A Glasgow MSP’s bill to cap private sector rent rises has been halted by a Holyrood committee.

The Local Government Committee decided not to proceed with Labour MSP Pauline McNeill’s Fair Rents Bill due to a heavy workload.

The bill would have brought in new measures including preventing a landlord from increasing rent by more than a set level, related to inflation and would allow a tenant to apply to the rent officer to have a ‘fair open market rent’ set for the property.

Ms McNeill, Labour’s housing spokeswoman, who has been campaigning for reform in the private rented sector, said given the number of people renting form private sector landlords the decision was disappointing.

The MSP said: “I appreciate that time is tight between now and the end of this parliamentary session, but the Bill proposed important measures to protect renters and improve housing affordability. The need for these measures was great before the Covid-19 crisis but lockdown has intensified the need for change in this sector.

“There has never been more people renting in the private rented sector, many of whom will be in a crisis of high rents, but do not have the option of public housing or the deposit to buy their own home.”

Ms McNeill said she would be requesting the Bill is scrutinised by another committee instead to allow it a chance to become law before the next Holyrood election.

Mike Dailly, solicitor advocate at Govan Law Centre said he was “astonished” the committee has decided not to proceed with the bill.

Mr Dailly said: “They have binned the Bill without any discussion. A year of hard work ignored.

“Lockdown has meant a massive increase in rent arrears, what could be more important than discussing fair rents in Scotland?”