Question reference: S1W-00474
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 8 July 1999
-
Current status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 22 July 1999
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that where local authorities transfer all or part of their housing stock, the statutory obligations imposed upon them for re-housing homeless people will be met.
Answer
The operational responsibility for allocating houses must be transferred to new community landlords if they are genuinely to have control over their own affairs. Local authorities will, however, need to ensure that they have access to sufficient housing to enable them to meet their statutory obligations, including their duties in relation to homeless persons. The contract of sale between the authority and the acquiring landlord should clearly define the rights and responsibilities of both parties in this area. The Housing Green Paper invited views on whether there was a case for changing the legislation to introduce further safeguards for access for vulnerable groups and we are currently considering the responses.