PATRICK Harvie has accused the UK Government of “not giving Scotland a seat at the table” to work on removing the type of cladding seen in the Grenfell tragedy.

The Tenants Rights Minister was on Good Morning Scotland to discuss the Scottish Government’s new legislation to ban the use of combustible material in buildings more than 11 metres tall.

The Green MSP said Scotland and Wales had hoped to work with the UK Government to get rid of the cladding but said he had been “frustrated” with the lack of cooperation.

He said the path chosen by Westminster means Scotland will no longer see Barnett consequential on the issue.

READ MORE: Scottish Government eases Grenfell hospital cladding fears raised by Alex Cole-Hamilton

Harvie said: “This is not just about cladding. Other steps have been taken already on cladding but also on escape routes on alarm and sprinkler systems.

“And we're taking that further now, with a complete ban on the insulation of combustible cladding above 11 metres.”

Harvie said the assessment on cladding will be free to homeowners, adding that the system will require an individually assessed approach to each structure.

He continued: “The issue of how to fund replacements where that is found to the assessments to be necessary is a very, very difficult one.

“And it's one where I'm afraid we have a really serious problem of cooperation between the governments not just from the Scottish Government but from the Welsh Government point of view as well.

“There was a very clear desire and intention to work on a collaborative basis with the UK Government. And I'm afraid we've just not been given a seat at the table.”

Shona Robison, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, told parliament on Thursday that she had been urgently seeking meetings with Michael Gove to discuss his recent changes to the UK Government’s approach to removing cladding.

But Harvie said this had failed to materialise.

He went on: “We've just not been able to secure that meeting. The UK Government has shifted from a position of having a fund, which would of course, mean consequential money coming to the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, to a system of pledge letters and that means there simply won't be that consequential funding.

“So we really need to work through that with the UK Government in a collaborative way. And it's deeply frustrating.”

The Scottish Greens politician said he “believes very strongly” that developers in the construction industry need to make the same offer in Scotland as is made elsewhere in the UK, “stepping up and taking their responsibility” on the issue of cladding.

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He continued: “It would have been far better if the UK Government had been willing to work with us and create a single approach that applies to Scotland. And instead, they've, they've simply not given us a seat at the table.

"And then they've announced an England only solution. So we need to look at the powers that we do have ... and figure out how we can take a similar approach to make sure that the developers step up in the same way in Scotland.”

Good Morning Scotland presenter Laura Maciver told Harvie progress has been slow on removing cladding in Scotland since the Grenfell fire which killed 72 people.

He replied: “There is a great deal of frustration, and I feel that frustration as well.

"And as I say, if we'd been able to work with the UK Government, we'd be I think, in a much better position to have a coherent solution across all the nations of the UK, we'll continue to try to work with them and will absolutely continue to place an expectation on the industry to have the same level of stepping in and stepping up to recognise their responsibilities.”