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All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
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Displaying 1153 contributions
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
At UK level, £40 million has been committed to delivering that in England and Wales. I am not sure that the Barnett consequentials of that have necessarily come through to the individuals who would do that work in Scotland. Do we have enough professionals to do that work?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
Thanks. I have a couple of other questions that I may come back to later.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
Good morning, and thank you for joining us.
I have a couple of questions. First, how would you rate the progress that has been made to date in Scotland on the Government’s single building assessment programme? I would like your views on some of the pitfalls that we have seen and why there has not been a four-nations approach to the issue, which is one of the key things that I am concerned about.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
That is helpful. In the detail of the single building assessment, is there a differentiation between what happens in Scotland and in England, and what that might mean? In Scotland, now, we talk about high and low risk. In England, they talk about high, medium and low risk. Everything in Scotland that has any potential risk is classified as high risk.
I am concerned that we are not on the front foot on that work in the first place, and that it could also present another issue for getting the work done: meeting the cost of doing it. Do you have anything to say on that?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
I take it that no witness has, locally. What could be done to speed up the delivery of the assessment programme? Measures that were suggested include the establishment of a dynamic purchasing framework to improve timescales. Is there anything else?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
In England and Wales, they are specifically included but, in Scotland, they are still permitted to have the cladding on them.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
I know that a lot of this is technical, in particular when we are asking about the two systems.
Finally, what data, if any, do you have on what are often referred to as potential “orphan buildings” in Scotland? What exposure do SMEs have to that issue, which could present a significant cost for those companies that they might not be able to meet in the future? Are you aware of any data on that?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
I have a few questions further to the theme that Willie Coffey pursued. One of the issues that have been raised with me relates to the new regulations not including schools, hotels, hospitals and, potentially, other high-risk buildings. What are the witnesses’ views on why those have not been included?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
Yes—over 11m.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2023
Miles Briggs
Calum McQueen, do you have knowledge of that?