 The next item of business is topical questions, and at question number one, I call Audrey Nicholl. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement by Aberdeen City Council that residents of approximately 500 homes in Torrey face relocation as a result of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. Cabinet Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I begin by, of course, recognising that this will be a very worrying time for those that are directly affected by the latest situation in Aberdeen. The rehoming programme confirmed last week as part of the council's long-term plan to remediate rack discovered in their housing, and it is vital that the council puts this proactive plan in place to provide one-to-one assessments and to make sure that tenants find suitable onward accommodation. The Minister for Housing has met council leaders and the housing convener to discuss the action taken and gain assurance that the needs of tenants will be foremost over the coming months. Through the RAC cross-sector working group, we are continuing to engage with all local authorities. Audrey Nicholl. I thank the cabinet secretary for her response. The Balnegask area of Torrey is one of the most deprived areas on the Scottish index of multiple deprivation. Around 150 homeowners in the area have purchased formal councillor properties. Many have mortgages still outstanding and will see a drop, not just into negative but potentially zero equity. Insurance companies are already withdrawing cover, leaving residents in a very difficult financial predicament. Can the cabinet secretary outline what resources, advice and support homeowners can access in order to provide them with the information that they require to inform how they proceed? The affected buildings in Aberdeen have not been assessed as posing a critical risk requiring immediate evacuation, and therefore there are no plans at this stage to compel owners to leave their home. The long-term options available to those households will be considered as part of the council's on-going investigations and options appraisal for the site. We do understand individual decisions on each property or for the lender or insurer, but we will continue to engage with the Association of British Insurers in UK Finance to urge them to take a very responsible stance on that matter, which, as I said, they will, hopefully, appreciate that it is a worrying time for everyone involved. I thank the cabinet secretary for outlining those options. I am pleased that Aberdeen City Council has set aside an initial of £3 million to underpin its response to the issues arising from RAC. However, for many of my constituents, the need to relocate their homes could incur unforeseen costs such as new school uniforms for children, additional travel costs to work or services such as GPs. Everyone, but especially families and children in this close-knit community, faces huge upheaval. Given that many of those affected are on low incomes, can the cabinet secretary outline what additional support may be available to constituents who are faced with additional pressures on already tight family budgets? That is, of course, a matter for the council, but I understand that the process of one-to-one assessments that Aberdeen City has planned will ensure that the circumstances of each individual family are considered and that wraparound support is provided, including consideration of the health and, importantly, the schooling needs of affected families. That will be underpinned by disturbance payments to cover rehoming costs such as removals and new carpets and other expenses such as those mentioned by the member. I appreciate her on-going concern as the constituency MSP and will endeavour to keep her updated from a Scottish Government perspective. I am very aware that she is in communication with the council as well, given that those are council buildings. After years of underfunding, the council will need financial help on what is a wholly devolved matter from the Scottish Government to assist the council tenants, the owners and the private renters that we have heard about. What financial support will be made available from the Scottish Government to ensure that the council is able to provide the support needed? As the member will be aware, the Parliament has just recently passed the budget. I am happy to be corrected, Presiding Officer, if I am incorrect in that. However, as far as I am aware, on this and in all other issues, the Scottish Conservatives did not come forward with costed proposals about how we would change either our revenue or capital. It is very important to put the context— Let's hear the cabinet secretary. Clearly, the members are not interested in hearing about how we have taken the decisions over our budget. I would also point out to the member that the UK did not inflation-proof their capital budget, which we forecast will result in nearly a 10 per cent real-terms cut in our capital funding. That means that difficult decisions will have to be made by the Scottish Government and councils. To be clear, the chancellor in the past said that funding would be made available before the RAC, not just in housing but overall. To date, we have had not one single penny from that, and that is a very sad state of affairs indeed. Michael Marra, I am in common with other members. I have been contacted by a number of constituents in recent days who are consumed with worry about what that means for the home that they have worked so hard to buy but for the safety of their family as well. What can the minister tell us about on-going support for Aberdeen City Council in terms of the dialogue and the longer term for that? I think that the situation is akin to the cladding issue that has left many families right across the UK without any value in their homes. Is the minister determined to take a strategic approach to how we might address that as those issues might arise in other parts of the country? Michael Marra is quite right to point out that that may not be the only situation that arises, and it affects tenants and private rented sector tenants and owner occupiers. That is exactly why we have put in place at ministerial and official level the discussions that we need to have with councils and across the public sector to determine the scale of the challenge that is coming forward and to liaise around good practice and any changes in guidance, for example, to make sure that we are endeavouring to work together as closely as possible on that. I take the member's point very seriously about the need to ensure that we do not just focus on tenants on the work for this issue. From the conversations that the Government has been having with the council, it is very clear that they are also looking at everybody who lives there, not just their tenants. That is a very important piece of work. As I say, it is very concerning for everybody involved, including the owner or occupiers, but we will continue those discussions with the council on what is happening in their area and, of course, with other local authorities as those situations arise. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported claims by the director of Shelter Scotland that it is gaslighting the country on housing when its budget condemns 10,000 children to lives trapped in the homelessness system. The Scottish Government is doing everything in its power to tackle homelessness and the Minister for Housing regularly engages with local authorities on the housing pressures that they are facing. We are making more than £14 billion available to councils in 24-25, including £30.5 million to support work preventing homelessness and £90.5 million for discretionary housing payments mitigating cruel policies such as the bedroom tax. We are also investing £100 million in the multi-year ending homelessness together fund. Scotland has a strong rights record, indeed the strongest in the UK for anyone becoming homeless, and has led the UK in delivering more than 126,000 affordable homes since 2007. Grym Simpson Thank you. Alison Watson is not the only one to have lambasted Shona Robison's disastrous budget, which saw a 26 per cent cut of nearly £200 million to affordable social housing. She said, quotes, it's getting ever more desperate. We deliberately describe what's happening as a housing emergency. That's not empty words. What we're seeing is exceptional. The Government says that it's doing great things, but those are the facts and figures, and that's why I call it gaslighting, her words. Cabinet Secretary, she's right, isn't she? I have to say, Presiding Officer, that brass neck of a Conservative member of the Scottish Parliament coming here and trying with crocodile tears to say that they are concerned about the levels of homelessness or the housing budget when they themselves, their party, has ensured that we are seeing a massive cut to our capital budget. Again, they're not interested in hearing the facts on this either, Presiding Officer, but it does inevitably have— Cabinet Secretary, if you could just give me a moment, please. I know that members are passionate about the issues that they bring to the chamber, but I'm absolutely determined that we treat one another with courtesy and respect. We cannot listen when we're shouting or commenting. It does have an impact on what we can do up here when the UK Government sees fit to cut our budget by 10 per cent real towns fall over the next few years and also take an absolute axe to the financial transactions, which are important in our affordable housing supply. In saying that, Presiding Officer, we know that we have to do everything that we can within the budgets that we do have, and that's exactly why we have a record on developing affordable housing. Scotland's delivered over 40 per cent more affordable homes per head of population than in England and over 70 per cent more than in Wales. We've protected the homelessness budget for the next financial year, despite the most challenging budgets during devolution. I do appreciate that Shelter would wish to see us go further, but let's be very clear, Presiding Officer, that not one party in this chamber came forward with costist proposals about exactly what that would be. The cabinet secretary's attack on me should be aimed at Shelter Scotland, because I quoted Shelter Scotland. Those were their words, so that was an absolutely disgraceful answer, I have to say. Presiding Officer, homelessness is at an all-time high. There are 15,625 households in temporary accommodation. That's the highest on record. Alison Watson said that promises by the SNP Government to build more social housing look like a pipe dream. John Blackwood of the Scottish Association of Landlords said that landlords have been warning for the past few years that the combination of anti-landlord rhetoric along with short-term ineffective policies are harming investment in private rented housing in Scotland. Three councils have declared a housing emergency. The entire housing sector is saying that there is a housing emergency. Can the cabinet secretary not admit that there is a housing emergency? I am not one of the members that comes to this chamber to make personal attacks. If the member thinks that delivering the financial context of which this Government is in is a personal attack, perhaps it is because he feels quite sensitive about the record of his party within the UK Government. That is exactly why we will continue within the budget that we have to make sure that we will prioritise as far as we possibly can. If I may just confirm to all members that I will chair the meeting in the way that I see fit, I have already asked members to ensure that they treat one another with courtesy and respect, and I will continue to do so when we are required, cabinet secretary. I have been shouted down by men and the Conservative benches for many a year. It has not put me off then and it will not put me off today either from providing the context that is required on this. We have made funding available of more than £14 billion to councils within 24-25, and within that we have committed £35 million for specific action to homelessness and rough sleeping. We have also taken action on temporary accommodation, and that is exactly why we have seen the work, for example, on the acquisitions plan, investing at least £60 million in this financial year. We will continue to do all that we can with the difficult circumstances that we have. I urge the member, even at this late stage, if he has any ability to influence the Chancellor, which I doubt, but he can actually help in what we are doing for housing and homelessness, and indeed other members can as well by joining our call for the Chancellor to reinstate the budget that we have had in capital within the Scottish Government, and that will help with housing and homelessness. I am keen to ensure that members who wish to have the opportunity to put a question—I would be grateful for concise questions and responses. I call Kenneth Gibson. The cabinet secretary has confirmed that over the last 17 years the Scottish Government has built more affordable homes per capita than other UK nations. Given that the Tories have cut Scotland's capital allocation by 1,600 million over three years, their council group leader, Edinburgh, is keen on homelessness provision, but not in his ward. London has seen a 76 per cent fall in affordable housing stats this financial year under Michael Gove. Does she agree that it is the Tories who are gaslighting? The Scottish Government has led the UK in housing by delivering more than 126,000 affordable homes since 2007. Over 89,000 of those were for social rent. That includes almost 24,000 council homes. Of course, we recognise that there is more to do on that, but context and delivery is an important fact to deliver to Parliament today. That is why we have taken action in the past, and we will continue to take action. I appreciate that Shelter has concerns that he would like us to go further. We will continue that dialogue with them, along with crisis and others. For example, some of the other impacts on homelessness are, for example, around the local housing allowance, which has been frozen for three years by the UK Government, and which a recent important crisis said was one of the main drivers in homelessness last year. I am glad that the cabinet secretary has faith in the third sector who has pointed that out. She is right to say that this is a country that is built on strong human rights records. What would she say to the 9,860 children in temporary accommodation? The foundational stones of Maslow's needs will cause them problems later in their life. What will she say to those children about when are they going to escape temporary accommodation and when are they going to have certain housing? The increase in homelessness applications and the number of households, especially children, in temporary accommodation is concerning. The member is absolutely right on that. That is exactly why we have taken actions on the recommendations of the temporary accommodation expert group. I mentioned previously the work that we have been doing of investing at least £60 million this financial year in an acquisitions programme. That is why we have provided targeted funding for the local authorities with the largest percentage increases in temporary accommodation. However, the member is quite right to point out that there is more to do on that. That is exactly what the Government will continue to do next year. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to resolve industrial action in the further education sector. The Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Veterans meets the campus unions on a biannual basis and representatives of the sector in a number of forums regularly. As he committed to in this chamber just last week, he will continue to engage with both management and unions as and when appropriate as they continue to work together to reach a settlement that is both fair and affordable. The minister continues to make clear his expectation that college management and unions work together to do everything that they can to reach a settlement that is both fair and affordable. Kate Clark Does the minister believe that it is acceptable that further education workers in Scotland are being asked to take a below-inflation pay rise as their first pay rise for three years or face compulsory redundancy? The fair work first criteria set out a range of fair work practices, including the payment of the real living wage, no inappropriate use of zero-hour contracts, the offering of flexible and family-friendly working practices, investment in workforce development, and we expect fair work to be upheld. In terms of the issue that Kate Clark referred to specifically, those are matters for colleges and ministers have no direct role in those matters. In circumstances where deductions are to be made, colleges must ensure that employees are reminded in advance of their contractual obligations and advise where taking part in ASOS is considered to be in a breach of contract. Kate Clark I would be grateful if the minister could ask the question as to whether the threat of compulsory redundancy is acceptable. Many colleges still do not recognise trade unions and, as she has indicated, some are deducting 100 per cent pay for action short of strike action. Will she use this opportunity to remind colleges of their responsibility under the fair work convention that she has been speaking about? As I have already alluded to, operational decisions on resourcing and staffing matters are for individual institutions and ministers have no direct role in those decisions. The minister for further education wrote to college principals last year to reiterate the importance that the Scottish Government places on the use of fair work practices in the college sector. He is very clear that he expects this to include full consultation with staff and trade unions and to create the time and space to exhaust all options of redeployment. There are clearly financial challenges in further education and, indeed, across the entire Scottish budget. Has the minister heard any calls from Tories or Labour MSPs alike for an increase in public services and an end to austerity? I know that I haven't. I absolutely agree that more than a decade of Westminster austerity has had a simply devastating impact on the public finances. I hear the groans from the side of me, but it is absolutely correct. The fact that austerity is now supported by both Labour and the Tories only confirms that the Westminster parties are not working for Scotland. Despite the UK Government's autumn statement delivering a worst-case scenario for Scotland's finances, we are continuing to invest in key services and priorities. The £24.25 budget allocates nearly £2 billion to colleges and universities, supporting the delivery of high-quality education, training and research.