Kerry Mackintosh, Yvette Hoskins, Wilson Chowdhry and Wayne Hoskins at the inaugural Dundee RAAC Campaign Group Meeting.
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Following a deeply disappointing response from Mark Griffin, Scottish Labour’s spokesperson on housing, to Wayne Hoskins, Chairman of the Dundee RAAC Campaign Group, Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, was invited to provide a reply. Below is the open letter that has been sent to Mr. Griffin's Senior Parliamentary Advisor, Caitlin Stott.
For context, the initial correspondence on behalf of Mr. Griffin is included at the end of this post.
OPEN LETTER
Dear Mark Griffin MSP,
Thank you for your thoughtful response to the challenges faced by homeowners affected by RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete). I greatly appreciate the time you and your Senior Parliamentary Advisor, Caitlin Stott, have taken to acknowledge the pain and suffering endured by so many. Your understanding of the trauma—plummeting property values, voided insurance policies, and uninhabitable homes—resonates deeply with those of us living through this nightmare.
However, I must respectfully challenge the assumption in your response that homeowners are responsible for the condition of their properties. RAAC was never disclosed to those who purchased these homes, many of which were sold under the "Right to Buy" scheme. This scheme was presented as an opportunity for individuals to invest in their futures, but homeowners were unaware of the hidden defect that has now become a catastrophic liability.
The Hidden Reality of RAAC
Homeowners have maintained their properties to the best of their knowledge and ability, yet they were never informed of the presence of RAAC. Without this critical information, how could they have been expected to take the necessary measures to mitigate its risks? The suggestion that they should bear the burden of maintenance for a defect they were never made aware of is both unfair and impractical.
Complex Issues Beyond Maintenance
The issues surrounding RAAC extend far beyond maintenance. For instance, in Aberdeen, homeowners have diligently maintained their roofs, ensuring the RAAC remains relatively stable. Despite this, Aberdeen City Council has chosen to proceed with demolition, citing an additional construction fault: supporting beams in these homes are only 45mm wide, significantly below the current standard of 75mm. This fault, stemming from cost-cutting measures during construction, was never disclosed to homeowners.
Additionally, it is crucial to note that councils have often served as factors for many of these buildings. In this role, councils were responsible for overseeing maintenance and ensuring building standards were upheld. Yet, these same councils have failed to identify or address the presence of RAAC or other structural faults in their oversight. This failure has directly contributed to the current crisis and underscores that the burden of responsibility cannot rest solely on individual homeowners.
The Limitations of Current Proposals
While your proposal to secure affordable insurance and mortgage access is a positive step, these measures alone will not resolve the crisis. Mortgages and insurance policies that exclude RAAC-related risks will be of little use to homeowners trapped in unsellable properties. This situation undermines the very promise of the Right to Buy scheme, which was intended to empower individuals to own homes as assets, not liabilities.
A Call for Comprehensive Action
To truly address this crisis, we need a holistic approach that includes:
- Government-Funded Remediation: A fund to support the repair or replacement of RAAC in homes, recognizing that homeowners were not at fault for this defect.
- Transparent Accountability: Investigations into the construction and sale of RAAC-affected homes, holding those responsible for these failures to account.
- Support for Displaced Residents: Assistance for those forced to leave their homes, ensuring they have safe and secure housing.
- Clear Communication: Guidelines and support for homeowners navigating this crisis, including structural surveys and legal advice.
A Plea for Justice
Mark, I urge you and Scottish Labour to reconsider your position on a remediation fund. This is not about passing responsibility but about acknowledging that these homeowners were set up to fail by systemic oversights. Councils, builders, and regulators all share responsibility for the conditions these homes are in today. Their pain is real, their trauma profound, and their voices deserve to be heard and acted upon.
Thank you again for your engagement on this critical issue. I hope we can work together to find solutions that restore hope and dignity to the lives of those affected. Please do respond.
Yours sincerely,
Wilson Chowdhry
Chairman
UK RAAC Campaign Group
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Dear Mr Hoskins,
Anas Sarwar passed on your email on RAAC to Mark Griffin, Scottish Labour’s spokesperson on housing. Mark has asked me to respond to you on his behalf.
I know that the discovery of RAAC in some houses has deeply affected homeowners in Dundee, and Scotland as a whole, and I understand what a worrying time this must be for you, particularly with the difficulty you describe in selling your house. The discovery of RAAC in properties and public buildings in Scotland has brought significant disruption to thousands of people’s lives. Residents have seen house values plummet, insurance policies voided, and in some cases people have had to leave home altogether.
In terms of the petition you mention, Scottish Labour believe that, ultimately, private owners are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of their own homes and so do not support a petition that calls for a fund for this. However, we do believe that there is more that the Scottish Government can and should be doing to help homeowners get the support they need to get a fair deal from insurers and mortgage brokers.
The Scottish Government should be actively seeking confirmation from brokers that affordable insurance will continue to be available to homeowners affected by RAAC, and should work with their UK counterparts to ensure that mortgages will continue to be available to those seeking to purchase homes with RAAC identified. The Government should also put in place a framework of available structural surveyors, with an established price, for homeowners to be able to use for surveys and develop sector-specific guidance and information to alleviate the fear that homeowners face.
Longer term, Scottish Labour are developing ways of ensuring accountability in the construction industry for high building standards while maintaining a fair balance of responsibility between builders and householders and we have highlighted the importance of research and data gathering on the presence of RAAC in public and private buildings. Research carried out now may head off the need for expensive remediation work in the future.
I hope that this information is useful to you.
Yours sincerely,
Caitlin Stott
Senior Parliamentary Advisor
Mark Griffin, MSP
The Scottish Parliament
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