Minutes: 05 November 2024

1. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take items 4, 5, 6 and 7 in private.

2. Housing Inquiry:

The Committee took evidence from—

Chris Birt, Associate Director for Scotland, Joseph Rowntree Foundation;

Professor Ken Gibb, Director, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, University of Glasgow;

Professor Christian Hilber, Department of Geography and Environment, London School of Economic and Political Science;

and then from—

Donna Bogdanovic, Head of Housing Strategy and Development, Scottish Borders Council;

Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Housing Officer, North Lanarkshire Council;

Edward Thomas, Head of Housing and Property Services, Moray Council;

Derek McGowan, Service Director for Housing and Homelessness, City of Edinburgh Council;

Blair Millar, Head of Housing and Communities, East Ayrshire Council.

3. Subordinate legislation:

The Committee considered the following negative instruments and agreed to make no recommendations in relation to them—

Town and Country Planning (Amendment of Local Development Plan) (Scotland) Regulations 2024

Town and Country Planning (Masterplan Consent Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2024

4. Housing Inquiry (In private):

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the evidence heard to its next meeting.

5. Pre-Budget Scrutiny (In private):

The Committee agreed a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government.

6. Subordinate legislation (In private):

The Committee considered the evidence heard at its last meeting from the Minister for Public Finance on the following instruments—

Town and Country Planning (Amendment of National Planning Framework) (Scotland) Regulations 2024;

Masterplan Consent Area Scheme (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024;

Town and Country Planning (Amendment of Local Development Plan) (Scotland) Regulations 2024; and

Town and Country Planning (Masterplan Consent Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2024.

7. Tracker report 2023-24 (In private):

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the report to its next meeting.

8. Housing (Scotland) Bill (In Private):

The Committee considered a draft Stage 1 report and agreed to further consider it at its next meeting.