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My second question is for Bernadette Monaghan. We heard from the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights that CPPs may be “race-blind” when it comes to tackling inequalities. What do you do in practice to ensure that fall communities, including communities of interest and identity, get their voices heard in community planning?

I will go to Mark McAteer first. The Community Planning Improvement Board said that councils seem to be focused on consultation and engagement, but not necessarily on empowering communities to make decisions. Will you set out for the committee the difference between consultation and engagement, and empowerment? Do you have any examples from across the country of what genuine empowerment looks like?

Yes, I am finished, convener. Thank you.

The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 was supposed to strengthen people’s voices and to give them a say in the services that they rely on. Has that been realised at all as a result of the act, particularly in relation to disadvantaged and marginalised communities? What more should we be asking Government to do to realise that and to give those marginalised and disadvantaged communities a voice in the services that they rely on?

My final question, which is a broad one, is probably for all four witnesses. Are people in the groups with which you are involved even aware of community planning partnerships? Do they know what the partnerships do and how to get involved in them?

Thank you for that answer. The other issue that I want to cover is one that the SFHA raised last week. What is the Government’s view of mid-market rent being part of the affordable housing supply programme and being covered by the private sector rent cap? Given the SFHA’s comments last week, is the Government considering amending the type of tenancy for mid-market rent in the housing bill that you plan to introduce after the summer recess?

Thanks for that, Stuart. That leads me on to my next question, which is about how empowered communities feel. The Scottish household survey statistics flagged up that communities feel less empowered. Do people know what community planning partnerships are? Do they know that they exist or what they do? What can we do—or ask the Government to do—to increase awareness of what community planning partnerships do and how people can get involved and have their voices heard, so that people make decisions about their services?

A report on the impact of the Christie commission said:

“community empowerment comes from strong relationships between community members and staff in public services”.

That is obvious and goes without saying.

Since the 2015 act was introduced, has there been a change in how open public service staff are, and how they go out, engage with and build relationships and trust with marginalised communities? Is the culture changing among staff in public services to the extent that we are getting meaningful engagement and participation?

I declare an interest as the owner of a private rented property in the North Lanarkshire Council area.

Good morning, minister. You touched on some of my areas of questioning in your opening statement and your answers to the convener’s questions, but will you expand on the Government’s long-term plans to introduce private sector regulation and on how the transition from the emergency legislation into further long-term rent controls might happen? Can you give the committee a more definitive timescale for when you expect to introduce that legislation?

The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 was supposed to give communities a louder voice and a say over the services that they rely on, and to build, in communities, capacity to advocate on their own behalf. Is there evidence that that has happened? Is it happening consistently in 32 local authority areas, or do you see a difference in performance across the country?