Seòmar agus comataidhean

?We resume with our second panel as part of our local government inquiry.?As we near the end of our evidence taking, we welcome COSLA and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers to offer the perspectives of local authority leaders.? We also welcome back a representative of the Sustainable Scotland Network.

I welcome our witnesses, who are all joining us remotely. They are Councillor Gail Macgregor, COSLA environment and economy spokesperson and Dumfries and Galloway Council;? David Hammond, SOLACE representative and head of sustainability, corporate property and transport at North Ayrshire Council;?Silke Isbrand, policy manager in the environment and economy team at COSLA; and?George Tarvit, director of SSN. Thank you for joining us today, and for agreeing to rearrange your attendance.

As you are all taking part remotely, I cannot wave my pen at you, because you will not be able to see me. I apologise for this now, but if you get too verbose, I will just have to cut you off. If you could bear that in mind, that would be brilliant.

I will ask the first question. What do you think are the biggest challenges for reducing emissions in local authorities? A brief answer from each of you would be helpful, because I will be asking Mark Ruskell to delve further into that issue. Councillor Macgregor, would you like to start? What are the biggest challenges?

Natalie Don has some questions. Natalie, the microphone is yours.

I am glad that we did not have a vote on gas boilers, because we in the Highlands do not see many of those.

Monica, do you want to come back in very briefly?

Thank you very much, David.

Yes, we can hear you perfectly.

Thank you.

I will bring in George Tarvit very briefly.

I am nervous, because the deputy convener has not asked her questions yet, and there is nothing like upsetting the deputy convener at your first meeting. If you will allow me to bring in the deputy convener, I might come back to you at the end of the session.

I am interested to hear whether Stephen Smellie agrees with you.

I am a little bit concerned that we are not running as fast as we should be with that.

The next questions come from Liam Kerr.

Thank you.

We turn to questions from Mark Ruskell.