Holyrood committee welcomes Housing Amendment Bill

The bill is intended to pave the way for the Office for National Statistics to reclassify Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) back to the private sector in the UK national accounts.

While the committee was “broadly content” with its proposals, it has outlined some potential issues with the bill for the Scottish government to consider.

Committee convener, Bob Doris MSP, said: “Our committee agrees that measures need to be taken to reclassify RSLs as private bodies, and it’s crucial that borrowing and building can continue at pace to ensure that the Scottish government delivers 50,000 affordable homes.

“While we were broadly content with the bill, and we agree with its general principles, we do recognise that the removal of these consent powers may impact previous safeguards.

“That’s why we seek confirmation from the Scottish government on how it will work together with the regulator and social housing sector to ensure that there are no negative impacts as a result of this reclassification.”