SURF Chief Executive Andy Milne giving evidence at a meeting of LGCC

The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee has launched a call for evidence as part of its scrutiny of the Housing (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill which was introduced on the 4th of September.

The bill aims to address the status of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), which were recently reclassified by the Office for National Statistics as Public Sector bodies, previously having been categorised as Private Sector bodies. This has a number of implications for RSLs, particularly regarding borrowing and finance to fund new building. The Bill would seek to reduce the Scottish Housing Regulator’s powers over RSLs, allowing them to be categorised again as Private Sector bodies.

The LGCC is seeking responses from interested individuals and organisations and has asked that these focus around 4 central questions;

  • Do you agree that measures should be taken to influence the ONS to reclassify RSLs as private sector bodies; and if not, please explain why?
  • Do you have any views on the appropriateness of the measures proposed in this Bill to bring about this reclassification?
  • Do you have views on whether the aims of the Bill could be achieved by other means?
  • Any other issues relating to the Bill which you wish to bring to the attention of the Committee?

Further information regarding the consultation can be found here. The deadline for submissions is the 26th of October.