Question
Scottish Government figures released yesterday show the lowest level of new house building in more than a decade. Ahead of the Budget, councils in England are expected to benefit from new investment to stimulate council house building and access low-interest borrowing. Will the Minister engage with her Scottish Government counterparts to encourage similar support in Scotland to help local councils to build more homes and, in turn, support local economic growth through construction?
Answer
The hon. Lady makes an excellent point about this Government’s record on building new homes in England. My officials regularly engage with the Scottish Government on a range of matters to exchange learning. As she knows, housing and planning are devolved matters, so house building responsibility rests with the Scottish Government. Of particular concern are the increasing numbers of children living in temporary accommodation in Scotland and the increasing numbers of people sleeping rough. While our Prime Minister is determined to end rough sleeping, in Scotland it is on the rise, and that is not good enough.43% point-scoring 14% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (42/100)
The reply describes in general terms that officials regularly engage with the Scottish Government, which partly answers the first part of the question, though not specifically about council house building. It does not clearly say whether the Minister will encourage the Scottish Government to support councils, so that part is only implicitly addressed and remains hedged. A member of the public would likely need to ask again for a specific commitment on the second point.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister engage with Scottish Government counterparts on council house building in Scotland? | Addressed | Direct | The reply states that officials regularly engage with the Scottish Government, which describes the general pattern of engagement the question asks about, even though it is not specific to council house building. Statement 3 places the relevant responsibility with the Scottish Government, which frames that engagement. |
| Will the Minister encourage the Scottish Government to provide support for councils in Scotland to build council homes, similar to the new investment and low-interest borrowing access being made available to councils in England? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply implicitly defers to the Scottish Government by saying house building responsibility rests with it, but it never says whether the Minister will encourage Scottish support for councils. The praise of England's record in statement 1 does not answer whether a comparable Scottish offer will be pursued. |