Chamber and committees

Thank you. Now that we have opened up the subject, I must ask witnesses to keep their comments brief so that we can get all the members in. We do have quite a few questions.

I call Paul McLennan.

Thank you, minister. We very much appreciate the elements of the bill that relate to reporting requirements to Parliament.

I call Mark Griffin.

Hang on a minute, Paul. I am sorry to interrupt. People have already asked to respond. However, in the interests of time, you do not need to come in to say something if it has already been said. I am sorry about that, but time is an issue.

The bill does not affect rent increases between tenancies, so how will that affect the cost of living for tenants who are moving between tenancies?

Aaron Hill would like to come in on that question, too.

Thanks for those useful questions, Elena. I will bring Miles Briggs back in briefly.

Thank you. I come back to Rhiannon Sims.

The final public item on our agenda is agenda item 3, which is consideration of a negative instrument. As the instrument is subject to the negative procedure, there is no requirement for the committee to make any recommendation on it.

If members have no comments, does the committee agree that we do not wish to make any recommendations in relation to the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

You mentioned concerns and that people have been leaving the sector. However, the sector has grown dramatically over the period in which there have been regulation interventions, even following the new tenancy agreement in 2016. I am interested in why you think the bill, which, in the current context, will ensure that people have a home over the winter and will lead Scotland in a fairer direction, might result in people choosing to leave the sector. Where is the evidence for that?

I ask Living Rent the same question. Is the emergency legislation required, given the housing and economic context that we are in?