A PETITION by a Glasgow lawyer to ban evictions for 'bedroom tax' rent arrears has been rejected by SNP and Conservative MSPs.

The Welfare Reform Committee voted five to two to send the petition, by Mike Dailly of Govan Law Centre, back to the Petitions Committee, sparking protests from the Labour committee members.

The committee instead decided to write to the UK government to ask what support it will offer to tenants affected by the 'bedroom tax' after hearing rent arrears had increased and applications for help had rocketed.

SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said: "Can I just clarify that we are not closing the petition - we are closing our consideration."

Labour member Ken Mcintosh said "Witness after witness has told the Parliament's Welfare Committee about the impact of the 'bedroom tax' on people's homes, yet today the SNP joined with the Tories to in an attempt to stop the Govan Law Centre petition to provide council and housing association tenants a statutory protection from eviction."

He said he was confused to the difference between the petitioner's call for a piece of legislation that guarantees no eviction from the 'bedroom tax' and the Scottish Government's support for councils with a no evictions policy.

Adding: "I am entirely baffled as to the difference between the two."

The petition is the basis for a Bill by Labour MSP Jackie Baillie on no evictions, backed with cash from the government for landlords and councils.

Jamie Hepburn, deputy convenor of the committee, said: "We are not relying on the Member's Bill. We can incorporate the useful and helpful evidence that we took as part of the petition into the work we are doing on an ongoing basis."