Scotland 'won't follow Flint's approach on jobless council tenants'

Scotland's Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell has accused the UK Government of being "draconian" after Housing Minister Caroline Flint suggested jobless council tenants should be required to look for work.

Ms Flint suggested new council tenants who can work could have to sign "commitment contracts", agreeing to actively seek employment.

However her stance was condemned by Mr Maxwell, who insisted the Scottish Government had "no intention" of taking such action.

He said: "Scotland controls its own housing policies and we have no intention of copying the UK Government's headline-grabbing but draconian approach ..."

And he argued that forcing those in council or housing association homes to look for work could make matters worse.

Mr Maxwell said: "Research shows that people in settled accommodation are much more likely to get and hold a job. We don't believe threatening people with homelessness will solve a problem - indeed, it will make it far worse."

He continued: "The Scottish Government is taking a positive approach to housing, committing over £1.5 billion over the next three years and we have set ourselves an ambitious goal to boost the number of homes built nationwide to 35,000 a year by the middle of the next decade - 10,000 more than at present.

"Our aim is to make sure everyone in Scotland has access to a decent home, which we believe is the foundation for a stable life."

In a speech to the Fabian Society in London, Ms Flint said: "Council and social housing must continue to support the most vulnerable in society, but it should also be a springboard to opportunity, not just a safety net."

She called for a national debate on breaking the link between social housing and unemployment following a dramatic fall in the number of council tenants in work over the past 25 years. The number of unemployed council tenants has risen by 20% to 55% since 1981.