Chamber and committees

Thank you. I do not see anyone else who wants to come in on that.

Good morning to the panel, and thank you for joining us today. Given the limited time, I will ask you what are almost two double questions. First, what support did you receive from the political party that you stood for at the election? Secondly, what support have you received from the council to do the job as a councillor, or from any other external bodies?

Our questions have concentrated on political parties, but 14 per cent of councillors across Scotland are independents. There has been a tradition of independent candidates, especially in the Highlands and Islands. Who is responsible for encouraging more diversity in councils that have independent members? The committee has heard specifically that the Western Isles Council is all male.

We have heard a lot about the other opportunities that the database will present, but we know that social services would also often be interested in looking at some of the information, particularly given the link between animal welfare issues, domestic abuse and violent crime. Is that issue being pursued during the review?

Thank you.

That is helpful.

It was about support services. You mentioned that you share someone with five other councillors.

We have already touched on some of the questions that I want to ask about, which are specifically with regard to the fact that 14 per cent of councillors in Scotland are independent, so no party support structure is in place for them. In more traditional areas, such as island councils and Highland Council, independent candidates are being elected en masse, so it is important to ask what support can be put in place for them. You have outlined some of that already, Councillor Evison, but do any of the other witnesses have any thoughts on that?

Good morning. I have a specific question. Has advocacy for individuals been considered, especially given that those individuals might need support from advocacy to make the changes?

Thank you. From the scoping around that, do you know how many applications local authorities are likely to receive and how much additional work that might present to them?