Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-29449

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review to identify any changes required to allow the private rented sector to fulfil the role that it envisages for the sector.

We consulted in 2022 on A New Deal for Tenants – draft rented sector strategy. This set out the Scottish Government commitment to deliver a successful and high quality, affordable and fair rented sector and invited views on how we can deliver this for the rented sector as a whole.

Measures being progressed in the Housing (Scotland) Bill deliver on a number of commitments from the New deal for Tenants and have been informed by consultation and targeted engagement with stakeholders. The changes build on previous reforms to strengthen tenants’ rights through tenancy reform in 2016 providing private tenants with increased stability and security.

Question reference: S6W-29451

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will expand the use of policy impact assessments to consider the cumulative effect of legislation covering the private rented sector in terms of costs, compliance behaviours and the availability of tradespeople and other enabling resources.

Question reference: S6W-29442

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to identifying a strategy for the private rented sector that establishes the (a) optimum size of the sector, (b) markets that it should serve and (c) arrangements/levers for reducing, sustaining, growing or otherwise re-aligning the sector within these markets.

We consulted in 2022 on A New Deal for Tenants – draft rented sector strategy. This set out the Scottish Government commitment to deliver a successful and high quality, affordable and fair rented sector and invited views on how we can deliver this for the rented sector as a whole.We are progressing some elements of the New Deal for Tenants through Housing (Scotland) Bill and we are committed to publishing a final rented sector strategy in due course.

Question reference: S6W-29444

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to issuing a national representative landlord survey at regular intervals.

Question reference: S6W-29263

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation to embed gender analysis that recognises women-led growth sectors, including the care economy.

Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) is a ten-year strategy, and we stand by its vision to grow a sustainable and inclusive wellbeing economy. Two and a half years into that ten-year strategy, significant progress has already been made in driving us towards that vision of a fairer, greener wellbeing economy.

Through NSET we have established a Centre of Expertise in Equality and Human Rights, which is embedding equality and human rights in our economic policy development. We recognise the importance of care to Scotland’s economy and understand that the majority of unpaid care is provided by women. In line with NSET’s ambition to tackle structural inequalities, we are implementing recommendations from the ‘Pathways’ report on Women in Entrepreneurship; addressing barriers to start-up participation for under-represented groups via the Techscaler network; and building an inclusive labour market by delivering person-centered employability support.

Since publishing NSET we recognise that much has changed – fiscally, politically and internationally. Our focus is therefore now on accelerating delivery of NSET through our Programme for Government by prioritising actions that are affordable, deliverable and will have the greatest impact on the Government’s four priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and delivering high quality and sustainable public services.

Question reference: S6W-29445

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to undertake a comprehensive review of the landlord registration system, spanning people, processes and systems.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with local authorities on the processes and operation of the landlord register digital platform, which is maintained and updated on an ongoing basis.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill includes a package of important reforms to the private rented sector which are in the interest of both tenants and responsible landlords. Should Parliament pass the legislation, it is intended that a full review of the current landlord registration regime will be undertaken, taking account of the impact of the new measures.

Question reference: S6W-29450

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of the support required by local authorities to ensure that there is robust enforcement of the legislation that covers the private rented sector.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill includes a package of reforms to the private rented sector which are in the interests of both tenants and responsible landlords. Should Parliament pass the legislation, it is intended that a full review will be undertaken of the support required by local authorities to ensure robust enforcement in the PRS. This will include an assessment of the enforcement provisions and the resource required to adequately support this.

Question reference: S6W-29441

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what role it envisages for the private rented sector, from an investment perspective, to enable long-term decision-making and stabilise investment patterns.

Many people find a home in the private rented sector and we recognise the contribution that it makes to housing supply in Scotland.

Our New Deal for Tenants consultation set out our vision for a rented sector where all tenants, whether living in private or social rented homes, can access secure, stable, tenancies, with affordable choices - whilst also benefiting from good quality of homes and professional levels of service and rights.

We will continue to work with stakeholders – including the investment sector – to make sure that we build a system where investment in private rented property is viable and welcomed.

Question reference: S6W-29446

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a nationally representative landlord panel, which can be consulted when sector developments, including legislative changes, are considered.

Question reference: S6O-03726

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of senior lawyers seeking the introduction of a domestic abuse register.

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