Planning (Scotland) Act 2019

4 Housing needs of older people and disabled people: parliamentary report

(1) The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 is amended as follows.

(2) After section 3CC insert—

“3CD Duty of Scottish Ministers to report on housing needs of older people and disabled people

(1) The Scottish Ministers must, as soon as practicable after the end of each 2-year period, lay before the Scottish Parliament a report on how the planning system is operating to help ensure that the housing needs of older people and disabled people are met.

(2) A report under subsection (1) must, in particular, contain information about—

(a) the extent to which the planning system is operating to ensure that new housing that meets the needs of older people and disabled people is constructed,

(b) the extent to which the planning system is operating to ensure that existing housing is adapted to meet the housing needs of older people and disabled people,

(c) the extent to which any other actions taken by the Scottish Ministers in relation to the planning system are ensuring that the housing needs of older people and disabled people are being met, and

(d) such other matters relating to the planning system as appear to the Scottish Ministers to be relevant to meeting the housing needs of older people and disabled people.

(3) In preparing the report, the Scottish Ministers must consult—

(a) older people and disabled people, and their families,

(b) such persons as appear to the Scottish Ministers to be representative of the interests of older people and disabled people, including organisations working for and on behalf of older people and disabled people,

(c) carers,

(d) planning authorities,

(e) a body registered under section 20 (registered social landlords) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010,

(f) developers,

(g) such persons as they consider appropriate having functions in relation to—

(i) older people and disabled people, and their families,

(ii) carers,

(iii) housing,

(iv) social work,

(v) health and social care, and

(h) such other persons as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.

(4) The Scottish Ministers must, as soon as practicable after the report has been laid before the Scottish Parliament, publish the report in such manner as they consider appropriate.

(5) For the purposes of this section, the “2-year period” means—

(a) the period of 2 years beginning with the day on which section 4 of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 comes into force, and

(b) each subsequent period of 2 years.”.