Scottish Government miss boat in programme of legislation for next session

Here are some things the SNP Scottish Government is not doing this parliamentary year:

Giving local councils the power to introduce a tourist levy, if they want to.

Giving local councils power to introduce a licensing system for holiday lets (Airbnbs etc ), again if they want to.

Giving a community right of appeal in the planning process.

Giving councils effective powers to limit private sector rent increases, instead of the weak and flawed proposals for rent pressure zones.

All of these are measures within the power of the Scottish Parliament. There is much rhetoric from the SNP about “community empowerment” but this is proving to be a great deal of hot air.

There’s a pattern here, too, of pushing these issues into the long grass. The Scottish Government took six months to respond to a report it had itself commissioned into the impact of Airbnb – and the response was to set up yet another working group.

Nor is there a lack of time to legislate in such issues. A planning Bill is already scheduled so a community right of appeal can be amended.

The First Minister’s new legislative plan contains many measures which, while worthy and presumably do need primary legislation, are straightforward and largely uncontentious so could be dealt with quickly.

The First Minister says she wants to increase wellbeing. Renters struggling to cope with rent increases, community views ignored by the planning system, and a city’s infrastructure bending under the strain of coping with an influx of tourists and declining council budgets would all have their well being enhanced by the measures listed above.

SHEILA GILMORE St Catherine’s Place, Edinburgh

Some things never change. I speak of the Labour Party’s response on Tuesday to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government.

Hypocrisy rang loud as the party which voted against the Scottish Government’s last budget – which increased taxes for the rich and decreased taxes for low earners – accused the Scottish Government of not doing enough to address poverty or assisting low earners. It really is breathtaking!

Incidentally, Labour gave no indication of what their programme for government would look like!

CATRIONA C CLARK

Hawthorn Drive, Banknock, Falkirk