This issue has been raised and discussed in local public meetings in Glasgow, and we have provided a full briefing paper on the proposal to Humza Yousaf MSP, Scottish Government Minister, who has passed same to the Housing Minister. The briefing paper was also forwarded to Johann Lamont MSP. Both Humza Yousaf and Johann Lamont were present at a public meeting of concerned tenants in Govan last month where the proposal was supported by 100 local tenants. Both Shelter Scotland, the STUC and the Glasgow Advice Agency support the proposal in this petition. We await the response from the Housing Minister, and Johann Lamont MSP.
Govan Law Centre defends a high volume of eviction actions in Glasgow, and specialises in the prevention of homelessness across the West of Scotland. We and are our partner agency, the Glasgow Advice Agency, which provides advice services across two-thirds of Glasgow City, have already had many tenants contact us concerned that they will be unable to pay the shortfall in their rents due to under occupancy deductions from April 2013. We, along with other civic and local bodies, have no doubt that unless measures are taken to mitigate the effects of the under occupancy deductions, Scotland will see a significant increase in eviction actions, which may be extremely hard to defend given current housing law.