Chamber and committees

Finally, I want to go back to Stephen Andrew’s point, from the very beginning—it was also raised by the previous panel—about communication. The bill does not necessarily capture this, because it probably sits within a factors bill on the future management of risk.

A lot of people who are currently in buildings do not feel that there is that standard communication with them. We have heard feedback loops mentioned, which, for people in social rented properties, are the responsibility of the housing association or the council. Looking specifically at how that communication should be improved under the bill, what suggestions do you have? Although it is not your area of responsibility—it may be for the factor who has been appointed, or there are often connections between developers and factors—do you have any suggestions of what that should look like in any potential amendments to suggest to Government? I think that that is at the heart of what a lot of people are frustrated about—not having proper communication over this period and not knowing what is going on, even if good work is sometimes taking place.

I mentioned Stephen Andrew, so I will bring you back in.

I am an MSP for Lothian region.

Scottish Government figures have shown that the number of affordable homes being started decreased by 24 per cent in the quarter from July to September. No one in the housing sector now believes that the Scottish Government is on track to meet its housing targets. What review is being undertaken of the targets that the Government has set?

As Paul O’Kane has highlighted, they are really important in councils and housing associations meeting housing demands. Given the number of policies that have destabilised the housing sector—including the rent freeze, with many housing associations reporting that that has meant that they have had to completely look again at their funding packages for future development—what conversations are now happening with housing associations to ensure that projects take place?

We need to find solutions, and part of that is about looking at our land supply issues in the capital. Will the Scottish Government agree to audit all public land—not just council land and Scottish Government agency land, but national health service land as well—to see what development sites might be available to help to significantly reduce the cost of affordable housing development? We know that many sites across the Edinburgh area will not necessarily be developed as part of the local plan. I hope that the opportunity to undertake a proper audit will be taken up and that that is a positive suggestion.

I do not praise the cabinet secretary very often, so she may enjoy this moment. During her time as health secretary, it was very welcome that a five-year funding framework for child hospices in Scotland was developed, which has now come to an end. This year, the hospice sector is reporting that it has been destabilised by rising staffing costs, especially as a result of the agenda for change NHS pay awards. In future budget discussions, will the Scottish Government agree to ensure that a sustainable funding model for hospices has an in-built mechanism for future NHS pay awards to recognise the knock-on effects on pay pressures for the hospice sector? Will she agree to meet the sector to discuss that further?

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the allocation of funding for the development of a national funding framework for adult and child hospices in Scotland. (S6O-02971)

In the past, a lot of councils have taken decisions, for example, to set up arm’s-length organisations for leisure services. There are reports here in Edinburgh that significant potential cuts and closures are being considered.

Where councils have taken such decisions and are potentially looking at cutting their funding for those services—and, in turn, making the services unsustainable in the future—is the Scottish Government advising them on what different models are possible, and suggesting that they take a different approach? Is Government working with councils to develop such approaches and to ensure that those potential cuts and closures do not take place?

In the Scottish Government’s letter to the committee, ministers acknowledge that there are significant workforce shortages and challenges, and that those will

“continue to have a significant impact”,

often making it more difficult

“for local and national government to achieve ... shared priorities ... committed to in the Verity House Agreement.”

In previous meetings, we have touched on that issue with regard to the workforce challenges in planning departments. Why do you think that workforce planning has been so poor for such a long period, and what can change in that respect? The Verity house agreement did not place a real emphasis on the need for future workforce planning.

Thank you—that was helpful.

We have already touched on the issue of reserves, but what is COSLA’s view on the use of reserves by councils to cover some of the funding gaps that they face? The issue of reserves and how big or depleted they are has already been part of our conversations and deliberations, but I just wondered what COSLA’s view is and what advice is being given to councils.

That is helpful—thank you.

Given that we are going through a period of change, is it time to review the funding formula for councils? I represent Edinburgh, which receives the lowest share per head of population but has some of the largest challenges in the country around homelessness and children in temporary accommodation. There are also the national events that take place in the capital and the costs that arise from those. What is COSLA’s thinking on that? When I have put that point to the Scottish Government, it has said that it is happy to take that forward but that it wants COSLA to suggest that it wants that to take place.