Chamber and committees

It must be difficult to regulate and enforce good welfare standards if there is not consensus on what good welfare for farmed fish is. Is there an objective, desire or aspiration to come up with specific welfare standards for farmed fish?

When the committee went to visit a fish farm, the 2006 definitions were up on the wall, and various members asked questions about how those are adhered to, particularly in relation to allowing animals to explore their natural behaviours. Where that cannot be directly applied to fish that are in containment, would it make more sense, including for people who have to ensure that welfare, that the standards are applicable and achievable for the animals that they look after?

Gordon MacRae and Carolyn Lochhead both mentioned that the money that is being used to mitigate the bedroom tax at the moment could be better spent. Do you have particular ideas on where it could be spent?

I want to tie together a few of the points that have been made about the role of the private rented sector. Do you have an opinion on whether the social sector could cater to a transient population?

The Scottish Government has called for the UK Government to take an active role in addressing the housing emergency, through the abolition of the bedroom tax and the restoration of local housing allowance rates. Do you agree? If so to what extent could that help us target the housing emergency?

My question is for Gordon MacRae. The Shelter Scotland submission to the committee stated that the housing system was

“biased—reflecting the wider social structures of oppression and inequality”.

Could you expand on that and give us an idea of how that bias can be addressed?

My next question is for Eilidh Keay. There is obviously an inherent balance of power issue between private landlords and tenants. Can you speak to that and give us any ideas that you have about how we can address it through the housing bill or in other areas?

Absolutely.

Finally, going back to the fiscal rules, do you think that there is a case to be made to the UK Government to expand what the Scottish Government is able to do, particularly around borrowing?

Good morning. Can you speak to the difference between the roles of the social and private sectors as you see them?

Absolutely. Thank you.

If you were Minister for Housing—your nightmare job—how would you get around the Scottish Government’s lack of fiscal powers when looking at house building as a response to the current problems?