Paul McLennan
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking forward in partnership with East Lothian Council, Taylor Wimpey and Hargreaves, to deliver and expand the housing development at Blindwells, which has been classified as a strategic housing site. (S7O- 00129)”
“Scotland has decarbonised its electricity supply faster than almost any other country in Europe has done. More than 90 per cent of our electricity now comes from renewable sources—a transformation that is powered by the wind, waves and tides that shape our East Lothian shores every day.”
“We are at a moment that will define the future that we leave to our children and grandchildren. The science is clear, the evidence is all around us and the window for action is narrowing. Today, red weather warnings for extreme heat have been issued in the south-east of England.”
“Therefore, does he regret his party’s decision to close down nuclear energy in Scotland, which has been a huge contributor to the Scottish economy? Paul McLennan: I will touch on that. I mentioned the need for investment in the green jobs and infrastructure that grow our economy.”
“Paul McLennan: I go back to my point that the broader debate is about ensuring that those who are successful pay their fair share towards the foundations that make that success possible.”
“As the efficient and fair function of Scotland’s justice system is a priority for all in this chamber, does the cabinet secretary agree with me on the importance of the Scottish Sentencing Council and the courts working independently to ensure that objective?”
The complete record
Every one of 431 lines we hold for Paul McLennan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 9.
“Richard Leonard: It took agitation inside and outside the Parliament last year around the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 before the Government committed to reviewing the regulation and oversight of tied accommodation for seasonal agricultural workers. Now that it has done so, when will the Government publish that review? What urgent and immediate action is the Government taking on the ground for the 2025 season, which is now under way, to ensure that seasonal workers’ accommodation in Scotland is safe and habitable? Paul McLennan: Some standards are already in place for seasonal workers’ accommodation.”
“All homes in Scotland must meet a tolerable standard and, when a home is rented, it must meet either the repairing standard for private rented properties or the social housing quality standard for social rented homes. In a previous discussion with Mr Leonard, we recognised that there is a gap in protection for some seasonal workers’ accommodation. Officials were tasked to carry out scoping work to better understand the full context and consider potential solutions that could be used. I am grateful to Mr Leonard for feeding into that scoping work, and I would be happy to meet him to discuss the work further.”
“I hope that my announcements today will mark the delivery of a substantial acceleration in the pace and breadth of assessment across Scotland, as a necessary step towards the effective mitigation and, if required, remediation of affected properties across Scotland. We have the foundations of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 and the single building assessment process. It is now time to turn those strong foundations into real action. The Presiding Officer: The minister will take questions on the issues that were raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to the next item of business. I would be grateful if members who wish to put a question were to press their request-to-speak button now.”
“We will continue to work with partners to gain as clear a picture as possible of buildings at risk. We will use that information to make sure that properties that are at elevated risk are being appropriately addressed, whether or not their owners have come forward though the single open call process. We have already sought updated information from local authorities, asking them to provide an update on the situation in relation to cladding for each high-rise building in their ownership. Similarly, we have asked the Scottish Housing Regulator to provide information in connection with RSL-owned properties.”
“That follows intensive negotiations since the sharing of draft terms in September 2024, with significant progress made to agree key terms in principle. We are working towards final agreement as soon as possible. We continue to work in partnership with developers to support their efforts and to track, gather and assure information on their remediation progress. We will, of course, continue to make progress on the Government-led leg of this broad-based effort. As members will be aware, following our pilot programme, the Scottish Government is currently concluding the single building assessment process for 13 properties and is about to commission assessments for a further four. We will continue to support their assessment and remediation journey.”
“Once again, where a developer has accepted responsibility for the assessment and remediation of a property, it will remain for that developer to take forward and fund the work. The owner-led model that is envisaged by the single open call process will complement the existing developer-led and Government-led processes of assessment and remediation. We believe that this broad-based approach gives us the best chance of moving more quickly to address Scotland’s cladding problems. We continue to make progress with both developer-led and Scottish Government-led remediation. We are finalising an agreement with the larger developers on the developer remediation contract, which will enable them to take forward assessment and remediation of properties for which they have accepted responsibility.”
“Where a single building assessment has found that mitigation and/or remediation works are required to address a property’s cladding issues, owners will be able to apply for Government funding for those works. Information on the works that will be eligible for funding will be published on the Scottish Government’s website. It is expected that, at the mitigation and remediation stage, a local authority or registered social landlord would be responsible, as the owner, for taking forward and funding any required work. However, where social landlords are not in a financial position to be able to meet the costs of essential remediation works, the Scottish Government will consider the need for Government support and will provide financial assistance, subject to ability-to-pay criteria.”
“I should make it clear that, where a developer has accepted responsibility for the assessment and remediation of a property, it will remain for that developer to take forward and fund that work, as is appropriate. The single open call is already open on the Scottish Government website, where owners can find further information and complete a simple expression of interest. Of course, assessment is just the first step in making a property safe. Responding to the findings of the single building assessments is the critical next step. I can announce today that a further stage of the single open call process will be launched before the end of June this year. The second stage will extend the scheme to include potential support for mitigation and remediation works.”
“Assessment of that kind is a necessary first step towards the ultimate remediation of a property’s cladding. The initial funding will support a substantial acceleration in addressing the risks that are posed by cladding in Scotland. Importantly, the support will be available to the owners of all residential properties that meet the basic criteria, regardless of tenure type. That means that our support for assessment will extend to properties that are owned by local authorities and registered social landlords, as well as to privately owned properties. The investment is designed to reduce risk in the broadest range of properties as quickly as possible.”
“That is why, today, I am publishing a renewed “Plan of Action on Cladding Remediation”, which sets out the key actions that we are taking, who we are working with and how we plan to deliver a collective national effort. We have today launched what we are calling the single open call, which is a key element of that plan. It invites residential property owners or their representatives to notify us of their concerns about cladding in their properties. Having done so, and as long as their property meets some basic criteria of height and age, they will be able to apply for Government funding for a statutory single building assessment. Further, the Scottish Government will fund all compliant applications for an SBA for eligible buildings, up to an initial level of £10 million in the coming year.”
“We will strengthen fire risk assessor competency in Scotland and the requirements for duty holders to hire a competent assessor. We will work with local authorities and other category 1 responders to review and refresh resilience guidance, training and practice. We will, of course, continue to work with the UK Government to strengthen construction products regulation and the regulation of fire engineers and fire risk assessors. We will reset the ministerial working group on building and fire safety to oversee that work. As well as responding properly to the recommendations of the Grenfell tower inquiry, it is incumbent on the Government to tackle the problems of unsafe cladding.”
“We will ask the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and His Majesty’s Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland to report to us on changes that they have made to strengthen the effectiveness of their operational systems in response to the inquiry’s recommendations. We will undertake a further campaign to highlight the action that can be taken to support vulnerable people to take appropriate action in the event of a fire. We will continue to engage with partners, including social landlords, on the longer- term options, including necessary legislative change, to consider how to bring in the regulated requirements to carry out person-centred risk assessments. We will consult on the introduction of mandatory periodic fire risk assessments in specified multi-occupancy buildings to reduce the risk of fire.”
“Disgracefully, the Grenfell tragedy exposed the dishonesty of manufacturers who put profit above people’s safety in their homes. Our response to the inquiry has been published today. Although we have already delivered change and improvement to and strengthening of systems, there is still much to do. We intend to deliver an on-going programme of systematic improvement. The Scottish Government will consult on the need for new legislation to strengthen the building standards system. That includes introducing a compliance plan manager and changes to strengthen enforcement powers and sanctions. That builds on the established work of the building standards futures board.”
“The inquiry’s second report made 58 recommendations, covering Government structures, building regulation, fire and rescue, civil contingencies, professional competence and product testing and regulation. Although the recommendations are mainly directed at the UK Government, 43 are in devolved areas of competence. Last month, I met ministers from the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. We agreed to continue work collaboratively on building and fire safety matters. That is fundamental, as areas such as construction products regulation and professional regulation are reserved to Westminster. Government and industry in Scotland simply must be able to trust the testing and certification of products and the information that is presented by manufacturers.”
“The findings of the report expose failings in the construction industry, the regulatory system and the organisations that should have kept people safe. Although the fire occurred outside Scotland, it has been felt deeply here. There is a shared construction industry, in which many of the same organisations, practices and products are used across the United Kingdom. Immediately after the tragedy occurred, the Scottish Government set up the ministerial working group on building and fire safety to consider how buildings in Scotland could be made safer and how people would feel safe within their own homes. Much has been done to improve building safety since.”
“I am pleased to make a statement setting out the Scottish Government’s response to the Grenfell tower inquiry phase 2 report. My statement will provide an update to Parliament on a range of key actions that the Scottish Government will now take, in response to the inquiry’s recommendations, to further strengthen the safety of Scotland’s built environment. I will also provide an update on action that we are taking to increase the pace and breadth of our work on cladding remediation. On 14 June 2017, a fire at Grenfell tower in London resulted in the deaths of 72 people. It was a tragedy that should never have been able to happen. The exceptional work of the inquiry team is to be commended. The report of phase 2 of the Grenfell tower inquiry was published on 4 September 2024.”
“The Presiding Officer: Before I call Meghan Gallacher for a brief supplementary question, I would be grateful if members entering the chamber could take their seats quickly and quietly.”
“Reducing the number of households—particularly households with children—in temporary accommodation and the time that they spend in it is a top priority for this Government. Increasing housing supply is key to reducing homelessness, and we will continue to work with partners to deliver more affordable homes, the majority of which will be for social rent. Acquiring larger properties that are suitable for families will help to reduce the number of households— including families with children—that are in temporary accommodation. Scottish Government funding of £42 million in 2024-25 will help to increase the supply of social housing of the right type and size where it is needed most.”
“In that case, which has, sadly, been going on for some years, the health visitor commented: “I can categorically state that, in my 20 years of community nursing, of which 12 health visiting, I have never seen such living conditions and high level of environmental risk to children.” I ask the minister what has to happen, in 21st century Scotland, for this family to get a decent home. Paul McLennan: I am aware of the case and we are engaging with Fife Council on the issue. The standard of temporary accommodation is important, which is why the Scottish Government published the temporary accommodation standards framework in 2023, to ensure that accommodation is of a high standard and that households receive the support services that meet their needs.”
“The permanent secretary and the director of local government and housing met with the chief executive of Fife Council on 27 November 2024 to discuss the housing emergency, and I will meet with Councillor Hamilton in due course. In addition, Scottish Government officials meet with Fife Council officials regularly on a range of housing- related matters, including the housing emergency response. Annabelle Ewing: I refer the minister to recent correspondence about a housing case that I have raised with Fife Council, which I copied the minister in to.”
“I welcome this debate on housing, which follows a few weeks after the publication of Shelter Scotland’s research on children who are living in temporary accommodation. I attended and spoke at its event. The report lays bare some of the stark conditions for children and their families who are living in temporary accommodation, which Mark Griffin mentioned and which, quite frankly, are unacceptable. I agree with him on that point. It is important to remember that not all temporary accommodation is unsuitable accommodation. However, we know that lengthy stays in temporary accommodation are not good for the health and wellbeing of families.”
“It also gave us the ability to act when there was not an agreement between all residents. One of the key points of the act was the single building assessment. We had extensive engagement with developers to make sure that we had agreement on that point. As I mentioned, I will deliver a statement on 25 March to introduce the plan, and I refer to my points about increasing the breadth and pace of action on the issue. I am happy to engage with Mr Gulhane once I have made the statement.”
“The building owners are in debt, their insurance costs are sky high and they cannot sell their properties, but they live in a Grenfell tower-equivalent building, and they are not alone. None of those buildings in Scotland has had works completed and signed off, and that is not including the thousands of people who were not identified in the pilot. Almost eight years on from the Grenfell tragedy, with almost £100 million to spend, what reassurance can the minister, who is solely responsible, give us that he is demanding that progress is made as quickly as possible? Will he set out a firm timetable in the statement that he alluded to? Paul McLennan: We have taken action during that period. The Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 was passed, which gave us powers to enforce action against developers.”
“On 6 January, I outlined, in my statement in response to a written question, the Government’s strategic priorities for action on cladding this year. Those include: continuing with our current programme of work; increasing the pace and breadth of action on cladding; and developing a national endeavour to collectively address the risks associated with it. We have committed to publishing a plan of action for cladding remediation to set out how and when we will deliver on those priorities. I will make a further statement in Parliament on 25 March, when I will introduce the plan. Sandesh Gulhane: Nine months ago, I met the minister’s officials on behalf of my constituents who have faced numerous challenges and delays in the cladding remuneration process. Progress has been painfully slow.”
“It has just been told that the Scottish Government has knocked back its application for further funding. Perhaps the minister could consider that opportunity to be a demonstrator of sustainable reuse of Glasgow’s buildings, as part of the Commonwealth games project. Paul McLennan: I am aware of the importance that Glasgow City Council places on commercial properties coming back into use. We have regular discussions on that. I will be happy to consider the member’s point on Lar Housing Trust and come back to him on it.”
“Some recent changes might militate against effective reuse of listed buildings, such as those on empty property relief, administration of which was devolved to Glasgow City Council a couple of years ago. A charge is now being made, without any exemption, on vacant listed buildings. Because that process has been handled in a blanket way it is gumming up the market and preventing restoring purchasers from taking on listed buildings. I also highlight the opportunity that Lar Housing Trust has identified through its project to restore the Inn on the Green, which is a grade B listed property in Bridgeton. The trust says that it could have the building ready in time for the Commonwealth games next summer, so that it could house 150 athletes before it is first let on the market.”
“In 2025-26, we will invest £2 million to bring more privately owned empty homes in Glasgow back into use. The city has a very good record in that area. The affordable housing supply programme supports the conversion of non-residential property where such projects are considered a strategic priority. Glasgow City Council has supported several conversions of non-residential properties in the city through the programme. To date, those have mostly involved short-term conversions. Only last week, I met the Minister for Employment and Investment to discuss how we can collectively explore the conversion of empty commercial properties as part of our regeneration efforts. Paul Sweeney: Progress has certainly been good, but so much more could be done.”
“The member mentioned the increased budget as part of our investment of £768 million. Local staff will work closely with the local authority on that, and I am confident that we will see other such houses being completed in the near future.”
“Just this week, the Scottish National Party administration there opened 48 such homes in Kilmarnock. Many of those houses are already net zero compliant and are adapted and accessible to fully meet local people’s needs. Will the minister join me in congratulating East Ayrshire on its impressive record? Is he confident that the investment to be delivered by the Scottish Government through the recent budget will further enhance the housing programme for local people in the period that lies ahead? Paul McLennan: I am aware of the social rented housing project in Kilmarnock that Mr Coffey mentioned, which I am delighted to hear has recently been completed. It meets a range of housing needs, and the council is working to deliver much-needed homes in that constituency.”
“Housing to 2040 is our long-term strategy to ensure that everyone in Scotland has a safe, good-quality and affordable home by 2040. We are also deploying a number of priority actions to respond to the housing emergency. Since April 2016, we have supported the delivery of 920 affordable homes in East Ayrshire, the majority of which are for social rent. In 2024-25, we also made available £9.852 million to support the delivery of affordable housing across East Ayrshire. The Scottish Government is reviewing East Ayrshire’s recent strategic housing investment plan, which outlines its priorities for new housing investment. Willie Coffey: The minister will be well aware of East Ayrshire Council’s good performance on housing during this parliamentary session, which has seen 353 affordable homes being built, 169 of them by the council.”
“As I mentioned, there is also a £768 million budget. This is about a partnership approach, too, and one of the key issues is the local housing allowance, which was referred to in a publication by Crisis. I will be looking for the member’s support for increasing the local housing allowance as part of tackling the housing emergency. Pensioner Poverty Strategy 5.”
“There are 250,000 people waiting for social housing, more children are trapped in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh than in all of Wales and housing starts have started to slow down. With those figures in mind, what are the Scottish Government’s specific outcomes or benchmarks when it comes to ending the housing emergency? Paul McLennan: I will highlight some of the actions that we have been taking since the housing emergency was declared. Twelve local authorities are reducing homelessness and 20 local authorities are reducing homelessness in relation to children. There has also been a 55 per cent reduction in the number of void properties in Edinburgh, which is the member’s local authority, a 23 per cent reduction in South Lanarkshire, a 25 per cent reduction in West Lothian, and a 20 per cent reduction in Fife.”
“We are delivering a range of actions in response to the housing emergency. To support rapid action, we have targeted an additional £40 million at the local authorities that face the most sustained homelessness pressures. We have also announced an additional £1 million from this year’s budget to go directly towards sustaining tenancies. In 2025-26, we will deliver an increased affordable housing supply programme budget of £768 million, along with £4 million in homelessness prevention funding and additional funding to bring more privately owned empty homes back into use. Foysol Choudhury: Recent statistics show the scale of Scotland’s housing emergency under the Scottish National Party.”
“Scotland needs a thriving private rented sector, by which I mean a sector that offers good- quality affordable housing options and the value that investment in rented property delivers. As he knows, we have had discussions about the consultation that is coming up on exemptions, and I am happy to continue to have those discussions. I have also met the Scottish Association of Landlords about that. We will continue to have discussions with the member as we develop the bill. Housing Emergency 4.”
“Graham Simpson: I do not know whether the minister is aware of a survey that was done by the Scottish Association of Landlords, in which more than 50 per cent of people who responded said that they plan to cut the size of their portfolios in the next five years, and only 10 per cent said that they are planning any investment in the sector. Part of the reason for that is rent controls. Stage 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Bill is coming up, and the minister knows that I have lodged sensible amendments on exemptions to rent controls. Is he prepared to commit to having sensible exemptions, either in the bill or in regulations? Paul McLennan: I thank the member for his question.”
“The published statistics show that, during the past three years, the number of registered landlords decreased by 1.1 per cent—there are 2,655 fewer registered landlords. However, the statistics also show that the number of registered properties increased by 3.3 per cent during that period, which means that 11,047 more registered properties are available to rent. Although the evidence may point to some landlords choosing to leave the sector, that suggests that their properties are remaining in the sector or that new properties are being offered for rent. It should be noted that there are some limitations to the administrative data from the landlord register, including the time lag when landlords deregister properties that are no longer available to rent. The statistics should therefore be treated with some caution.”
“If we do not understand what the baseline is, how will we know whether progress has been made? Paul McLennan: I am happy to come back to the member on that specific point. We meet local authorities on a regular basis regarding the temporary accommodation framework. As he knows, we have also taken action to try to improve the situation through the funding that we have put towards acquisitions, and we are seeing reductions in voids in most of the areas that are under the most pressure. However, I am happy to come back to the member on that. Conversion Practices 2.”
“A new temporary accommodation standards framework, which built on the 2019 advisory standards, was published and shared by the Scottish Government in 2023. Local authorities and social landlords are expected to work towards meeting the framework before it becomes legally enforceable. We need to formally consult on the standards before they can be legally enforced. In the meantime, social housing providers have time to make improvements to their temporary accommodation supply, provide the necessary training for staff and ensure that new procedures are in place to meet the framework. Willie Rennie: There is clearly an issue, because the Shelter report was so stark. Does the minister understand what the baseline is? How many properties and how many local authorities are already meeting the standard?”
“Ultimately, local authorities are responsible for tackling substandard housing in their area and can require home owners to carry out work to address major defects. We discuss that with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers. As I said, we will keep Meghan Gallacher up to date on what we need to do to take forward the damp and mould issues that she mentioned.”
“That shows the scale of the problem and why we need to look at how to address discrepancies, because people’s lives depend on that being done. The United Kingdom Parliament introduced Awaab’s law, which requires all social and private landlords to investigate and remediate damp and mould within a suitable timeframe and to a high- quality standard. Given that we do not have that type of legislation in Scotland, will the minister look to introduce such legislation to ensure that everyone can live in a safe and warm home? Paul McLennan: I will be happy to update Meghan Gallacher on that point at the appropriate time. We have been in discussions with the UK Government and are aware of its proposals.”
“We have had discussions with colleagues on damp and mould standards and what can be done as part of the Housing (Scotland) Bill. Meghan Gallacher: We are finding out about the mess only if someone has a new fire safety system fitted. That is not good enough. To take a case study, a mother from Hamilton has been told by an expert that her two-year-old son is lucky to be alive after he vomited in his sleep due to living in a mould-infested home. South Lanarkshire Council has said that it has been working hard to carry out and alleviate any dampness in the property, and that the home is now habitable. However, the expert disputes that outcome and has since called for the family to be moved to a new, permanent and safe home. The issue involves not just the private rented sector but social landlords.”
“According to figures that were analysed in 2022, the tolerable standard failure rate was similar to that in 2018, with an estimated 55,000 households—2 per cent of all dwellings—below the tolerable standard. We took action on meeting fire alarm requirements: £1.1 million was funded to care and repair services in 2021-22 to support older and disabled home owners to meet the new standard, and £1 million was made available to enable the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to install alarms during its fire safety visits to owner-occupied properties that were assessed as high risk. We are engaging with local authorities, the Scottish Association of Landlords, the Scottish Housing Regulator and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on the smoke and fire alarm criteria. We have taken action on that point.”
“I suspect that those figures are even higher than reported, given the lack of clarity that surrounds data collection. My concerns relate to the health impacts that mould and damp cause— especially for young children. There has been no urgency from the Government to act on mould and damp in homes, although I would wager that every MSP has had at least one complaint from a constituent about mould and damp. Has the Government been sleepwalking into the latest mess, and why has nothing been done? Paul McLennan: I refer the member to my initial answer. In 2023, 562,000 dwellings failed the smoke alarm criteria and 407,000 failed the carbon monoxide alarm criteria—albeit that some of those dwellings overlap.”
“The Scottish Government is committed to tackling disrepair and to driving a culture in which good maintenance is given high priority. The overall condition of housing in Scotland has been steadily improving over the years, driven by existing standards. The increase in the tolerable standard failure rate is due to the introduction of smoke and carbon monoxide alarm criteria. The vast majority of the failures were in the private sector. We are committed to improving fire safety, but I have been clear that no home owner will be penalised if they need more time. Meghan Gallacher: Not only are we in a housing emergency; more than a quarter of existing homes are unfit to live in. I say to the minister that that is not a steady improvement. An estimated 270,000 Scottish homes suffer from mould, while 81,000 have rising or penetrating damp.”
“Paul McLennan: We are committed to ensuring that park home residents have appropriate rights and protections. The adaptations review will consider funding and legislation, including the situation for mobile homes. In addition, the Housing (Scotland) Bill proposes changing the basis for pitch fee uprating from the retail prices index to the consumer prices index. I also intend to engage with local authorities to remind them of their powers in relation to site licensing, with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets to raise the issues faced by park home residents in relation to oil, and with the United Kingdom Government to highlight the impact on Scottish consumers of the mis-selling of mobile homes. First Minister’s Question Time 12:00 School Leaving Age (Reduction) 1.”
“We are taking forward a review of the current housing adaptations system to consider how the process can be streamlined and made easier for people who need adaptations. We are also continuing to provide support to help registered social landlords meet their responsibilities to deliver housing adaptations. The 2025-26 budget will more than double the budget for that, taking it to £20.9 million. Colin Beattie: I was pleased to take part in last week’s members’ business debate on protections for park home residents, during which I raised the issue of park homes being exempt from financial help towards home adaptations, as per the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006. What steps will the Scottish Government take to improve protections for park home residents?”
“Another action that we are taking is a focus on houses for families who have a larger number of children. We are focusing on that through the voids and acquisitions discussions. I come back to my point about the temporary accommodation standards: we are continuing to press local authorities to make sure that they match those.”
“There are 10,360 children in temporary accommodation, which is a 150 per cent increase over the past 10 years. When it comes to education, there is a very specific ask in the report, which is in relation to children being relocated and therefore having to change schools. Given that the minister says that he works across portfolio with other colleagues, why has the Government not outlined a policy specifically on a presumption against children being moved from their school? Paul McLennan: We have taken a number of actions on that. I have previously mentioned the ministerial oversight group, in which I meet ministerial colleagues to discuss the issue, and actions are being taken forward—for example, on flipping. I have had constituents mention the same issue.”
“We are taking action in working with local authorities, and we are increasing the affordable housing supply programme budget to £768 million. On the quality of temporary accommodation, local authorities are expected to work towards meeting the standards that are outlined in the Scottish Government’s temporary accommodation standards framework. We continue to have those discussions as we target acquisitions and voids. Miles Briggs: I think that the minister would draw the same conclusion from yesterday’s evidence as the rest of us did: that is not happening. Children are reporting antisocial behaviour in the residences that they are staying in. Rats in cots are being reported. That is totally unacceptable. Clearly, the emergency response that the Scottish Government said that it would bring has not happened.”
“The research demonstrates the detrimental impact that poor-quality accommodation is having on children’s health and safety. All members who were at the event yesterday heard that. Why has the Scottish Government not provided standards of accommodation for the temporary accommodation sector? Will it take that forward in the Housing (Scotland) Bill? Paul McLennan: We are taking forward a number of decisive actions. I mentioned the acquisitions funding. Mr Briggs has previously mentioned Edinburgh. We have taken action with the City of Edinburgh Council to reduce voids by 55 per cent. I mentioned areas that are facing sustained pressure. There has been a 25 per cent reduction in West Lothian, a 20 per cent reduction in South Lanarkshire and a 23 per cent reduction in Fife.”