Chamber and committees

Sorry—yes.

I would like to ask a bit more about seasonal workers, as we have opened up that topic. Andy Sirel mentioned some of the visa restrictions on such workers, and Graham O’Neill sent a useful briefing to the committee. Could you say a bit more about the plight of seasonal workers, particularly when it comes to housing and the challenges around having no recourse to public funds?

Andy, you spoke about the support and advice that seasonal workers need. What should that look like on the ground? Are there concentrations of seasonal workers around Scotland? Is there a way that we can effectively deliver that support in areas where significant communities of Ukrainian seasonal workers work in the agricultural sector?

Do you think that there is any exploitation of those workers happening in Scotland? That might be a difficult question to answer, but the tied nature of the work concerns me a bit. Could I go to Graham O’Neill first?

That was very powerful. Andy Sirel, do you want to add anything about practical support and advice for people?

It is obviously in a difficult position. If an employer has large numbers of seasonal workers, that is part of their business, but at the moment there is also a massive humanitarian need to support the families. What can be done in that regard to help the farming sector, but also to help those families?

I assume that there has been discussion with the Welsh Government about its free public transport pilot in this area.

I am sure that you will have caught some of the evidence that we heard earlier. We heard particularly moving evidence on the plight of Ukrainian seasonal workers in Scotland. We heard specific examples of people being trapped in employment contracts and not being able to bring their families here. Even if they were able to do so, they would be tied to forms of accommodation that would be completely unsuitable. I take it that you acknowledge that. What can be changed? What pressure can you put on the UK Government? For example, do you support seasonal workers being able to move instantly from their temporary visas to the Ukraine family scheme? Alongside that, could other forms of support for those workers and their families be provided?

That is very welcome. Has there also been a conversation with the farming sector?

Finally, I want to ask about free public transport. Mr Sweeney has been vocal on that issue and I am sure that he will have questions on it, too. However, I have a specific question on the introduction of free public transport for those who are seeking asylum and those with refugee status. It is important that that free transport is not restricted to Ukrainian people but is available to people from around the world. A confirmation that you are considering eligibility for free travel would be useful.

I hope that this is unjustified, but there is also a concern that the Home Office might attempt to claw back money from people who get such universal free benefits. Can you confirm whether that concern is justified? I hope that it is not.

How responsive is the plan to changing Government policy or changing circumstances? We now have, for example, a massively ambitious heat in buildings strategy, although inevitably there are questions around its delivery. Does that not provide quite a new context in which the plan should be reconsidered?

I will move on to permitted development rights. Do you have views about how, or whether, permitted development rights should be extended in certain areas? If you think that they should be extended, how would that relate to policies to protect the historic environment?

I get a lot of constituents contacting me who live in conservation areas and who are struggling with decisions around whether their double glazing should be 3mm or 6mm thick and on issues about astragals and windows, and all the rest of it. They feel that getting planning approval to upgrade their homes in historic areas can be a bit of a minefield. Do you have thoughts about particular categories of permitted development? Where should we draw the line in protecting the historic environment? Those are two big issues. I will start with Robbie Calvert. What are your general thoughts on that?