Chamber and committees

Okay. Why have you chosen the issues of combating rural depopulation, protecting disused rail infrastructure and preserving peatland as worthy of special consideration in the drafting of amendments?

I make it clear that I am disappointed in the approach that has been taken. I feel that we have not had clarity on the reason for the SSI lasting until 2030, which is a point that many witnesses raised with us. It would probably have been easier for committee members to consider those views and take them forward, had conversations about the SSI happened further in advance. Had the timescales in question been shorter—say, 2027—the option would always have been there for the minister to come back and discuss with us any need for the period to be extended.

That said, I do not feel that I can vote to defer this SSI again, because the minister has made it clear that payments might not be made to farmers. It is not a position that the committee should be put in, and I regret that we have not been able to discuss it more openly.

Thank you.

Minister, can you be very specific about the impact if the SSI is not passed today?

And is it right that there is no room within the 40 days?

I have just a brief question.

Can you say a little more about the types of intervention that that money could be used for rather than a council tax freeze?

Do you see that situation frequently—that people experiencing homelessness are in need of a property that just does not exist yet?

Recently, it became public that the UK Government had paused the £70 million rural growth deal for Argyll and Bute, which leaves it the only place in Scotland without such a deal. What impact might that have on the area, and can the witnesses suggest any steps that the Scottish Government might take to mitigate it? More generally, do witnesses have concerns about the withdrawal of funding for existing deals and the impact of that?

That is not the only deal that different councils have been expecting money for and which has now either been withdrawn or called into question. What impact does the fact that funding hinges on other Governments taking their share have more generally on planning and the ability of councils to deliver on what they are expected to deliver?

I have a specific question about capital investment in housing. How much capital investment does action on homelessness require? With the previous panel, we explored the need to build different types of housing that are not available in specific localities, because they are not part of existing stock.