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It was helpful that Jane MacPherson outlined the 21 plans.

I want to come back to what the cabinet secretary said about an existing suite of measures. I would be interested to hear a description of what those measures are, in the cabinet secretary’s mind, so that we understand what already exists that she is aware of.

When the plans come in, will there be a transition to them, or will some of the existing measures for how we manage fisheries—which the cabinet secretary is about to unpack for us—also stay in place? How does the cabinet secretary see the situation?

Could you come back to us with an update when you have looked at that?

Okay. Briefly, does anybody have anything new and different to add to that?

Do you have anything else, Fulton? I think that he might have frozen.

Okay. I bring in Alexander Stewart, who has a number of questions.

Before I bring in Fulton MacGregor, Emma Roddick mentioned land, but we have not really talked about that. The committee will visit Argyll and Bute in a few weeks’ time, and I am aware that there is a real challenge there. For example, if you have ever been to Oban, you will know that there is a really difficult situation there because the town centre is full of guest houses and there is not much available land.

Last week, I was at the Nordic Council in Iceland and talked to folks from that part of the world. Someone was talking about how the city of Helsinki actually owns land in Helsinki, so it can bring forward housing more easily. We do not have that kind of set-up in Scotland. Land is a perennial challenge to bringing forward housing. I am aware that developers buy land and bring it forward for local development plans, but is the land issue part of the challenge around the long-term issues, such as planning, that you are talking about?

Thank you very much.

Good morning and welcome to the 29th meeting in 2024 of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee. I remind all members and witnesses to ensure that their devices are on silent. We are joined online by Meghan Gallacher and Fulton MacGregor, and Mark Griffin will join us shortly.

Under agenda item 1, do members agree to take items 4 to 7 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Over the course of this discussion we have certainly covered some of the issues that need to be tackled. I very much appreciate your coming in and contributing to our work on the housing emergency. I will briefly suspend the meeting to allow for a change of witnesses.

Thank you. Is the situation similar in the Scottish Borders?

Thank you very much for that. I am interested in getting an overview from both of you on your high-level plans to respond to the housing emergency. Donna, do you want to go first?