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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 26 August 2025
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Displaying 2341 contributions

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Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 6 September 2022

Willie Coffey

East Ayrshire Council said that it is more important to build the types of housing that the local community and population need, rather than hit a numerical target of 110,000 houses across Scotland. Does that ultimately lead us to a place where we will perhaps end up not hitting that target but focusing on local needs instead?

East Ayrshire also noted the difficulty in replacing and building some of the larger properties that were lost during the right-to-buy years. Such properties are more expensive to build, which would impact on the ability to deliver on a numerical target. Is that concern shared by other authorities across Scotland? That question is for both Gary Fairley and Mike Callaghan.

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 6 September 2022

Willie Coffey

My question is on the point that Miles Briggs raised about the use of things such as pension funds and real estate investment funds to lever in money. Is there a risk that, as my colleagues in East Ayrshire Council have said, the issues that follow on from the use of that funding model—guaranteed rates of return, indexing and so on—will translate across to the rent that might be demanded of tenants, and rents might require to be indexed?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 6 September 2022

Willie Coffey

East Ayrshire Council also commented on grant levels. Aaron Hill mentioned the flexibility that the Scottish Government has already shown. If a council provides sufficient evidence, hopefully a grant is made, and the funding can be made available. However, East Ayrshire Council said that the process works on a site-by-site or project basis. Is there an issue there, such that we need to improve the process and make it a bit more seamless?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 6 September 2022

Willie Coffey

I have a final query for our COSLA colleagues, if they are still online. It is reported that the UK Government might be thinking about bringing back the right to buy for housing association homes. East Ayrshire Council made a specific response to that point, saying that it could make the situation worse, especially in the current climate. Do our friends and colleagues from COSLA share that view?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 6 September 2022

Willie Coffey

Thank you. I will hand back to other colleagues.

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 6 September 2022

Willie Coffey

Good morning, everyone. I will pick on Mike Callaghan and Gary Fairley from COSLA to ask whether issues that East Ayrshire Council—my council—raised in its submission are shared by councils across Scotland.

One of the big messages in East Ayrshire Council’s submission is about the decision whether

“to invest in existing stock”

or in “new build”. It is clear that many councils will have to face that choice. East Ayrshire said that it is “untenable” for it to consider both strategies without an on-going assessment of the impact of borrowing and all the factors that colleagues around the table have mentioned so far. As COSLA representatives and spokespersons, do you share the view that it is in effect untenable for councils to do both?

Public Audit Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Meeting date: 30 June 2022

Willie Coffey

Morag McNeill, I hope to get into this issue about quality and the statement in CMAL’s submission that says quite clearly:

“CMAL consider that the primary cause of the Vessels’ delay and associated cost overrun is a catastrophic contractor failure between October 2015 and August 2019.”

We were beginning to get into that territory during Colin Beattie’s questioning. Could you explain to the committee why you are using such strong words, and could you offer the committee a few examples to justify those comments?

Public Audit Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Meeting date: 30 June 2022

Willie Coffey

Are all of those commentary about the failure to apply standards?

Public Audit Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Meeting date: 30 June 2022

Willie Coffey

I have one last comment on this area. The information that we have is that, in April this year, there were still about 211 observation reports outstanding. Is that normal practice, or does that tell us that there is a bigger issue?

Public Audit Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Meeting date: 30 June 2022

Willie Coffey

Thank you very much for your answers.