​Committee recommends areas for improvement for housing regulator

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) is to improve the way it operates and report back to a Holyrood committee on its progress.

MSPs on the Capital Investment Committee have been scrutinising the regulatory regime since earlier this year when it first took evidence.

MSPs took evidence from the social housing sector as well as the regulator, and recently wrote to SHR outlining key themes that were identified during its evidence sessions.

Jim Eadie MSP, convener of the committee said: “The Scottish Housing Regulator is taking forward a number of issues which the committee identified as requiring further development, such as the introduction of an appeals process and how its approach to regulation can be more transparent.

The committee takes its role in holding the regulator to account extremely seriously

“The committee takes its role in holding the regulator to account extremely seriously and in order to identify progress made on these key issues, the committee will take further evidence in June.”

MSPs also considered a petition from Dumfries District Trade Unions Council which raised concerns about the handling of a contract by Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership to demolish and rebuild new homes in Dumfries and Stranraer.

On this issue, the convener explained: “While we acknowledge the concerns expressed by the Trades Union Council, it is not the role or remit of the committee to investigate individual business decisions or contractual arrangements.

“However, the committee agreed to suggest to the Trades Union Council that it should pursue its concerns in an appropriate way through the parliament’s public petitions process.”