Seòmar agus comataidhean

That sounds very positive and it is good to hear that you got the highest possible rating on your internal audit. That is tremendous.

Marie McNair is joining us online.

Thank you very much. I call Willie Coffey.

Thank you very much for that.

Just before we finish this section of the meeting, I will ask Stephanie Callaghan to declare an interest.

Thank you very much.

I will briefly suspend the meeting to allow for a change of witnesses.

Under agenda item 4, we will take evidence on the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill from Scottish Government officials Kate Hall, director of the cladding remediation division; Rachel Sunderland, deputy director of that division; and Micheila West, a solicitor in the housing branch. I welcome them and invite Kate Hall to make an opening statement.

Good morning, and welcome to the 30th meeting in 2023 of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee. I remind all members and witnesses to ensure that their devices are set to silent.

Mark Griffin cannot be here for the start of the meeting but he expects to join us slightly later. I have just heard that Stephanie Callaghan will also join us slightly later. Pam Gosal and Marie McNair are joining us online.

Under agenda item 1, does the committee agree to take items 5 and 6 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you—it was helpful to get an overview of your work. When you previously spoke to the committee, which was in January—we are bookending the year with you—we heard that the responses to the commission’s surveys on whether people felt that standards had improved were a bit mixed. I am interested in what further work you have done this year on understanding public trust in councillors.

I bring in Pam Gosal, who joins us online.

From what you have said, it sounds as if the difference relates to the scope of work that gives rise to the desire for own-initiative powers.