions between RSLs in my constituency and Inverclyde Council, which are aimed at improving the local housing stock, but she might not be aware that River Clyde Homes currently has more than 400 void properties, some of which will be razed to the ground shortly.
Given that it already has a significant number of properties, River Clyde Homes is in a unique position in relation to the housing emergency. With targeted funding and support, some of those properties could be brought back into use to help to address the national housing crisis. Would the cabinet secretary be willing to meet senior officials from River Clyde Homes to discuss that opportunity?
Stuart McMillan is absolutely right to identify that how we deal with voids is a critical part of how we respond to the housing emergency. I am very much of the view that, in the same way as we must invest in new affordable housing and seek an all-tenure development uplift, we must also work closely on existing stock. That means returning social voids to use and bringing long-term empty private homes back into use.
My officials are in regular discussion with River Clyde Homes and Inverclyde Council, and I am sure that they would be happy to meet the association to further discuss how properties in its ownership might be brought back into use. I thank Mr McMillan for his invitation, and I would be happy to take it forward.
I advise members that question 6 has not been lodged, and nor have questions 7 and 8. Therefore, that brings portfolio question time to a close. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of business, to allow the front-bench teams to change over.