AN SNP Help to Buy programme is assisting the wealthy to snap up property, Labour said today as the Scottish government announced a two-year extension of the scheme.

Making the announcement, nationalist ministers said the extension would assist up to 4,000 potential homeowners and support 9,000 jobs.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Housing is about more than bricks and mortar. We want to provide safe, warm homes, help create a fairer Scotland and preserve a diverse and more resilient construction sector.”

The scheme was launched by the Holyrood government in 2013 and has assisted around 12,000 households so far.

But Scottish Labour pointed to figures showing that the average household income for Help to Buy beneficiaries north of the border so far is £46,000.

This is significantly higher than the national average income for Scottish households, which stands at £25,000.

Scottish Labour housing spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said: “Help to Buy should be reviewed urgently to establish if it’s fit for purpose.

“We have seen instances in the past where households with incomes of more than £100,000 are getting help with a deposit for a home, which raises questions about whether the right people are benefiting from Help to Buy.

“The scheme must focus on those with lower incomes who just need a bit of help to own their first home.”

She said Labour’s proposed Mary Barbour law to regulate private renting, named after the Glasgow rent strike pioneer, would better address the crisis of affordability in Scottish housing.