The Scottish Parliament: News - Local Government Committee visits Fife for Housing Bill scrutiny

LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE VISITS FIFE FOR HOUSING BILL SCRUTINY

11 March 2010

Fife was on the agenda for the Local Government and Communities Committee this week as it met with Fife Council and local tenants at the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, to inform its scrutiny of the new Housing (Scotland) Bill.

Council housing. Picture: David Hills/iStockphoto The Bill aims to modernise regulation for social landlords and reform the Right to Buy social housing. It also seeks to change the law on registering private landlords, houses of multiple occupation and disrepair in private properties.

Deputy Committee Convener Alasdair Allan MSP, said: “The meeting in Glenrothes was most constructive and we would like to thank everyone who attended for their valuable contributions, including Fife Council and representatives from the various tenants and housing associations.

"Tenants’ views on the right to buy and regulations for private and social landlords were particularly helpful.”

Those organisations who attended the meeting were:

Fife Council
Fife Housing Association
Glen Housing Association
Ore Valley Housing Association
Kingdom Housing Association
Fife Landlords Association
Scottish landowners Federation
East Fife Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations
Glenrothes Area Residents Federation

Background
The Local Government and Communities Committee is the lead committee for the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

The Bill’s Policy Memorandum says that the main objectives of the Bill are:

to improve the value that social housing delivers for tenants and taxpayers
to safeguard the supply of that housing for the benefits of future generations of tenants
to improve conditions in private housing.

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