Transcript Home Connections Conference 16th October

Does Scotland Do It better ?
Jim Hayton – ALACHO Policy
Manager
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Scottish Parliament est.1998, with 73 MSPs
elected by PR)
Since 2007 governed by SNP, with large majority
since 2011 ( hence referndum)
Devolution means control of health, housing,
education and other services
But not foreign policy, defence, welfare and
taxation
Finance under “Barnett formula” (Scotland gets
roughly 10% of Westminster resources)
& so able to pursue distinctive policy (elderly
care, prescriptions tuition fees etc)
Scale (everyone knows each other too !)
 Affordable
Housing Supply
 Right to Buy
 HRA Accounts
 Private Rented Sector
 Homelessness / Housing Options
 Welfare reform
 Health &Social Care?
 Grants
40k for Councils / 58k for
HAs
 Target 6000pa affordable (4000
social) – on target but not enough
 Ave rent council c £65
 Ave HA rent c £75
 Ave council England c£80-£85
 Ave HA England ?
Shortly to be abolished in Scotland
(two year window)
 Wide consultation and broad
consensus on abolition
 Had been popular with tenants(and
lucrative for councils ) but tailed off
significantly in recent years (discounts
and impact of recession)
 Last minute “spike” in applications
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Virtually no central government control over
rents, or borrowing
Recent guidance helpful to housing (i.e. no
“leakage” permitted into general expenditure)
Councils recently allowed to build again with
grants to support ( though still less than)
HAs
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Scottish strategy for PRS with key aims of
increasing provision, while improving quality
and standards for tenants
tenancy agreement proposes possible rent
control and more SoT for tenants.
Tenant HIP
PLL registration, soon LA Regulation
Recently published consultation on PRS
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Priority Need Abolished 2012 ( so every u/h
hh entitled to settled accommodation)
Housing Options has greatly reduced
homeless applications
Recent report from SHR – HO practice good in
part but need :
Common definition of HO, Clear and
consistent
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Scotland subject to the same reforms as rest of
|UK, but
Action taken to mitigate the bedroom tax (£50m
pa cost to rest of Scottish budget )
Huge issue in referendum (though “only” 80,000
affected )
alarm at Osborne’s recent statement on more
cuts to young and those in work bens
Scots want power over all welfare expenditure in
post referendum settlement
decision in next few months from Smith
commission
Scotland promised “extra powers”
prior to referendum, but detail still
awaited
 Seems like parties will reflect housing
issues in their manifestos
 Will English housing policy become
more like Scotland’s ?
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