4. To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will spend the £20 million that it announced on 11 September 2013 to help people affected by the so-called bedroom tax. (S4F-01572)

The Government will provide local authorities with up to £20 million to enable them to increase their discretionary housing payment budget. That brings the total budget that is available this year for discretionary housing payments to £35.3 million, which is the maximum that is allowed under the powers of this Parliament. The additional money from the Scottish Government will be distributed to local authorities, and the exact amounts for each authority will be agreed with our partners in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. We know that that will give councils the ability to help many thousands of households that have been hit by the tax.

I thank the First Minister for indicating his clear position on the bedroom tax, certainly for next year.

What further discussions or communications has the Scottish Government had with COSLA to ensure that the £20 million will be utilised as timeously as possible to help those who have been affected by the parties in the no campaign’s bedroom tax? Has the First Minister had any discussions with Johann Lamont regarding her position on the bedroom tax?

We will work very closely with COSLA to ensure that the money is used as quickly and effectively as possible.

I am not sure that speaking to Johann Lamont about her position on the bedroom tax would get much information, given that two weeks ago, when her deputy said that the Labour Party would abolish it tomorrow, she refused to answer on the other television station. Then we had the remarkable incident at the weekend, when Jackie Baillie said that Labour was about to announce plans to abolish the bedroom tax, only for the Labour Party in London to say:

“It goes against what we are saying”.

So, maybe it is a case of Jackie Baillie says aye, Labour says naw and Johann Lamont says mebbes aye, mebbes naw.

The Presiding Officer:

I call Jackie Baillie. [Interruption.]

Thank you.

The Presiding Officer:

Order. Let us hear Ms Baillie.

I know that the First Minister is fond of pointing a finger at others as a diversion rather than addressing the powers that the Scottish Government has now, but let us try again. He will be aware that £20 million represents less than half of what is required and that no budget is set aside for next year. Does he agree with his Deputy First Minister—she is whispering in his ear—who has refused to support a bill to protect people from evictions, because she says that it is unnecessary? Is he confident that no cases are in our courts this week to commence the process of eviction because of bedroom tax arrears?

The money that we are providing is the maximum that we can provide under the law as it stands. The only cases of which I have heard of a council trying to evict people because of the bedroom tax have been in North Lanarkshire, which has a Labour Party administration.

Jackie Baillie gave an extraordinary performance at the weekend, only to be contradicted by the United Kingdom Labour Party. She has unremitted gall in coming to the chamber to ask questions, given the Labour Party’s pyrotechnics in the past few days.

I hope that we can expect a clear commitment from the Labour Party to abolish the bedroom tax and that we can have a clear commitment from it against evictions, like SNP councils six months ago and like the SNP on repealing the bedroom tax, which is—as we have pointed out—one of the great arguments for having an independent Scotland.