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Thank you. As no one else wants to comment, I will move on to my supplementary question. Depopulation is a serious issue in rural areas. I know that because I have spoken to 31 out of the 32 council chief executives and those in rural areas mentioned that depopulation is a problem. We have also heard that in committee this year, too. Do the rent control provisions in the bill risk decreasing the supply of homes in rural areas, thus discouraging population growth?

You are right that a balance has to be struck but, sometimes, three months is not enough for domestic abuse victims. I know that, with the court delays and everything else in the system, it can take more than three months for something to go through the legal process. We need to achieve that fine balance so that landlords are not out of pocket but we consider domestic abuse victims as well.

This question is for John Blackwood from the Scottish Association of Landlords. In your submission, you expressed concerns about the unintended consequences of the proposal regarding how joint tenancies can be ended when there is no mutual agreement. Could you explain your concern about that, particularly in relation to tenants who are at risk of domestic abuse? How would you like the bill to be improved?

That is important. I do a lot of work on domestic abuse, and I know that, especially when the perpetrator leaves and the victim is left with children, control comes into the question. I would like to see more consideration of that to see how we can help those victims.

Good morning. Kelly Ferns spoke about rural areas, and I want to develop that. We heard from the previous panel that the bill does not sufficiently address the needs of rural areas. Do you believe that the bill properly balances the needs of urban and rural areas? That question is for Kelly Ferns and Ally Macleod.

You might have heard the question that I asked the first panel about depopulation. I spoke to the chief executive officers of Argyll and Bute Council and Aberdeenshire Council, and I know that depopulation is a problem in your areas. Do you think that the rent control provisions in the bill will affect depopulation? From your work in this area, you will know about the situation in your areas as regards population growth. In addition, how will the rent control provisions affect business growth?

I go back to my first question: do you think that the bill properly balances the needs of urban and rural areas?

What is your view, Kelly?

Good morning. I have a couple of questions on the rural aspect. Anna Gardiner, I will start with you. Could you comment in more detail on how the private rented sector is different in rural areas? Do you believe that the bill is too focused on addressing the needs of urban areas as opposed to rural areas?

Analysis of figures by the Office for National Statistics has shown that average rents in Scotland have increased by 16.5 per cent since the introduction of the rent cap in October 2022. That is faster than the increase elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Do you have any evidence on how the cap impacted on the experience of tenants and landlords, as well as on the supply of private rented accommodation?

There would be certain circumstances for charging higher rents. We have heard about the need for balance between landlords and tenants. Landlords have talked about how their insurance is dearer and their mortgage rates are higher. Do you think that that is one of the circumstances in which higher rents could be charged, or not?