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We touched briefly on Shelter Scotland’s concern about what substantial arrears are and whether £2,500 is actually substantial, especially as the cases that end up at the tribunal involve arrears of more than that. Can we say that we have a moratorium on evictions in the social housing sector when the substantial arrears level has been set to start from £2,500?

We have talked about the evictions moratorium. I want to go through the witnesses and ask whether it is necessary to extend that until September.

That is helpful as a heads-up for what to look out for in the housing bill, so thanks for that, Carolyn.

My next question is for all the panel members. The statement of intent that was agreed between housing associations and the Scottish Government sets out that housing associations will seek to mitigate as much as possible the cost implications of inflationary price increases and interest rate rises. How are they doing that? How are they protecting tenants against cost increases?

I want to ask a question about mid-market rent, since Carolyn Lochhead has brought it up, before I go on to my other question.

We have multiple panels today. We heard from the private sector earlier; now we are hearing from the social sector. Mid-market rent tenancies come under private sector tenancies, but those tenancies are developed and provided by social housing providers. Carolyn, what are the SFHA’s views on whether there is a practical solution that moves mid-market rent tenancies out of private sector tenancy agreements so that there is not some catch-all situation that affects investment programmes for mid-market rent?

Thanks for that. Secondly, I ask all three panel members whether they feel that it is proportionate and necessary for the moratorium on evictions to continue, as proposed by the Scottish Government.

For the purposes of this item and a number of other agenda items, I declare an interest as the owner of a private rental property in the North Lanarkshire Council area.

Cabinet secretary, the committee has heard evidence from a number of local authorities and public sector partners, including, in particular, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland, that they do not have the resources available to process licence applications as fast as they would like to be able to, and that they did not get additional resource to support that process. Have you seen the evidence that those public sector partners have provided? Is the Government taking any action to resolve the issues that they have flagged?

I will direct my first question to Timothy Douglas—if anybody else wants to come in after he answers, they can. My line of questioning concerns the moratorium on evictions. Broadly, what impact has the moratorium on the enforcement of some eviction orders had on your tenants and on landlords?

It is Mark Griffin.

My second question goes back to the point about consistency. We have heard that some local authorities, including Glasgow City Council, are asking for the planning status of a short-term let to be set out in the licence application, even when the property is outwith a short-term let control area. What is the cabinet secretary’s view of that requirement when it comes to licence applications?

That is helpful—thank you.