Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you, convener—I apologise that I was unable to be here for the whole session because of family commitments. I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests, as the owner of a rental property in North Lanarkshire.

I want to ask Michael Cameron and George Walker for their views on the Government’s consultation on its draft strategy, “A New Deal for Tenants”. The strategy contains a proposal for a new housing regulator for the private rented sector. Given your extensive knowledge of regulation of the social rented sector, what is your view on what a private rented sector regulator could, and should, look like?

Good morning, minister. In your opening statement, you said that you are aware of concerns that have repeatedly been raised about pressure on the assessor workforce. In evidence given to the committee by the Scottish Assessor’s Association, we heard about difficulties with recruiting staff to deal with revaluation. Do you think that assessors’ offices are adequately resourced to deal with revaluation?

Finally, do you have any concerns about workload pressures regarding appeals that predate 2 April 2020?

I appreciate you letting us know about the one-year extension to the disposal deadline. Will that mean that appeals will be smoothed out over a longer period, which would give assessors more time to deal with them, or will it simply move the backlog date to a year later and mean that assessors’ offices will still be feeling workload pressure a year down the line?

I want to ask about provisions in the temporary coronavirus legislation that are not being introduced on a permanent basis in the bill. Specifically, they are the extended notice periods that landlords needed to give tenants to end their tenancy, and the ban on evictions. What discussion or debate has there been in Government on making the extended notice periods permanent and on aspects of a ban on evictions in certain circumstances?

I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests, as I am an owner of a private rented property in North Lanarkshire.

John Blackwood, how aware are tenants and landlords of the temporary requirements regarding the pre-action protocol? Does anything need to be done to improve awareness?

Good morning, minister. What is the Government’s view on whether the bill’s proposals will have an impact on local authority homelessness services? What is your view on how the proposals link in to the Scottish Government plans to improve homelessness prevention?

Yes—thanks, minister.

If anyone has a take on my next questions, please type R in the chat function. Do any specific changes need to be made to the existing regulations? If any change is required in guidance, could you set out in more detail what is required under the pre-action protocol?

Matt Downie, among the tenants with whom you come into contact, is there an awareness of the pre-action protocol and their rights?