With thanks to Kenneth Hutchison, Parliamentary Assistant to Dr. Eilidh Whiteford MP
Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford has welcomed new figures showing a 20% increase in the number of social sector homes built over the past seven years.
The figures, obtained from a parliamentary question, show that in the last seven years of the Labour-LibDem administration (2000-01 to 2006-07) 28,988 homes for social rent were completed.
In the last seven years of the SNP government, 34,633 social rent homes have been completed – 19.5% more than in the last seven years of the Labour-led executive.
The Scottish Government has pledged an ambitious 30,000 affordable homes to be built by the end of this Parliament, and is on target to deliver with 26,972 affordable homes already built since 2011-12 – 90% of its target. This includes 18,670 homes for social rent – 93% of the Scottish Government’s social rent target, and comes despite real terms cuts to Scotland’s block grant from Westminster.
Commenting, Dr Whiteford said:
“These figures demonstrate the Scottish Government’s commitment to regenerating Scotland’s social housing sector.
“Despite cuts of 26% to our capital budget from the UK Government, the SNP has made affordable housing a priority, and the Scottish Government is doing everything in its power to address the massive waiting lists which developed under successive Conservative and Labour administrations. Indeed, in their last four years in power, Labour built just four council houses in the whole of Scotland,
“Everyone deserves a warm, affordable place to live, and the SNP is committed to ensuring a steady supply of new social housing. The Scottish Government is already on track to deliver 30,000 affordable homes by the end of this Parliament, including 20,000 homes for social rent.”
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