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Cuts to housing budget will hurt business and families, claim Labour

The Scottish Government also comes under attack from the Tories over its National Housing Trust scheme.

28 January 2012 01:30 GMT

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Cuts to housing budget will hurt business and families, claim Labour

Work in progress: The SNP insists it is on course to meet its targets.

Labour has attacked the Scottish Government for damaging the construction industry by cutting the housing budget by more than 40%.

The party said the budget for 2012/13 of £214.8m represented a 41% drop on the 2011/12 allocation of £363.7m and described it as a "terrible blow" for people waiting for affordable housing.

Finance spokesman Richard Baker said: "This cut tells you everything you need to know about the SNP's commitment to home building and the Scottish construction industry.

"This will be a terrible blow for people waiting for a home and the thousands of people employed in the already under-fire construction sector.

"At a time when demand for housing is increasing, this SNP cut will mean the thousands of people across Scotland who are waiting for affordable homes will be left waiting even longer."

Scottish Labour obtained the figures from the Scottish Parliament's Information Centre.

The government also came under fire from the Conservatives, who claimed the number of homes being built under the National Housing Trust initiative had been cut to nearly half its original target.

Just 16 homes have so far been built during phase one of the scheme, with plans for 598 more. The SNP had originally pledged to build 1,025.

Tory housing spokesman said: "To have just built 16 houses from a target of over a thousand is ludicrous. The SNP are significantly missing their housing targets and it is simply not acceptable."

Housing Minister Keith Brown insisted the Scottish Government remained on track to deliver more than 6,000 affordable homes a year, two-thirds of which will be social houses.

He also said the Scottish Government's capital budget was being cut by a third by the UK Government.

"Through our emphasis on innovation and on levering in more resources, we are making each Scottish Government pound deliver much more than before. That is the key to supporting the construction industry and hard pressed families in these challenging times," he said.

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  1. Avatar for surfer gran

    1. 28 Jan 2012 10:21surfer gran said

    Blame is misplaced if targeted at our Scottish Government If folk want better opt for Independance and get shoulder to shoulder with all Scots Forget scoring empty political points.

    You can't make bricks without straw or run a country with finance dependent on an alien country's control.

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  2. Default avatar

    2. 28 Jan 2012 11:51Steve1966 said

    Why does this article began with paragraph after paragragh of accusation then at the end it is revealed that the Scottish Government didn't cut the budget but the minority parties own best mates and bosses from Westminster??

    For any government to work with opposing sides,some honesty must carry weight with the responibilities they represent on behalf of the people of Scotland!

    So come on everyone,don't shout foul at someone else when you already know where the foul was commited!! Please!!!

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