Seòmar agus comataidhean

Good morning. I want to ask a little bit about rurality and remote areas but, as ever with such interesting and concerning sessions, a lot of other issues have come up in the evidence that has been given, so I have a couple of other very quick questions.

Is the data there to produce an annual or biannual report that looks at the areas of most concern to you, whether that is specific to equality, access to gendered support or access to procurement? Would the data be accurate, or do we simply not know the wider picture?

Good morning. There has been a lot of change in this sector. When will the first performance review of Consumer Scotland be?

Lastly, you talked about user pathways and how there are a number of organisations out there, and it has been suggested that there is the risk of duplication or overlap. Will how clear user pathways are, how clear information is and who people should go to for advice be part of the reviews?

So contractors do not come in with the necessary skills but need training.

I am seeking a few clarifications. First, is there an additional charge for the expedited service?

Sixty million pounds was passed across so that the Government might have more confidence on that basis.

I do not know whether you have done any analysis of the cost of clearing the backlog. It is part of your plan to do it steadily but, if you wanted to expedite that, do you know how much it would cost? That is why I asked the earlier question about contractors and being able to be flexible on meeting demand.

Thanks.

Until 2020, you operated a trading fund. You were able to build up a reserve and hold a reserve. First, do you still hold that reserve, or is that with the Scottish Government? Secondly, since 2020, any surplus has been handed to the Scottish Government. Is that held in a reserve? You mentioned being able to draw down on it. I do not know whether that means that it is allocated or ring fenced for you. In those two cases, what are those financial figures?

Also, you have a backlog and you have identified that you need to put resources into it in order to clear it. Could you not use some of those funds to deal with the long-standing cases?

I have a very quick question. We have been talking about contractors. What is availability of contractors like? How easy is it to recruit them? How easy is it to scale up to meet demand? How flexible is availability in meeting peaks and troughs?

So the property cannot be bought just because it is dangerous or because the landlord or owner is not taking any action to deal with it.

Thank you—that was helpful.