Humza Yousaf has repeated his government's belief that all drugs should be decriminalised for personal use in Scotland.
26.02.2024 - 01:19 / dailyrecord.co.uk
Humza Yousaf has been urged to ditch a “devastating” £190million housing cash cut in this week’s Scottish budget amid soaring rents and a homelessness emergency.
Campaigners, housebuilders and social housing groups have called on SNP ministers to invest in more affordable housing at a time many Scots are struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
Shona Robison, the Finance Secretary, will ask MSPs on Tuesday to vote in favour of Holyrood’s spending plans for the year ahead.
The draft Budget includes a massive £196million cut in funding for affordable housing in Scotland.
In an open letter published in the Daily Record today, campaigners and industry bodies have joined forces to plead with the First Minister not to axe the housing budget.
The plea comes from Sally Thomas, chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Jane Wood from industry body Homes for Scotland and Callum Chomczuk, Scottish Direct of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
The letter is also backed by the anti-poverty think tank the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Their direct plea to Humza Yousaf claims cuts to housing are “the worst possible decision at the worst possible time”.
The letter states: “Tomorrow the Scottish Parliament will decide whether to approve your government’s budget – a budget that proposes to slash the money available to build social homes by more than a quarter.
“The planning budget, which is crucial to the delivery of more homes, is also to be cut by 43 per cent.
“But we have a housing emergency with independent research evidencing that 693,000 Scottish households are facing some form of housing need.
“Almost one in 20 people in Scotland are on a waiting list for a social home, 30,000 are homeless and nearly 10,000 children
Humza Yousaf has repeated his government's belief that all drugs should be decriminalised for personal use in Scotland.
The SNP will push for a vote against "austerity cuts" in the Tory budget today.
An independent Scotland could slash corporation tax to make it like the Republic of Ireland, Humza Yousaf has suggested.
The Scottish Government's new controversial hate crime law will finally come into force next month.
Ladies who had private surgery to take out transvaginal mesh are being told to ask for their money back from the Scottish Government before time runs out.
The Scottish Government has failed to persuade a rebel local authority to drop its plan to increase council tax.
West Dunbartonshire’s housing chief claims there is a “housing emergency” in the region with “massive challenges” around homelessness.
A heartfelt tribute has been paid to BBC Scotland news journalist Nick Sheridan who has died suddenly aged just 32.
Jeremy Hunt announced his Spring Budget to the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon.
SNP Finance Secretary Shona Robison will hold showdown talks with the two local authorities that are snubbing her call for a council tax freeze.
Jeremy Hunt will announce the Spring Budget today amid mounting speculation National Insurance will be cut in a boost for workers.
Rishi Sunak has hinted at further cuts to national insurance in next week's Spring Budget.
Humza Yousaf has pledged to look into the case of a woman denied the preventative surgery for cancer her sister underwent, despite both having a gene making them more likely to develop the disease.
The mother of Emma Caldwell has asked Humza Yousaf "what are you waiting for?" as she called for a public inquiry over the investigation into her daughter's murder.
A Glasgow City Council job has been advertised with a higher salary than the Prime Minister's for only 35 hours work.
Humza Yousaf has defended his Government's record on housing as it prepares to slash spending on building affordable homes.
SNP Ministers are delaying a key part of a new law designed to clamp down on the sale and use of fireworks.
Scottish Ministers have coughed up extra funding as a sweetener for local authorities over a bitter council tax freeze row.
BBC Scotland has ditched its flagship news programme The Nine after it struggled to win viewers.
More than 150,000 naloxone kits have been given out in Scotland to help prevent fatal overdoses from drugs like heroin since 2011. The latest report shows 28,689 kits were handed out in 2022-23.