Suggested improvements to the Home Owner & Debtor Protection Bill

GLC has written to the Minister for Housing and Communities suggesting simple changes which could dramatically improve Part 1 of the Scottish Government's Home Owner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Bill. A copy of the letter is available on our Scribd page here.

Home Owner Bill not fit for purpose

GLC has submitted its views on the Home Owner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Bill to the Local Government and Communities Committee today.

We believe that the Bill as presently drafted is not fit for purpose. Our detailed drafting comments are available to view on our scribd page here. In our experience if the Bill were passed as drafted it would cause significant detriment to consumers in Scotland. There is no reason why some simple amendments could not be made to the Mortgage Rights (Scotland) Act 2001 (MRA) to achieve the key recommendations of the Repossessions Sub-Group.

Given the fundamental conceptual and drafting flaws in the Bill, we are urging the Local Government and Communities Committee to recommend that the Scottish Parliament reject this Bill at Stage 1. We are urging the Scottish Government to give consideration to introducing a fresh Bill which would amend the MRA by introducing some precise, straight-forward and workable amendments.