General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 2 May 2024.
Pam Gosal
Conservative
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help local authorities tackle damp and mould in social housing. (S6O-03383)
Paul McLennan
Scottish National Party
The latest Scottish house condition survey results show that damp was present in 4 per cent of social sector dwellings in 2022. More than £200 million has been made available to social landlords through the social housing net zero fund, which was launched in 2020 to improve energy efficiency and install clean heat. Proposals for the new social housing net zero standard include measures to prevent damp and mould.
Local authorities have powers to tackle substandard housing and to decide how to spend available funds. Record funding of more than £14 billion has been provided to local government in the 2024-25 budget settlement.
Pam Gosal
Conservative
My constituent is a single mother with three children who is trapped in a two-bedroom dwelling in Westwood with damp and mould. Her infant and her toddler are now having respiratory problems. Efforts to fix the problems have been shockingly inadequate, and the damp and mould persist. I am sure that the Minister agrees that that neglect is unacceptable.
Reflecting on the tragic loss in 2020 of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, whose life was claimed by poor housing conditions, the United Kingdom Government introduced Awaab’s law, which creates a strict guideline to force social landlords to address damp and mould issues. What consideration has the Scottish Government given to introducing similar legislation?
Paul McLennan
Scottish National Party
I am happy to engage with the member to pick up the specific issue with the local authority and to discuss how we can take forward the proposal that she mentioned.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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