Sarah Boyack MSP – Page 5 – The NEN

Boyack warns against ‘cliff-edge’ in housing support

Sarah Boyack has warned against a “cliff-edge” in housing support in Lothian as a report reveals the number of open housing advice cases hit its highest point on record after pandemic protections were stripped away.

“Housing Options” services provide support and advice for people facing homelessness or other housing issues. Most people who seek advice through this system will go on to make a homelessness application, with this being the outcome in 55 per cent of cases in 2021/22.

In Edinburgh, in 2021/22 the number people approaching this service fell by 2 per cent, however, the average time taken for the local authority to deliver this support rose by a shocking 179%, up to 148 days in 2021/22 from 53 days in 2020/21, making it highest increase among all local councils.

The number of open cases in Edinburgh climbed by 13 per cent to the highest point since records began in 2014/15.

The number of people in Scotland approaching the service at risk of homelessness because of termination of tenancy or mortgage due to rent arrears or default on payments soared by a staggering 53 per cent in a single year.

This sharp increase is likely the result of emergency protections introduced during the pandemic ending. Labour have called these figures a “stark warning” and urged the SNP government not to repeat its mistakes when measures introduced to manage the cost of living crisis come to an end.

Commenting, Scottish Labour Lothians MSP Sarah Boyack said: “This damning report lays bare how badly tenants and homeowners were abandoned after the pandemic.

“In Edinburgh, the council is struggling to cope with rising demand, with the need for high quality, affordable housing being more pressing than ever.

“People arriving from Ukraine are also in desperate need for accommodation.

“What will happen when the current rent freeze and evictions ban draw to an end?

“No-one should lose their home because of this cost of living crisis – we need a real long-term plan to prevent homelessness, protect tenants, and help homeowners, before a second wave of homelessness hits.”

Table 4a: Number of open PREVENT1 approaches as at 31 March, in Edinburgh: 2015 to 2022

2015	2,555
2016	2,875
2017	3,210
2018	3,515
2019	3,880
2020	4,725
2021	6,520
2022	7,370
Change 2021 to 2022 %	13%

Table 6a: Reason for PREVENT1 approach: 2014-15 to 2021-22

	2020-21	2021-22	Change 20-21 to 21-22 %
All Approaches	37,412	40,062	7%
Homelessness type reasons: Termination of tenancy / mortgage due to rent arrears / default on payments	361	554	53%

Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-options-prevent1-statistics-in-scotland-2021-to-2022/documents/

National Planning Framework 4: New houses in Edinburgh cut by 4,500

The Scottish Government’s decision to reduce by 4,500 homes the number of houses to be developed in Edinburgh has been questioned by Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour MSP for Lothian following the Ministerial Statement on National Planning Framework 4.

Ms. Boyack asked the Planning Minister, Tom Arthur, to explain why the number of houses to be developed in Edinburgh has been reduced by 4,500 homes at a time when the city is facing a long-standing deepening crisis.

The MSP for Lothian raised also issues around the capacity of GPs to cope with rising demand and asked about whether new GP and local health services will be included in planning application for the new housing being proposed across the Lothian given the challenges the region is already facing in terms of GP capacity in areas where significant new development is being planned.

The National Planning Framework (NPF) is a long-term plan for Scotland that sets out where development and infrastructure is needed.

Scotland’s fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) will guide national and regional spatial development and set out priorities and national planning policies up until 2045.

Commenting, Sarah Boyack MSP said: “A housing crisis affecting those on low or modest incomes, students and families looking for long term housing is unfolding not only in Edinburgh but across Scotland. The available properties are unaffordable or inaccessible for many and affordable, high-quality properties are almost non-existent.

“Reducing the number of new housing developments in Edinburgh will be catastrophic for people, the city and our local economy.

“The SNP claim they want to build a new Scotland – but they are going into reverse.

“In Musselburgh, people are struggling to access vital GP services – with rising local population and housing developments, this is rapidly becoming a pattern we see across Scotland.

“Planning applications should be considering issues around GPs’ capacity – we can’t gamble with people’s lives.

“The Minister dodged my question, offering nothing more than empty rhetoric.”

The revised draft NPF4 is available here

national-planning-framework-4-revised-draft Download

Sarah Boyack calls on UK Government to deliver cost of living support

Scottish Labour MSP, Sarah Boyack, has called on the Tory UK Government to get on with delivering their cost of living support package as who do not have a domestic electricity contract are still waiting for details of the support they will receive, despite payments already being made to residents with a domestic energy contract.

People without domestic electricity contracts are still waiting for confirmation that they will receive the £400 Energy Bill Support and how this will be paid to them

In a policy paper, the UK Government confirmed that the support will be provided to those who do not have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier – however, there is still no clarity about the process.

Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour MSP for Lothian, said: “While there is revolving door for Prime Ministers and Ministers, the Tories are failing to deliver for local residents here in Edinburgh.

“Local residents who do not have a direct relationship with their energy supplier are still waiting for the clarification on how and when they will receive the £400 Energy Bill Support, as the winter weather starts to come in.

“The cost of living emergency is already starting to bite as more and more families are having to make the choice between heating and eating.

“I have written to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to announce details as soon as possible which will provide certainty to families.”

Boyack calls for urgent support for Scotland’s arts and culture sector

Following the news about the closure of the Modern Two art gallery in Edinburgh until next year due to rising energy bills, Sarah Boyack MSP, Scottish Labour’s Spokesperson for Culture and MSP for Lothian, highlighted the wider issues the sector is facing and called on the Scottish Government to deliver urgent action.

The Scottish Labour MSP commented: “Our arts and culture organisations are on the brink of collapse – many are fighting for survival, they are struggling to cope with the perfect storm of reduced incomes, skyrocketing energy bills and inflation.

“Earlier this month, we found out that Falkirk Town Hall, the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, the Belmont in Aberdeen and the Edinburgh International Film Festival have all gone under.

“The Scottish Government reassured us that Scotland’s National Collections will remain open to the public free of charge. However, the reality on the ground tells us a very different story.

“Instead of rhetoric and empty promises, we need the Government to deliver the urgent action the arts and culture sector needs at this moment of crisis.”

In his written response to Sarah Boyack MSP, on 30th September, Culture Secretary Neil Gray said: “the National Collections are an important part of Scotland’s culture.

!”As part of setting and reviewing annual budgets for grant in aid, the Scottish Government maintains close contact with National Museums Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland about their cost and revenue, in order to continue to ensure that their permanent collections remain open to the public free of charge.”

Sarah Boyack: Scotland’s Arts and Culture on the brink of collapse

AROUND 30 arts and culture organisations attended a Roundtable on the impact of the cost of living crisis on culture, hosted last week by Scottish Labour’s Spokesperson for Culture, Sarah Boyack MSP and shared their concerns about the future of the sector.

The roundtable was organised to better understand how dramatically increasing running costs and falling income due to overstretched households will impact on arts and culture organisations in Edinburgh and across Scotland.

From smaller, community-based organisations such as Sing in the City, Project Artlink and the Scottish Contemporary Art Network, to bigger and diverse institutions, including Scottish Ballet, Museum Galleries Scotland and Glasgow Life, the picture painted was grim and raised questions about current plans to address the unfolding crisis.

Sarah Boyack said that the organisations varied in size, budgets, challenges and needs for the future, highlighting the scale of the problem and the need for action.

The list MSP for Lothian commented: “A common theme that emerged during our roundtable is that without urgent support, many of Scotland’s Arts and Culture organisations will collapse.

“In the last fortnight, Falkirk Town Hall, the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, the Belmont in Aberdeen and the Edinburgh International Film Festival have all gone under so we need urgent action and support for the sector now.

“Despite reassurances from the Scottish Government that our National Collections will remain open to the public free of charge, we recently found out that flagship Edinburgh galleries might have to not only reduce hours but also cut on their outreach programmes funded by earned income.

Sarah Boyack continued: “The Scottish Government has a history of empty promises and soundbites over action – they’ve been warned, time and time again, about the “perfect storm” of the pandemic, declining incomes, rising energy bills and inflation.

“Year on year real terms cuts to local government have exacerbated the sustainability community based art and culture organisations and led to a loss of highly skilled staff. The Scottish Government has been warned about the long-lasting impact that this will have on the sector, with haemorrhage of talent and skills, closures and under-provision of services.

“Arts and culture organisations are hugely important not only to our cultural landscape, our economy and people’s well-being and mental health, but are also spaces that people can spend time in during the cost of living crisis – for free.

“I will be writing to the Cabinet Secretary to ask about a detailed cross government plan to support our arts and culture – we need clarity and action now, not soundbites.”