Chamber and committees

This is not so much a question, but it would be helpful for the committee to know the data around where those individuals will be based. That has not been clear. Also, what is the potential for home visits? Originally, that was flagged as one of the key reforms, but I have not been able to find out whether those have taken place or how many people have applied for them. I do not know whether that is within the systems data that you can provide.

That is helpful. Perhaps you could keep the committee updated on that, because we will have a watching brief.

Since the internal audit report in July, what sort of guidance and training has been undertaken? Where is your strategy or policy around working from home? We discussed that on our visit to the Dundee office. A number of people are in new buildings in Dundee, for example.

My supplementary is linked to that point on threats to the system. I noticed that the national cybersecurity centre has been offering expert guidance to the organisation. Have you had any cybersecurity breaches to date? What strategies are in place to build in systems to prevent that, especially given what we have seen recently in organisations such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency?

The minister told us that his expectation was that all clients would be paid winter heating payments in February. Is the system in place to make that happen?

That is helpful. Given that a new system is being put in place, it is important to build in that approach from the outset. I believe that the Deputy First Minister has now put in place a reporting function for all public agencies to report back to the Scottish Government on that.

The theme that I want to ask about relates to new benefits and improving systems. What scale of technical debt is there currently and what progress is being made to develop a structured approach to address that?

That is helpful.

You have answered some of the questions on the need for additional data. Do you have timescales for when you think measures will be put in place to draw down that data or have datasets that can be used?

Good morning, and thank you for joining us. I have a couple of questions specifically about the risks that have been identified. Currently, in your opinion, what are the main risks for the social rented sector, and how are you working to help to mitigate those?

What you have outlined about homelessness and temporary accommodation is helpful. I raise the situation in my own area of Edinburgh regularly with the committee, so I look forward to seeing that report in the new year.

When you attended the committee previously, we heard that some of the work that you are looking towards was about resilience, and as you said, we are living in a changed environment since the last time you were before the committee. What sort of conversations have taken place around business planning, given the costs of construction and the rent controls in most housing associations, which are reporting that they are redrawing their plans for future building because of income projections? Is there any resilience in that, and can you outline what it looks like?

Shelter Scotland has called on the Government to declare a housing emergency. I have called on the Government to do that, too, particularly in Edinburgh. You have outlined the situation in Edinburgh, which is now unacceptable. Is that what we need the Government to do? Why has that not happened, given that we are talking about such numbers? On temporary accommodation, the options available to councils include, sometimes, the use of condemned buildings—former guesthouses that are not suitable for families to live in. Do you agree with that call from Shelter Scotland?

Well, under the old system, the communities that are facing those temperatures now would have received payments within two weeks. They will now receive one payment of £50 in February. It is quite clear that, with the data scan, they would be in a better place under the DWP’s current system, because they would get that payment today. The question that I wanted to ask was—