John Swinney
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Since the report from several years ago was published, the Government has presided over the passage of legislation to rationalise that area of activity. Work is under way to transfer the responsibility for the funding of further education student support from the Scottish Funding Council to the Student Awards Agency Scotland.”
“I appreciate the urgency of the general policy elements of the question, because a number of applications are now being considered by planning authorities. My view is that, given the concerns that have been expressed by planning authorities, the Government has to be responsive to the issue.”
“For as long as we do not have a proper strategy on prison capacity, rehabilitation and clearing the court backlog, early release will be a revolving door, with people going in, coming out and going back into our prisons. Our justice system is in crisis, so we need a strategy.”
“I associate myself unreservedly Mr Cole-Hamilton’s comments about the feelings in the Muslim community. On Monday, I visited the Broomhouse mosque along with Simita Kumar and the Annandale Street mosque in Edinburgh with Ben Macpherson.”
“The development of further guidance will be undertaken in a manner consistent with the ruling by Lady Ross. Malcolm Offord: I thank the First Minister for his answer, which was more comprehensive than I expected.”
“I am a huge supporter of apprenticeship programmes. With foundation apprenticeships and graduate apprenticeships, the Government has brought forward important reforms that create new and successful pathways for young people. I am determined to make sure that every young person has that desirable pathway for their future.”
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“We have taken steps to restore winter fuel payments to pensioners in Scotland. We have made provision for that in our budget, which takes direct account of the cuts that the incoming Labour UK Government made as one of its first acts. We have also invested in providing the Scottish child payment, which is keeping thousands of children here out of poverty. Our budget also included provision for steps to remove the two-child cap, which I would have expected the Labour UK Government to remove, but it has not done so. I assure my colleague Collette Stevenson that the Scottish Government will do all that we can to eradicate poverty, but our challenge is all the greater because of the actions of the Labour”
“Collette Stevenson: The Scottish Labour Party has been shamefully silent about the UK Government’s cuts to disability benefits, despite their damaging impact. That is on top of its failure to oppose the Labour UK Government’s cuts to winter fuel payments and the maintenance of Westminster’s cruel two-child cap and its failure to back fair compensation for the WASPI women— women against state pension inequality. While Scottish Labour sits on its hands and watches the UK Government push more people into poverty, will the First Minister advise what steps the Scottish National Party Government is taking here to support households that have been affected by the worst aspects of Westminster austerity? The First Minister: The Scottish Government has intervened on several of those issues.”
“I remain deeply concerned about the effects of the reforms on people across Scotland, particularly those with disabilities or long-term conditions. The UK Government’s own analysis shows that the reforms will push a further 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into relative poverty by the end of the decade. We will see 3.2 million families lose out because of planned changes to the universal credit health element. The Scottish Government is taking concrete action to support disabled people in Scotland. For example, since January, we have provided support to 430,000 people through our adult disability payment and, following the national roll- out of pension-age disability payments, we are now providing support to disabled people of all ages.”
“If members want to dismiss what I am saying, perhaps they will take seriously what Dr Donald Macaskill, the chief executive of Scottish Care, said when he suggested that our ability to deliver social care in this country has been directly damaged by the actions, language and rhetoric of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. That is a disgrace. Disability Benefits (Reductions) 4.”
“There is another dimension to this matter, which Mr Cole-Hamilton and I might agree on—namely, the prevailing attitude about care staff in our country. On Monday, the message from the Prime Minister was catastrophic for the care sector in Scotland. I have never heard anything so damaging for the delivery of care in our communities. Mr Cole-Hamilton is absolutely entitled to put those questions to me, but the Prime Minister’s irresponsible statements on Monday will have huge implications for the delivery of social care here.”
“They are interlinked, so the Government takes a whole- system approach—that is how the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and I take those issues forward in our dialogue with the health service. The level of delayed discharges is falling—it has come down from its peak by just short of 200 places. [John Swinney has corrected this contribution. See end of report.] It is still far too high, but it is coming down because of the investment that the Government’s budget, which Mr Cole-Hamilton supported, is putting into health and social care at a community level. The Government has intervened to support the acquisition by the public sector of care homes— one in Fort William and one in Mallaig.”
“It is because there is no care home place to receive them or care package to help them to go home. That means that hospitals are overwhelmed, people are not getting operations and ambulances are stacking up outside our accident and emergency departments. Will the First Minister commit to building new care homes in areas such as the west Highlands, delivering key worker housing and boosting salaries to make social care a profession of choice—and to doing those things with urgency? The First Minister: I agree with a lot of what Alex Cole-Hamilton has said, because there is a link between hospital capacity, social care capacity and ambulance demand.”
“It is essential that we have effective social care services in all our communities in Scotland, no matter the geography. The experience of the couple in Acharacle that Alex Cole-Hamilton cited is concerning. Of course I want people to have access to local care services. We work closely on joint work between the health service and local authorities to support the delivery of care in all our communities, which is the subject of focused work that is being done to ensure that care home provision and social care services are available in all communities around the country. Alex Cole-Hamilton: It is not just people such as Nino who are being denied precious time with their loved ones, because, on any given night, 2,000 Scots are stuck in hospital in this country. They are well enough to leave but they cannot. Why?”
“In relation to ferry services, as I indicated to Russell Findlay, the Government has invested in the ferry network to do two things: to ensure that we can acquire new capacity for the years to come—those vessels will be delivered on to the network—and to make it more affordable for people in island communities to utilise ferry services. I say to Mr Sarwar that the Government will, at all times, invest in our ferry network, invest in our island communities and apply the stringent controls to public finances that have resulted in the Government being re-elected several times—and we intend to be re-elected again in 2026. Social Care (Availability of Care Homes) 3.”
“The First Minister: The Government has applied consistent stewardship of the public finances, which has resulted in our delivering balanced budgets for every year of the Government’s term in office, despite the enormous pressures that exist on public finances. Mr Sarwar talked about the construction costs for prisons. I wonder whether he has looked at any data on the impact on capital costs of the energy price increases after the invasion of Ukraine. Those costs are affecting every capital project in the whole of the United Kingdom, as a consequence of those factors. That is not to mention the fact that the Barlinnie project that he cited is a larger and more extensive project than was originally conceived.”
“A prison that was supposed to cost £100 million is now costing £1 billion—and that amount is rising—millions and millions of pounds of public money have been wasted on legal fees to defend the incompetence of the SNP Government, and we are rapidly approaching half a billion pounds of public money having been spent on two delayed ferries. Today, I can reveal that more than £500 million has been spent on fixing the ageing ferry fleet, while overbudget vessels lay unfinished. This is now a £1 billion SNP ferry fiasco, made by the SNP but paid for by working Scots. Is it not the case that John Swinney and the SNP cannot be trusted with the public’s money?”
“The Cabinet Secretary for Transport made it clear that the Government is engaged in active discussions about acquiring the Ardrossan port in order for us to undertake the necessary improvements and strengthening of the port, which have not taken place to date because it is in private ownership. The Government is delivering a sustained ferry service to the island of Arran, which is providing adequate capacity, and the Government will continue its investment programme, which will be strengthened by the arrival of the Glen Rosa and the other steps that I mentioned in relation to Ardrossan. Anas Sarwar: The fact is that the SNP is addicted to wasting people’s money.”
“The principal vessel that is responsible for servicing the Arran network, the MV Caledonian Isles, required extensive repair and is expected to re-enter service on 9 June. It will be able to operate from the port of Ardrossan, which is its main and home port. In the interim, two vessels have been providing sustainable services from Troon—I accept that that is a different location from Ardrossan—the MV Glen Sannox and the MV Alfred, which, according to the information that is available to me, have been delivering appropriate and adequate capacity for the Arran route at all times. CalMac has made judgments to ensure that the route has been sustainable.”
“Linda Johnston, the co-founder of the Auchrannie resort, told me that “businesses are being pushed to breaking point”. Bill Calderwood, of the Isle of Arran ferry committee, said: “The community are at a loss at what more can be said about the continued examples of mismanagement on this project”. Sheila Gilmore, the chief executive of VisitArran, said: “We are going through an economic and social crisis. Arran is an amazing island with so much to offer, if only more people could get there”. Why are John Swinney and the SNP repeatedly failing our island communities? The First Minister: I understand the pressures that exist in Arran, and I have met many of the businesses and organisations that Mr Sarwar mentioned, but I will point out a number of things in response.”
“I am acutely conscious of the challenges with the island ferry network, but, despite those issues, the network performs very strongly for island communities, and the Government’s investment will help to build resilience in the years to come. Anas Sarwar: The First Minister has basically said that island communities should be angry with the weather rather than with the Scottish Government, but they are angry with the Scottish Government because it has failed them. The Scottish National Party’s ferry fiasco is damaging lives and livelihoods on the Isle of Arran. For islanders, that means round trips of at least three hours for hospital appointments, school trips cancelled for kids at a moment’s notice and utter chaos for businesses. Let me give a few examples.”
“As a consequence of decisions that I have made, for which I am very happy to be accountable, we have made investment in two new vessels—the Glen Rosa and the Glen Sannox—two additional vessels are coming for the Islay route, two new vessels are coming for the Little Minch route and seven small vessels are coming. On CalMac sailings, statistics for the last full year show that there were 170,215 scheduled sailings on the CalMac network. Only 3.4 per cent of sailings were cancelled due to technical or other reasons; the overwhelming majority of cancellations on the route were, understandably, because of weather-related issues.”
“He has never accepted blame and no one in the SNP ever has or ever will. Not a single one of them has held up their hands to islanders or to taxpayers. We have seen half a billion pounds and almost a decade wasted, so who is responsible? The First Minister: I unreservedly accept my responsibility for everything that happens in the name of my Government. [Interruption.]”
“I cannot be definitive in my answer to Mr Findlay on that point because the risk contingency depends on the sequence of events that takes place during the completion of the vessel. I make it clear to Parliament that it is unacceptable that those vessels have cost so much and that such delays have been experienced. The Government is focused on ensuring that the vessels enter service, so that we can deliver on our commitments to provide sustainable ferry services for island communities. Russell Findlay: That is a deeply concerning answer from the First Minister, who is clearly not willing, or perhaps not able, to say how much that will end up costing taxpayers or when the boats will both be in service. It was John Swinney who personally signed off what was a corrupt CalMac procurement process.”
“Three years ago, we specifically asked Nicola Sturgeon whether the cost would exceed £400 million, and she said: “I simply do not recognise those numbers.”—[Official Report, 31 March 2022; c 13.] Scotland’s taxpayers certainly do recognise those numbers, because they are the ones paying the bill for the Scottish National Party’s mess. This week, the BBC reported that the ferries will now cost £460 million and counting. Does John Swinney at least recognise those numbers? What will the final cost to taxpayers be? The First Minister: The total forecast cost to complete the vessel has increased from £150 million to £172.5 million, with an additional risk contingency of £12.5 million.”
“I make it clear that the time taken to build the Glen Rosa is unacceptable. Yesterday, the Deputy First Minister set out to Parliament many of the reasons why that is the case. The delay has, obviously, caused disruption to island communities and the Scottish Government is focusing on ensuring, through the measures that the Deputy First Minister outlined yesterday, that early progress is made on the Glen Rosa so that it can join the Glen Sannox in service at the earliest possible opportunity. Russell Findlay: We asked John Swinney’s predecessor how high the eventual bill for the Glen Rosa and the Glen Sannox was likely to be.”
“I am forever grateful to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for caring for its many cemeteries here at home and abroad, which offer families peaceful moments to come together and pay their respects to loved ones who have been lost.”
“There were another three long months of suffering before the surrender of Japan brought the second world war to its ultimate conclusion. There are few milestones more significant in our modern history than the one that we celebrate today. Today, we enjoy our freedom thanks to our armed forces, which served during the second world war. During six years of conflict, 380,000 members of the British armed forces lost their lives, as well as more than 67,000 civilians. Memorials to the 57,000 Scottish soldiers who died can be found far and wide, from Albania to Greece and from Hungary to Zimbabwe. For every soldier killed, many broken hearts were left behind to suffer the grief as parents, as children and as friends.”
“I am honoured to open the debate on behalf of the Scottish Government and to share my reflections on the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe day. Today, we give thanks to every individual who fought and sacrificed to ensure victory over fascism during the second world war. Presiding Officer, 8 May 1945 was a day of great celebrations across the country and the world as news spread of the allied victory in Europe. The end of the war in Europe brought with it an enormous sense of relief, as memories of bombings and U-boat attacks could finally begin to fade, and hope for the future grew instead— especially for the safe return of family and friends overseas. We must not forget, however, that the fighting continued in Japan and Myanmar.”
“The Presiding Officer: That concludes First Minister’s question time. The next item of business is a members’ business debate in the name of Michael Marra. We will have a short suspension to allow those who are leaving the gallery and the chamber to do so. 12:56 Meeting suspended. 12:59 On resuming— Wraparound Care (Children with Additional Support Needs)”
“I have said to the public and to Parliament that I will not take an increase in my MSP salary and I will not take an increase in my ministerial pay; it will be frozen at 2008-09 levels. From my recollection, I do not think that any different pay has been put into my bank account. [Interruption.] I will go and check that, but I do not think that that is the case. [Interruption.] I think that it says something about where the Conservative Party has reached that— [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear the First Minister. The First Minister: I think that it says something about the depths that the Conservative Party has now reached that it is not prepared to take in good faith anything that is said across the chamber. It never ceases to amaze me how low the Conservative Party will stoop. It is a disgusting organisation.”
“The First Minister: To be clear—it is important that members of the public hear the facts— ministers will get their full MSP salary in the same way that every other member of the Scottish Parliament gets their full salary, apart from one person: me. I have decided—voluntarily—to maintain the freeze on my MSP pay as well as the freeze on my First Minister’s salary. To the best of my knowledge, I have not had an increase in my salary, in terms of the cash payment that has been made, as a consequence of the recent uplift. [Interruption.] I will go and check that, and I will make the position clear this afternoon. I am very happy to do that. I have no worries about sharing that information.”
“What I decided to do about ministerial pay was to apply the approach that pertained when Mr Ross was a minister in the United Kingdom Government— Douglas Ross: Did you get it or not? The Presiding Officer: Mr Ross. The First Minister: —which is that ministers are entitled to take their full pay as members of the Scottish Parliament, but that their ministerial pay remains frozen at 2008-09 levels. Actually, I do not think that that was the position when Mr Ross was a minister. Ministers in the Scottish Government are getting the same pay, as MSPs, as everybody else, apart from—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Mr Ross, if I hear you once more, you will leave this chamber. Please continue, First Minister.”
“The Government is committed to supporting individuals who face challenges in the cost of living crisis that we are experiencing. The steps that the Government announced on Tuesday will support commuters. For example, an individual who commutes each working day between Edinburgh and Glasgow could expect to save almost £4,000 over the course of the year, from September, which is a formidable saving to assist individuals in their lives. That is just another example of the cost of living guarantee. People can be assured by a Government that is prepared to put a budget to the Parliament to support that, and to make sure that we help hard-pressed householders the length and breadth of Scotland. First Minister (Salary)”
“Ministers have met Pam Gosal several times to discuss her bill. I acknowledge that it has been published this morning. As always with members’ bills, the Government will engage on that question. We are always willing to explore any options to reduce crime and reoffending, particularly as they affect domestic abuse in our society. Ministers will be happy to engage on that question. Peak Rail Fares (Abolition)”
“The terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan are highly concerning. I share Mr Kidd’s aspiration that all leaders should choose dialogue, diplomacy and shared humanity ahead of force and bloodshed. There can be no winners in further military escalation. The world has enough conflict on its hands at present. I urge that dialogue in order to resolve the issues. Scotland’s Indian and Pakistani communities enrich Scotland’s society socially, culturally and economically. I am mindful of the importance of encouraging and sustaining community cohesion in what will be a worrying time. I will do everything that I can to try to draw communities together at this anxious time in Scotland. Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland)”
“That is at the very heart of the direct award; there is an objective of doing exactly that. One of the key obligations in the contract is the necessity of engaging with communities. There is a more significant role in the direct award for the ferries community board, which is able to articulate many of the issues that Mr Greene has put to me. The contract is structured to ensure that community voice and community aspiration are right at the heart of the delivery of ferry services. That will be a contractual obligation of CalMac. India and”
“Mr Briggs was one of those who voted against the Government’s budget and he argued in favour, as his leader did, of £1 billion of cuts in public expenditure. How does Mr Briggs think that it would be possible to invest in local services with £1 billion of swingeing cuts from the Conservatives? West Coast”
“I am simply being straight with the Parliament about— [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Thank you, members The First Minister: I am simply being straight with the Parliament about the realities that we have to face. That is what I am doing. I understand the issues that Miles Briggs is raising with me. I am totally familiar with them and I understand the importance of them. I have just answered Mr Whittle about the importance of a focus on preventative interventions, and many of the interventions that Mr Briggs is talking about are preventative interventions. However, the point that I am making to the Parliament is that investment in those services does not happen by accident. It happens by political choice.”
“I welcome the contribution that Karen Adam makes on these issues. It is important to highlight the importance of deaf awareness week to increasing understanding of deaf culture and language. The Deputy First Minister met members of the community last week. The “British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029” represents our on-going commitment to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn. Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (Service Cuts)”
“This morning, I visited Brunstane primary school in east Edinburgh and saw at first hand the effect of the Scottish attainment challenge programme, which has supported the development of leadership in the school, enhanced the curriculum and led to greater engagement with families and a rise in the attendance of young people at our school. That is a consequence of the investment that we, as a Government, are able to make available. Nothing will detract me from focusing on improving the life chances of children, whether or not they are living in poverty, and ensuring that we tackle the issues around household income and engagement with schools. That will lie at the heart of the steps that we are taking in relation to our attainment agenda. Deaf People (Support)”
“I acknowledge the contents of the letter from the UK Statistics Authority. I have used one particular measure of the attainment gap—I could use others. The poverty- related attainment gap between young people from the most and least-deprived areas meeting standards in literacy is at a record low in primary schools, and the attainment gap has reached record lows between secondary pupils achieving third level in literacy and numeracy. Those are some of the points. I accept that there remains an attainment gap in Scottish education.”
“One of the things that I think would help enormously in this whole area of policy is for the current United Kingdom Government to do something that the previous Conservative Government did not do, which is to commit urgently and swiftly to the Acorn carbon capture and storage project. That would help us enormously. The Conservatives never lifted a finger to make that happen—not one finger. I hope that the Labour Party will not do the same.”
“My concern, first and foremost, is about the wellbeing of the workforce in Harbour Energy. I do not think that the way in which Mr Lumsden characterises the issue is in any way remotely helpful in addressing the concerns of that workforce. I point out to Mr Lumsden and the Conservative Party that the energy profits levy was a product of the previous Conservative UK Government— [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear the First Minister. The First Minister: It does not matter how much I get barracked in this Parliament—I will point out the hard realities and implications of the Conservative Party’s decisions in the United Kingdom Government.”
“I agree with Jackie Dunbar that a just transition for Scotland’s valued and highly skilled offshore energy workers is essential. I am deeply concerned to hear the news from Harbour Energy about its plans in Aberdeen. My thoughts are first and foremost with the workforce, which faces an extraordinarily anxious time. The Deputy First Minister is speaking with Harbour Energy on the matter today. The fiscal and regulatory regimes for offshore oil and gas are reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government has made clear our concern about the extension and scale of the energy profits levy. I urge the UK Government to engage with the industry to address the fiscal realities and implications of the UK Government’s position.”
“We have taken steps to ensure that we strengthen the alternative route through the old military road so that it is operational to provide connectivity and to avoid the lengthy diversion that is required should all of those accesses be unavailable. The steps that are to be taken to ensure that the landslip shelter is put in place are under way. As I have told Jackie Baillie, the preparatory work is being undertaken. The Government will be happy to share details with the Parliament and local stakeholders. I am pretty sure that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport has met the Rest and Be Thankful interested parties to discuss the issue and the progress that can be made. The Presiding Officer: We move to constituency and general supplementaries.”
“Instead, local campaigners have little confidence that the Scottish National Party will deliver a solution, given the Government’s track record on road building. They are not whingers, First Minister; they fear that it could be another decade and £500 million before the road is actually usable. Will the First Minister commit today to accelerating that much-needed work to ensure that the people of Argyll are not disadvantaged by the continual closure of the A83? The First Minister: I acknowledge the significance of that area for access to Argyll and Bute. That point is regularly made to me by Jenni Minto, the local member for Argyll.”
“The Government is committed to delivering an infrastructure solution to address the landslip risk at the Rest and Be Thankful as soon as possible. Delivery of a permanent solution is a priority. In December, we published draft orders for both the long-term solution and future stages of the medium-term improvements. Construction can commence only if it is approved under the relevant statutory authorisation process. Therefore, a timetable for construction can be determined only at that time. Jackie Baillie: The First Minister will be aware of the huge impact that the closure of the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful has on the economy and the people of Argyll. However, it did not happen just yesterday; it has been a problem for more than 15 years. All that local people want is a road that stays open when it rains.”
“The First Minister: I generally agree with the points that Mr Whittle has made about the importance of preventative interventions, and that approach is exactly what the Government is pursuing. As he knows, in 2010, I commissioned the Christie commission report, which gave us valuable insight into the approach to prevention. The Government has applied that approach to programmes such as: the promotion of healthy eating; the work to tackle obesity and reduce harms from smoking and vaping; the investment in sport and active living; the work to increase vaccination uptake; and our work on the benefits of social prescribing. I assure Mr Whittle that that focus on prevention will remain central to the Government’s programme.”
“However, as I have highlighted for the decade that I have been a member of this Parliament, when we are talking about health, the only statistic that matters is that Scotland continues to be the unhealthiest nation in Europe—many of those indicators continue to worsen at an alarming rate. Does the First Minister agree that this fiscal sustainability report must be the final wake-up call for action and that, through early intervention, we must take greater steps to prevent illness, particularly by encouraging healthier lifestyles, supporting the third sector and improving access to sport and physical activity? If the Scottish Government continues on its current trajectory, the health service will fast become unsustainable.”
“As I set out in January and reinforced in our programme for government, a long-term shift to prevention is central to sustaining and renewing our national health service. Scotland has led the way in public health action over many years, with bold measures such as the indoor smoking ban and minimum unit pricing for alcohol. We will build on that action by publishing our new population health framework in the coming weeks. Brian Whittle: The Scottish Fiscal Commission’s latest fiscal sustainability report highlights the major effect on health spending of the rising prevalence of long-term preventable illnesses among Scots and the sizeable impact on Scotland’s finances if such a rise continues. In this chamber, we always seem to talk in statistics, to highlight how good we are or are not.”
“That illustration of climate change requires us to take the necessary action that Mr Stewart has suggested. That is why it is central to the Government’s programme. Prevention Measures (Health) 5.”
“Kevin Stewart: It is worrying that many rivers, including the Dee and the Don, which bound my constituency, have such low water levels at this time of year. In spite of nature’s clear warnings, we are currently witnessing climate change denial and an even stronger pushback against net zero and a just transition from the likes of Farage and even from Tony Blair. Does the First Minister share my concerns that the rise of this regressive anti-net zero agenda puts at great risk all the vital work to grow our green economy and create jobs for the future? The First Minister: I share those concerns. At the present moment, in early May, the water scarcity map makes quite difficult reading, because we face acute challenges that we would never ordinarily face at this time of the year.”
“SEPA’s latest report highlighted that 17 out of 47 areas in Scotland are in alert status for water scarcity, and that most of the rest of the country is in early warning status. An update on that position will be published by the regulator SEPA later on this afternoon. SEPA has contacted those who abstract water, including businesses and farmers, in the affected areas, and has provided them with advice. Public drinking water supply in those areas is not affected. We are working closely with SEPA, Scottish Water and others to ensure that water supply is monitored and supported in line with Scotland’s national water scarcity plan. Climate change is driving more extreme conditions, and we all need to adapt to that reality. I urge businesses, organisations and individuals to do their part to plan ahead and use water wisely.”
“Will the First Minister back the Green proposal to give people the right to withhold rent payment until repairs are completed to stop landlords profiting while they ignore their responsibilities, or is that another issue that will take 10 years of pressure before the Government acts? The First Minister: As I said, the bill is going through stage 2 consideration. If amendments are lodged, ministers will consider the issues that arise out of that process and, ultimately, the bill will come back to Parliament for stage 3 consideration. I acknowledge the issue that Mr Harvie raises with me. The purpose of the rent control legislation is to ensure that tenants have more say and more control, and that landlords fulfil their obligations. Those considerations will lie at the heart of the legislation. Water Scarcity Alerts 4.”
“Patrick Harvie: The frustration comes with the delay, and I know that that frustration is felt by SNP members who have voted for rent control policy for many years without action happening. There was never any need for the many years of delay, and we could have done far more good for people by acting sooner. The Housing (Scotland) Bill must make rent more affordable, and it will need to be strengthened if it is going to do that. It must also provide more protection for people who rent their homes. People deserve the right to withhold rent payments when issues such as mould, damp and serious repairs are being left by landlords for months—sometimes years—on end.”