Chamber and committees

Good morning, panel, and thank you for joining us. What impact has the rent freeze had on the ability of people who are furthest removed from the housing market to access a sustainable tenancy? What evidence do you have of it?

Thank you. I move on to the Scottish Government’s proposed level of rent increases. To what extent do you agree with the differentiation around the cap of 3 per cent—6 per cent in certain circumstances—especially in relation to what we heard this week about the University of Glasgow, which has announced a 9.5 per cent increase in student rents? Why do you think the Government has allowed that in different sectors?

We might need to return to the issue. My understanding from my conversations with the council is that people who will be operating before September are being told that they do not need to apply until after the festival. If this is just a one-off, I doubt that people will apply until next year, when the council could face a tsunami of applications. I do not think that the approach will necessarily fix the problem now; it will just build it up for later.

Cabinet secretary, you touched on the issue of licensing schemes being applied inconsistently across Scotland, specifically in relation to floor plans. Have you provided councils with guidance that a detailed architect floor plan is not needed and that a hand-drawn one is acceptable? What guidance is being provided to councils on what is expected?

Thanks for that. Around the world, what is the trend? Ireland, for example, had such intervention and legislation in place ahead of us, and now has a record low number of urban and rural properties being available to rent and is seeing big rent increases. The intervention has not had the impact that the Irish Government desired. Do you think that Scotland will buck that trend?

Good morning, panellists. Thank you for joining us here and online. I have a couple of questions. The first is about the pause on evictions until the end of September 2023. How proportionate and necessary is that?

Although I am happy to support the proposed extension, I have concerns, because it feels as though many of the issues that have been highlighted have not been properly taken on board and as though the opportunity has been missed to look again at how the measure can be applied across councils. Sadly, I think that we will be back here discussing the issue in the autumn. My council here in Edinburgh certainly does not seem to be in a space in which the licence can be delivered.

Although I welcome the extension, six months is not enough, and the Government has not taken on board the potential opportunities to change the legislation. We will support the motion today, but I wanted to put that on record.

Have others had the same experience?

Good morning, cabinet secretary and officials. Thank you for joining us.

Why has the Scottish Government put forward an extension of only six months, not a year, given that the aim—I think—is really to cater for the situation here in Edinburgh over the festival period?

The committee has heard evidence and calls from organisations such as Festivals Edinburgh for home sharing and home letting to be fully exempt from the legislation and the licensing scheme, especially when supporting major events. You have touched on the order being a piece of health and safety legislation, at heart. What is your view on that call? Will the Government consider it as part of the review?

In terms of the legislation being delivered and applied, would it not make sense for those individuals not to be part of the current approach and perhaps to form part of a future phase? To date, City of Edinburgh Council has processed only 40 applications, so there is real concern from the festivals that the six-month period will not be enough to meet the demand that is coming, if applications are not being made for next year’s festival period. In the Government’s thinking, where does it make sense—for health and safety reasons, too—for people who are going to be in such a property, not to be part of the legislation? Why did you not look at that in more detail at this stage, given the six-month extension and the re-opening of the legislation?