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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 4 May 2021
  6. Current session: 13 May 2021 to 16 November 2025
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Displaying 1018 contributions

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Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 28 October 2025

Craig Hoy

Those were my more general questions. I have two specific questions—one for each of you. Professor Dahlström, the remuneration that those who chair inquiries receive has been referred to. In Scotland, there is a concern that some lawyers and chairs have received significant amounts of public money for their involvement in inquiries. I noted that, in Sweden, the chair or those who lead inquiries can receive either a lump sum or a monthly fee. Our concern about a monthly fee is that, potentially, someone could run down the clock on that. What is the mechanism for determining how those who lead inquiries are paid?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 28 October 2025

Craig Hoy

Dr Prasser, your book has a chapter by Dr Anita Mackay on what is happening in Victoria, which offers insight for other jurisdictions. That identifies that a formal mechanism is in place to monitor the implementation of recommendations in the state of Victoria. Could you elaborate on that? How effective is that mechanism and what are the specific mechanics?

10:30  

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 28 October 2025

Craig Hoy

Dr Prasser, I note that the state of Victoria has introduced a formal mechanism that is intended to ensure that recommendations are implemented. Do you have any insight into how effective that mechanism is and how it is formulated?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 7 October 2025

Craig Hoy

Does remedying that need legislative intervention?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 7 October 2025

Craig Hoy

I recently completed an extension on my home, and I advise anybody who is watching not to do that while you are living in the property. The building standards team is coming round today and, hopefully, I will get a completion certificate. All the way through, I have taken photographs and worked with my architect and builder.

Was there a wholesale failure of the building standards process when the buildings were being built? If you are saying that the material that is on the outside of them is just one part of a whole series of unfortunate issues with a lot of those properties, where is the onus on the building standards system to prevent buildings being built in such a deficient way?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 7 October 2025

Craig Hoy

The Scottish Government is raising more than ever through land and buildings transaction tax, and now we have the additional dwelling supplement, so some taxes in Scotland are specifically about property. Presumably, there could be hypothecation through such a mechanism—which would mean that, effectively, those who interface with the housing market in Scotland are taxed, rather than, necessarily, a first-time purchaser who has had no connection with the remediation work that was required.

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 7 October 2025

Craig Hoy

It would argue that it is doing so at present. Submissions from Homes for Scotland and others show that, when it comes to the total amounts that they are paying in, what they might be required to put into the levy is significantly less than what they might actively be paying now.

My last point is on the definition of “rural”. There is an exemption for island properties. There seems to be a case for rural properties, too. I do not know whether either of you has a view as to how we might help the Government to get to a definition of “rural” in order to be able to advocate for an exemption—which you highlight as being an issue in relation to rural properties, particularly when it comes to affordability, given that less development might happen in rural areas. I think that you identified that, Mr Henderson, because of the lower margins in developing in rural areas.

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 7 October 2025

Craig Hoy

Fine. Mr Henderson, different submissions to the committee have taken different positions on the fairness, equity and proportionality of such a scheme, given that it seems to be falling on a relatively small number of shoulders. However, at the end of the day, it will probably be house buyers who will pay some of the remediation costs for prior builds.

You have said that you recognise that there are some issues with proportionality, and you mention the case of leaseholders. Given that there is a significant variation of opinion in the range of submissions that we have had, if it is to be a permanent part of the landscape, as you identify, would the best way to deal with it be through general taxation rather than a specific tax that falls only on a certain section of the construction industry?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 7 October 2025

Craig Hoy

I said to Liz Smith that, under the Scottish Government’s current definition, Gilmerton, on the fringes of Edinburgh, is a rural area, although it is mostly under concrete now.

You are both very close to the industry. You said that you think that this levy, or tax, depending on how you look at it, will probably have to remain in some form and function into the future. What is potentially the next cladding scandal that we should be alert to at the moment? Is there something that the industry is already looking at and getting a bit concerned about—potentially in relation to safety, Mr Henderson?

10:00  

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 7 October 2025

Craig Hoy

Good morning. Mr Drummond, in your submission, you mentioned what you might find when you remove the cladding, and you called it “known unknowns”. At this point in time, on roughly what percentage of buildings that have cladding that needs to be remediated do you anticipate that you would find that further works need to be undertaken—for safety or wind and water tightness, for example?