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Did GEOAmey pitch in with any additional financial support for wages, or was it just the Scottish Government?

I have one final question. David Jones, can you tell us what your current level of performance is and whether you consider that that is having a more positive impact on service delivery in the justice system?

Could councils could play a bigger role? How are they getting on with replacing gas central heating systems in their housing stock? Could the wider public engage with that? Councils will get the benefit of economies of scale when they buy many units. Could the wider public perhaps tap into that and get cheaper prices? It is appreciated that the subsidy scheme is not delivering the sea change that we are after.

My last question is on energy prices. The fact that energy prices in the UK are among the highest in Europe is probably beyond our control. However, electricity is four times dearer than gas. People know that, yet we are asking them to make the transition to an energy system that is four times more expensive per unit than what they use at the moment. How on earth do we overcome that and take people with us on that journey?

Thank you for those answers.

Both.

Did that involve agreeing what the numbers might be, with some variation above and below that level, rather than nothing being said about the matter and just having to cope with the numbers?

Hi folks. I am Willie Coffey. I am the MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley and the deputy convener of the committee.

Yes. Good morning, everybody. That brings me neatly to my question. Can we have successful community wealth building if, at the same time, there is dereliction and abandonment in our urban environment in particular? All our towns have that problem, and it seems almost impossible—try as I might—to get a change of attitude from owners to the premises that they own.

Local people can have a sense that they own the town or village in which they live, but they do not. The buildings in our towns, villages and so on are usually owned by people who have never gone there and never will, and who probably do not care.

How do we turn that particular problem around? Are there any examples of that with regard to buildings in an urban setting in particular? We could talk all day about the strategies and policies that we need to implement, but the people who live in our towns and villages are still seeing that level of dereliction and abandonment in front of their eyes. I would be grateful for any responses. I have heard from Louise Kirk of some good examples in Ayrshire, but I would be pleased to hear from other colleagues about how they have approached and tackled the problem. Perhaps Rob Davidson can start.

Matthew Brown, do you have an interesting experience to share on this issue?