Kevin Stewart MSP
Written 35 posts
Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care (Previously: Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning)
Normalising Care home visiting
6th August 2021
The pandemic has been difficult for all of us but for residents of care homes, their family members and friends, and for the staff who look after them, it has been particularly challenging. I want to thank care sector staff for the immense contribution they have made. I also understand the distress that has been…
Improving fire safety in the home
24th March 2021
The Scottish Government is working to improve fire safety for all, and one death from a house fire is one too many. Scotland already has rigorous standards for fire alarms that have developed over time. Currently the highest safety standards are applied to new-build and private rented housing. We want that safety and protection to…
A planning system that supports sustainable development
18th December 2020
Today I have published changes to the Scottish Planning Policy. The changes tackle complex and difficult issues in our planning system that have been the subject of a number of legal disputes. The changes confirm our continuing support for the delivery of good quality, sustainable development, in the right locations that strike the best possible…
Responding to the Scottish House Condition Survey 2019
1st December 2020
The Scottish Government remains committed to ending fuel poverty entirely and implementing our ambitious Fuel Poverty Act. Fuel poverty figures in the 2019 report are likely to have been influenced by an increase in fuel prices between 2018 and 2019, particularly for electricity. Indeed, these statistics have highlighted that cost of electricity per unit remains…
Building a planning system for the future
26th November 2020
There is an especially busy and exciting period ahead for Scotland’s planning system. We are living through a global health and economic emergency. This has been an enormous challenge for us all but amid the darkness and disruption of Covid-19, we have been reminded about what matters most: the people around us, the places we…
Updated plan to tackle homelessness
9th October 2020
The shared vision to end homelessness and rough sleeping has not changed during the pandemic but our determination has increased. Fundamentally we want everyone to have a warm safe home to live in and so for anyone affected by homelessness we want them to have access to the housing and support they need. The emergency…
Green infrastructure and sustainable development
18th September 2020
The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has made many of us reflect on the importance and value of the homes we live in and the places where we live, work, shop and socialise. As we come out of this pandemic, instead of just getting back to the way things were before, we have a fresh…
Renewed commitment to ending homelessness
15th July 2020
The coronavirus outbreak has had significant implications for people experiencing homelessness, particularly those who were rough sleeping. We acted quickly to move people off the streets and into a place of safety but our work is not over. The pandemic has shown us how important it is to have a home that is warm, safe…
What kind of Scotland do we want to see post-lockdown?
26th June 2020
The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has made many of us reflect on the importance and the value of the places where we live, work, shop and socialise. Now as we begin to come out of lockdown, instead of just getting things back to the way they were before, we have a new opportunity to…
Putting tackling homelessness at the heart of our COVID-19 recovery
4th June 2020
We want to ensure that everyone has a warm, safe home that meets their needs. Our focus has not changed during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic but our ambition has increased. When I last co-chaired the Scottish Government’s Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group (HPSG) in early March, I could not have envisaged all that would be…