Chamber and committees

The committee heard that there is some good practice on preventing and tackling dampness and mould but that that needs to be more widespread and should be shared with private landlords. How can the Scottish Government help to facilitate the sharing of good practice?

Charities play a vital role in supporting all our communities, particularly those that are in greatest need. The pandemic and the cost of living crisis have continued to highlight how vital the support that charities provide truly is. I see that at first hand with the terrific charities in my Clydebank and Milngavie constituency. I put on record my thanks to all the hard-working charities that support those in need and work to improve our communities.

The bill is an important step that we must take to strengthen the third sector in Scotland. It has been 17 years since legislation concerning charity law in Scotland was passed. It is important that we have listened to charities that have called for the Scottish Government to update and strengthen the current regulations.

It is right that, as a starting point for updating the legislation, the bill is centred on the practical proposals that the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator put forward. Scotland’s charities raise over £14 billion each year, so it is essential that they are properly regulated. Charities cannot exist without the support of generous donors, and we know that those donors are more likely to support charities when they are confident that those in charge are the right people to ensure that their money is being used responsibly.

At its core, charity is about trust. When individuals become involved with a charity, they give more than just their time and money, and they deserve to know that those who manage their donations and run the charity can be trusted to act in its best interests. The bill will ensure that the public can trust the charities that are most important to them by enhancing transparency and accountability across the sector.

OSCR already does vital work in overseeing the third sector in Scotland. It grants charitable status, monitors compliance and investigates misconduct and much more. However, it is clear that it does not currently have the powers to fulfil its core aim of ensuring transparency. With OSCR’s ability to issue positive directions, publish annual financial accounts for every charity, appoint interim trustees where required for a maximum of 12 months, and ensure that individuals who are disqualified as trustees are known and unable to work in other senior management roles, the bill will ensure that OSCR has the enforcement powers that it needs to meet its core aim of increasing transparency in the sector.

Charities have often benefited from their trustees having lived experience of a specific issue. I am conscious that there will be certain areas in which, due to their nature, trustees must be afforded anonymity—in victim support organisations, for example. Therefore, I am glad that, as the Social Justice and Social Security Committee concluded, the bill’s provisions strike a good balance between greater transparency and providing avenues to protect the identity of trustees where necessary.

What is most important about the proposals in the bill is that they in no way impact on charities’ ability to support those in need. No decisions that we make will mean that any charity will have to sacrifice front-line resources. More than half of all charitable organisations in Scotland have an annual income of under £25,000. It would not take much additional regulatory burden for the vital work that those smaller charities do to be significantly hampered.

With that in mind, I am pleased that the analysis that the Scottish Government conducted found that charities are supportive of the proposals in the bill and that they do not foresee anything other than minor costs. That finding was supported by Citizens Advice Scotland.

It is important that we acknowledge the views of the experts who consulted on the bill. The Law Society of Scotland stated that the proposals are “sensible and proportionate” and that the register of trustees’ names will directly increase transparency. The chair of OSCR believes that the bill will

“increase public trust in Scotland’s 25,000 charities”,

and Citizens Advice Scotland highlighted that the bill will help to improve public confidence in the third sector and ensure that the benefits that charities provide to society are therefore maximised. It is therefore clear to me that there is widespread support for the proposals from those who will be most impacted.

I believe that the bill is an important step that we must take to support the third sector. Charities will continue to receive the donations that they urgently require only if donors have full confidence that their donations are going to support those who need it most. The improvements that the bill will make to transparency in the sector will go a long way towards ensuring that donors continue to have confidence in the charities that they choose to support.

It is clear from the consultation that further work will be required as we continue to strengthen the Scottish charity sector. However, I am a firm supporter of the bill and I believe that it provides the best possible framework to begin comprehensively improving charity regulation in Scotland.

The cabinet secretary will be aware that a big hit on the Scottish welfare fund is from mitigation of UK benefit sanctions. Does she share my astonishment—and, I am sure, the astonishment of Mr Sweeney—that Labour has reneged on its pledge to scrap universal credit and has said that it will keep the sanctions regime? Is it not clear that change is not coming?

A major provider of palliative care in Scotland is our hospice network. St Margaret of Scotland Hospice, in my constituency, has contacted me regarding funding pressures. Will the minister meet me and representatives of the hospice to discuss those pressures and how we can assist hospices as we move forward?

Can I come in on that as well, convener?

We split the lone parent rates in legacy benefits—although that is the old policy. Could the new policy assist lone parents via the reintroduction of those rates? I will just pop that question out there.

Does anybody else want to come in?

Good morning.

How is the cost of living impacting on dampness and mould problems in homes? Do you have any more suggestions about support that might help tenants through the cost of living crisis and with energy costs? How will the ending of the United Kingdom Government’s support for fuel costs impact on people? I will direct my questions first to Aoife.

Thank you. Does anyone else want to come in on that?

Shona Gorman is nodding her head. Do you want to come in on that?