Scotland 'needs detail' on UK cladding removal funds
- Published
The Scottish government has said it will not follow the UK government's "piecemeal approach" for funding to remove unsafe cladding.
UK ministers promised an extra £3.5bn to help remove unsafe material from buildings in England above 18m high.
Thousands of flat owners face huge bills for safety improvements following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
Under the Barnett formula, extra money provided by the Treasury also means an increase to devolved administrations.
Scotland typically receives about 10% of extra spending in England, although it is up to the Scottish government to decide how the money is spent.
Scotland's housing minister Kevin Stewart said more detail is required from the UK government on how much will be allocated.
"Time after time we hear that the commitment from the UK Government, although welcome, will not be sufficient to help those that need it," he said.
"A piecemeal approach to a solution is not serving anyone well.
"I am very concerned by the difficulties being faced by people living in buildings with external wall cladding, who have concerns about safety, or who are unable to buy, sell or remortgage their homes."
Mr Stewart said it was important that developers in Scotland also take their share of responsibility, while the Scottish government considers "the most appropriate support" for "those that need it most".
"We have not, and will not, repeat the mistakes made elsewhere of allocating funding before it is clear where and what the overall need is," he added.
The £3.5bn announced by the UK government comes on top of £1.6bn in funding that was announced for the removal of unsafe cladding last year.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick also announced:
Loans for owners to replace cladding in low rise blocks , with repayment capped at £50 a month.
Levy on developers of new high rises to cover the cost of grants.
New tax on residential property development in the UK from 2022.
Abhijeet Kadwe lives in a building in the Finnieston area of Glasgow that is covered in the same type of flammable cladding as Grenfell.
"It is horrible living here," he told BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme. "You are always under the fear that something like Grenfell could happen at any moment.
"Because of the lack of fire-safety measures here, there would be no way out for us. I really dread the thought of anything like that happening here.
"We would be at the mercy of the fire rescue services coming on time and putting it out. That would be our only hope."
Mr Kadwe said his flat, which he paid £210,000 for in 2018, is currently "worthless".
"If I want to sell it, I can't," he added. "There are no buyers out there who will want this property. I can't even re-mortgage it for the same reason.
"Essentially, its value is zero as things stand, until they do something - even if it was an assurance that someone will be footing the bill."