25th May 2007
Salmond Refuses to Reassure Tenants on
Homes Investment
First Minister, Alex Salmond, has
refused reassure council tenants in Inverclyde that the housing stock transfer
and record investment for which they voted overwhelmingly in November won’t be
delayed or cancelled.
The
First Minister was responding to questioning in the Scottish Parliament Chamber
from MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan McNeil.
Mr
McNeil said he was disappointed that the First Minister’s statement on his
Executive’s priorities made no mention of those matters which are most
important to the poor:
“I
am disappointed that there was little mention in the statement of the things
that matter to poor people,” he said. “I
speak specifically about the importance of social housing. Will
he assure council tenants in my constituency that the stock transfer and record
investment for which they voted overwhelmingly in November will not be delayed
or cancelled?”
Mr
Salmond made no comment, beyond stating that, “we believe that the results of
referendums – and the holding of referendums – should be acknowledged and
supported.”
Mr
McNeil later told the Telegraph:
“This
isn’t some game about swapping witty epigrams.
This is a serious business for thousands of my constituents and they will
be concerned that the First Minister refused to take this opportunity to
reassure them that the new homes, improvements and investment for which they
voted overwhelmingly in the stock transfer ballot are safe. Given the SNP’s previous hostility to this housing stock
transfer, we need these reassurances now.”
Mr
McNeil also wrote last week to Nicola Sturgeon in her capacity as Housing
Minister, asking, “for your assurance that the £140 million investment in
social housing for which local authority tenants voted overwhelmingly in last
year’s housing stock transfer ballot is similarly secure.”
To
date, asides from an acknowledgement of his letter, he has yet to receive a
response.
ENDS
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