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The committee has heard concerns that the efforts to cut emissions from existing homes might lead to unintended issues, such as more mould and damp. What measures has the Scottish Government taken to prevent that?

You talk about the guidance, but I have mentioned that the current guidance is insufficient and that it is poorly understood. Where do you see the work of the Scottish Government there?

New statistics from March highlight a significant drop in housing completions and starts in Scotland. Homes for Scotland underscores the fact that the most critical challenges are around the

“underfunded ... planning system which takes over 62 weeks to process a major housing application”

and

“a regulatory environment which currently serves to hamper the delivery of new homes rather than promote them.”

What bold action is needed to support housing delivery across all tenures?

I look forward to the feedback from the task force, because the message from our round-table discussion a couple of weeks ago was that we do not have that housing supply. It is important that we have that investment, and certainty is key.

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland reports a rise in hospitalisations due to damp and mould in Scottish homes and emphasises that the current guidance is insufficient and poorly understood. What actions has the Scottish Government taken to rectify a growing backlog of deferred maintenance and previous poor interventions that have at best covered up and at worst exacerbated, rather than solved, damp and mould issues?

It takes more than 62 weeks for a major application to be processed. There is a lot of detailed work to be done, but that is a long time, especially when SMEs and other businesses are just making ends meet and balancing the books. What is your opinion on the length of time that it takes to process applications?

We know that the public finances are stretched and are very tight at the moment. How can private investment in Scotland’s housing sector be further encouraged? Witnesses suggested that investors are seeking more certainty. What steps can the Scottish Government take to offer that assurance?

Thank you for those responses.

Stacey Dingwall from the FSB expressed concerns about the success of the legislation if additional resources are not given to local authorities to deliver and monitor the targets. As we embark on community wealth building, what can you tell us about the resources that are needed and whether councils currently have the capacity to successfully deliver and monitor community wealth building targets? That question is open to everybody—even Stacey Dingwall.

I am Pam Gosal, a member of the Scottish Parliament for the West Scotland region and a member of the committee.

Good morning, everybody. I have three questions altogether. I hope to put two of them together, as they come under local public procurement, and then I have another question, which is on resources.

In its consultation response, the FSB highlighted concerns that community wealth building goals might not be achieved if Scottish Government policy continues to align with “EU spending protocols”. Moreover, in evidence to the Economy and Fair Work Committee, the Scottish Wholesale Association pointed out that complying with EU regulations could prevent, say, the prioritising of Scottish produce and making it the primary choice. What kind of barriers would that present to community wealth building and empowering local supply chains?

That was my first question. As for my second, we know that, for community wealth building to be successful, we need to remove barriers to smaller businesses becoming involved in the delivery of public contracts. Late payment was an issue raised by the FSB in its submission to the consultation, and it also features heavily in the Economy and Fair Work Committee’s post-legislative scrutiny of the public procurement legislation. Do any of the pilot authorities have any concerns about late payment being a barrier to smaller firms participating in community wealth building? If current issues with late payments remain, are they likely to be a barrier to the success of community wealth building?

Those questions are for Stacey Dingwall, first of all, and then I will open it up to the pilot authorities and anybody else.