SNP 'backtracked' on housing pledge
The SNP is facing pressure over its handling of the housing budget and the length of waiting lists for rented accommodation amid accusations the party "backtracked" on a manifesto pledge.
Labour said the Scottish Government has cut the housing budget by 40%, while the Conservatives said ministers are missing targets.
The Liberal Democrats obtained figures showing that more than 120,000 housing applicants have been on local authority waiting lists for over a year. The figures, as of last October, also show that more than 81,000 have been stuck on waiting lists for over two years.
Lib Dem housing spokesman Jim Hume said: "It is clear that Scotland's housing crisis requires urgent action. With over 81,000 households stuck on local authority waiting lists for over two years, ministers need to focus on building more homes for social rent so that these families can finally access a home.
"It has been hugely disappointing to see the Scottish Government move away from its manifesto commitment to build 6,000 socially rented homes each year, replacing it with homes that require an element of purchase. There has been growing anger at the backtracking by ministers over recent months."
Edinburgh has the longest housing application waiting lists of the councils that responded to the freedom of information request. More than 10,000 applicants have been waiting for over two years while the city council deals with 25,522 in total.
Of the 32 authorities asked, six - including Glasgow, Inverclyde and the Borders - were unable to provide information as they had transferred their housing stock. The Lib Dems said the UK Government has made an extra £400 million available for the Scottish Budget since the draft was published in September.
But Housing Minister Keith Brown said the Scottish Government's capital budget was being cut by one third by the UK Government.
"Through our emphasis on innovation and on levering in more resources, we are making each Scottish Government pound deliver much more than before," he said. "That is the key to supporting the construction industry and hard-pressed families in these challenging times."
Labour said figures obtained from the Scottish Parliament's Information Centre show that the original budget for housing in 2011-12 stood at £363.7 million, while the budget for 2012-13 is £214.8 million - a drop of just under 41%.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2012, All Rights Reserved.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Banchory
Thursday 23 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 5 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 3 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: West
