Question reference: S6W-15233
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 23 February 2023
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Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government's Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities regarding any potential impact in Scotland of the proposed legislation that would give the Secretary of State powers to prevent developers from operating freely in the housing market if they fail to sign and comply with the UK Government's remediation contract; whether the powers in the proposed UK legislation would need to extend to the Scottish Ministers to achieve the same objective in Scotland, and, if not, whether Scottish Parliament legislation could create similar powers for ministers to prevent developers from operating freely in the housing market if they fail to sign and comply with the Scottish Safer Buildings Accord.
Answer
Scottish Government has regular meetings with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on cladding remediation. The provisions in the Building Safety Act which impact on the ability of developers to obtain planning approval or building control approval apply to developers operating in England and do not extend to Scotland. We are determined to ensure that buildings in Scotland with potentially unsafe cladding are remediated and developers step up and meet their responsibilities. Our focus has been on securing that commitment from developers through a voluntary agreement but we are clear, if we need to then we will legislate to safeguard residents and homeowners.