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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 22 June 2025
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Displaying 653 contributions

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Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 10 June 2025

Jeremy Balfour

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the removal of dangerous building cladding, in light of the recent publications by Scotland’s cladding remediation programme. (S6T-02570)

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 10 June 2025

Jeremy Balfour

I thank the minister for his answer, but it has been eight years since the Grenfell tragedy brought the issue of dangerous cladding to light, and yet the Scottish Government is still dragging its heels while people are stuck in potentially dangerous properties or are unable to sell their homes without proper certification.

Can the minister finally give us a timeline for when the single building assessment will be introduced, and confirm that it will be in line with what United Kingdom lenders require?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 10 June 2025

Jeremy Balfour

We cannot hear the minister.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 10 June 2025

Jeremy Balfour

It is deeply disappointing that the minister has not been able to answer the question about UK lenders and people who are worried about the mortgages on their properties. I will give him a second chance. A variety of stakeholders agree that a central register for affected properties is essential to properly address the issue. Can the minister explain why Scotland still does not have one? When will it finally get one, so that we know the scale of the work? When will there be an agreement between UK lenders so that the issue can be resolved?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

General Question Time

Meeting date: 5 June 2025

Jeremy Balfour

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to part 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, when the homelessness prevention pilots will commence. (S6O-04761)

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

General Question Time

Meeting date: 5 June 2025

Jeremy Balfour

Parliament will be asked to pass a bill that includes provisions that were meant to be informed by those pilots. However, it now seems that the pilots will not have started by the time the bill comes to stage 3 proceedings in the chamber. Does the minister accept that that represents a failure of planning on the part of the Scottish Government? What value does he think that the pilots will provide, given that they will conclude far too late for MSPs to change anything in the bill?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Housing Emergency

Meeting date: 22 May 2025

Jeremy Balfour

The City of Edinburgh Council pays out millions of pounds of public funds to private businesses to provide unsuitable temporary accommodation in which people do not feel safe. Does the cabinet secretary agree with the recommendation of the 36 organisations that are represented by Everyone Home that that money would be better spent creating

“a Challenge Fund for councils, housing associations and/or the third sector to replace unsuitable temporary accommodation”?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

First Minister’s Question Time

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Jeremy Balfour

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. When I asked my question, I should have said that I am in receipt of adult disability payment. I apologise for not declaring that.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

First Minister’s Question Time

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Jeremy Balfour

The first principle underlying the adult disability payment is to help people to get employment and stay in it; it was never intended to be an income replacement benefit. Does the First Minister agree that the proposed reductions to that benefit, whereby people who require help to wash, dress and prepare meals will no longer qualify, will risk their ability to maintain employment and so go against the benefit’s fundamental principle?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 14 May 2025

Jeremy Balfour

A young DJ recently told BBC Scotland that he is concerned that the rising cost of going to gigs will stop people being energised by music and that priority is being given to artists from more affluent backgrounds. Will the cabinet secretary outline what action the Scottish Government is taking to enable artists from all backgrounds to thrive at this time in particular, as we approach the important festival season?