Chamber and committees

I think that that problem is much broader than the private rented sector. The Construction Industry Training Board published a study six to nine months ago that broke Scotland down into 10 areas and identified the resources in those areas, including the workforce, operating companies and colleges. I continue to meet Graeme Dey to discuss how we fund colleges and construction courses. I have had further discussions with the CIH about how we professionalise the construction sector and ensure that those in it are as qualified as possible, and I asked the trade body to produce a paper on that, which we have recently received. We are working with the body on how we expand qualifications and are looking at what else needs to be done in the sector to ensure that it has enough qualified people and that it attracts them because, traditionally, the housing sector has not done that, but there are great opportunities for people.

As we know, there have been issues because of Brexit, which has reduced the size of the workforce. We need to ensure that we try to get people into the construction sector. The issue of visas for the sector has been raised with the UK Government. It is not just affecting housing. If we look at the growth in renewables, for example, having spoken to colleagues in that sector, I know that there is a real demand for construction work for that. We are looking at a number of solutions to try to ensure that the sector is up to the level that it needs to be at with recruitment and for future training. I think that the average age for people who are working in the construction sector is 60, or near enough. We cannot go on like that; if we look at the demographics, we see that we will run out of people. It is a challenge, but we are approaching it in different ways.

I think that we are looking at the first quarter of next year—that is the task force’s target. I am happy to write to the committee on that point. However, the minutes are online, so they can be looked at.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I understand that your report is due out at the end of October.

I would think that it would be around that time, or not too far off. Again, I am happy to come back to the committee when the amendments are lodged to have that discussion and take that further.

There are two ways to look at that. First, there would have to be data to back that up.

Secondly, it is the right of the minister to look at that and say whether they would impose rent controls in an area. If a local authority says that it wants to look at rent controls, the minister at the time can say that they do not agree with that, so the rent controls would not just come in. There is flexibility for the Government and the minister to look at that and say that they do not think that there is a case for rent controls at that particular time. The key thing is that it has to be backed up by data. There would be discussions—it is not something that would happen overnight. It would have to go out for broader consultation. The key thing is that the minister would have the right to say whether rent controls could be brought in, depending on the local circumstances at that particular time. A local authority might want to do it, but the minister might not agree and would have to give reasons for that. The ability to look at that goes both ways.

Again, I think that Yvette Sheppard talked about such circumstances. First, as she touched on, there would be an option for us to go back if we think that the data is not sufficient. If that is still the case when the data comes back, we would have to take it as an individual circumstance, but I think that the minister has the ability to do what you said. There are a number of points before we even get to that regarding whether the data that the authority provides backs up sufficiently what it proposes. That is where issues of broader local consideration come in.

I do not know whether Yvette wants to add anything other than what was added before. Again, there is the procedure of looking at the data that comes forward to work out whether we think that the data that the authority has collected is sufficient and sufficiently supports what it proposes.

It might be the other way round—the authority might come forward and say that it does or does not recommend a rent control area. There are different circumstances. I do not know whether Yvette wants to add anything to what she added before.

I will try to keep them short.

I am happy to discuss that in more detail. In principle, it is something that we would consider. The Scottish Association of Landlords has discussed unscrupulous landlords. You mentioned that we are talking about only a small number of people, but how do we ensure that there is not an impact? You are right: the EPC is an important part of how information is provided, and the association recognises that. The association has to make sure that it is limiting the number of landlords such as that who are in place. There could be a carrot-and-stick approach, and the stick would be to include measures on that in the legislation.

I would be happy to talk about that in more detail, convener. I do not know whether Charlotte McHaffie or Catriona MacKean want to comment.

That has been recognised as a key issue. I visited a rent deposit scheme to see the work that it does, and I was impressed by the way that it tries to return deposits to the best of its ability. Unclaimed deposits represent a substantial amount of money, and that is one of the key issues that it discussed with me. It is important to have the necessary contact information. It made the point that, sometimes, it has only one telephone number or email address and that, if somebody changes that, it suddenly cannot get hold of them. People get to the end of their tenancy, move on and forget about their deposit.

I was going to mention that. Of course, we would be happy to take part in that.