Swinney is ‘proud supporter’ of PHA

Jul 4 2008 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

JOHN Swinney, MSP for Tayside North and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, was guest speaker at the AGM of Perthshire Housing Association (PHA) in Dewars Centre.

More than 50 members and guests were welcomed by the association’s chairman Tom Band who described 2007/08 as “another busy and successful year for the association”.

Presenting his report, Mr Band said: “In the course of the past year, the association has been presented with many challenges and it is pleasing to note that despite these it managed to achieve all of its exacting performance targets.”

Turning to wider external influences Mr Band commented on recently published Scottish Government consultative papers. “We understand the Scottish Government’s wish to make public subsidy go further in providing affordable housing. We endorse this principle and will strive to be ever more efficient in all that we do.

“The Association has reservations, however, about some of its long-term effects and in particular the prospect of spiralling rents. We have to be careful that lower subsidy levels do not result in a reduction of the number of affordable houses being completed – or a reduction in the quality of housing we are able to build.”

In his speech, Mr Swinney said he was proud to have been a supporter of PHA for many years: “As a local MP and then MSP, I have watched with considerable admiration the growth of PHA and the excellent work it has undertaken.

Indeed earlier this year I was delighted to accompany Tom Band and John Kernahan on a visit to a newly completed development in Pitlochry. To my mind developments such as this set a standard and PHA should be congratulated on its commitment to providing homes of the highest standard to the very many households experiencing housing need.”