FIRST Minister’s Questions served up a surprise in the form of a question from Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton, who challenged the Government’s record in office and the target of providing 50,000 affordable homes, 35,000 of which are for social housing/rent, in this parliamentary term, suggesting it may be missed.

However, the First Minister informed the chamber that the Scottish Government is well on its way to achieving the target of 50,000, adding that since 2007 the SNP have delivered more than 66,000 homes for social rent.

In this parliamentary term £3.5 billion has been set aside for providing affordable social housing and I am sure Ms Hamilton would applaud the SNP Government which abolished the right to buy, protecting 15,500 homes from going into the private sector over a 10-year period. The SNP in government has clearly demonstrated that housing is a major priority and I trust

Ms Hamilton may want to dwell on the First Minister’s words, that she “may want to speak to her Conservative colleagues in the Westminster Government seeking protection for the Scottish Budget, and requesting that cuts to benefit’s for children in poverty be halted immediately”.
Catriona Clark
Falkirk