Seòmar agus comataidhean

The bill will be looked at next by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, and I understand that our deputy convener has lodged an amendment for consideration by that committee. In some ways, it would have been helpful if we had been able to debate that amendment today in the light of the amendments in this group, but that is simply the way in which the procedure works. The deputy convener’s amendment, which I hope will be accepted by that committee, would strengthen how we take things forward.

With regard to my amendment 1031, I will be slightly critical of us, as a committee, in that I do not think that we have made enough effort to look at how the pilot schemes will work. Those schemes will be essential if we are to get this right. With respect, I say to the minister that he and the Government are dragging their feet in that regard.

There was an announcement, and the Parliament has approved a substantial amount of money to take the pilot schemes forward. However, my understanding is that, as of the Easter recess, no local authority area had been identified, and there has been very little progress in that regard. I understand that the pilot schemes have to go out to tender under the appropriate legal procedures, but I worry that we will not see them up and running until perhaps even late this year. If they are then going to run, how will they be reviewed, and how will we see how they are working in practice?

That is why I support Maggie Chapman’s two amendments in the group. We are going into fresh waters here. It is all very well for us to put the legislation in place, but the Parliament has, for a number of years, been criticised for its lack of post-legislative scrutiny. We are not good at that, and it is very possible that, having seen how the pilot projects work, we will see that the legislation is not working in practice and that substantial changes need to be made.

My amendment 1031 would simply provide for a report by the Scottish Government on the pilot projects to be put forward. I think that it would be helpful for the Parliament in order to give this committee, and the committee with its remit that will be formed in the next session of the Parliament, an opportunity to look at whether the provisions are working in practice.

I am interested in hearing where the minister thinks we are with regard to the pilot projects and how long he thinks they will operate for. Depending on his reflections, I will decide what to do with my amendment. In addition, there needs to be more engagement between the committee and the Government on the pilot projects, and I hope that that can happen after we get through the formal stage of the bill process.

One of the very few positives of Covid was that we showed that we could get rid of rough sleeping in Scotland. I think that that happened across every part of Scotland—it certainly happened in the region that I represent. However, it came with a cost. A choice has to be made to put money towards that.

Does the cabinet secretary recognise that we can have all the policies in the world, but that, unless they are followed up with appropriate funding for local authorities and the third sector, they cannot be implemented? Ultimately, it is a political choice. Is he committed to seeing rough sleeping end by the end of this decade?

I am just wondering if the minister has a view regarding the competency of the proposal. I am happy to do any further consultation, but I would be wary of doing lots of work only to be told, on a wet Wednesday afternoon, that the proposal is not competent. Would the Government at least be willing to write to me to say whether it thinks that it is possibly legally competent?

Can I push you a wee bit, minister? Are you saying that you are willing to look at the principle of getting rid of rough sleeping by the date that has been set out by Jamie Halcro Johnston if we can get the wording of the amendment right?

What engagement has taken place since the last time that you came to give evidence?

What is the hold-up?

Okay, that is helpful. In addition to that commitment, there are six other outstanding commitments that the Scottish Government has made to the committee. Four of those date from 2023 and two date from last year. What has been done to ensure that those six commitments will be met?

Good morning. The standing item on the agenda when you and your colleagues come to visit us is the historical commitments that the Government has made to the committee in relation to instruments. On numerous occasions, the committee has requested an update on the amendment to the Scotland Act 1998 (Specification of Functions and Transfer of Property etc) Order 2019 (SI 2019/183). The last time that you gave evidence, you said that there might be an update in this calendar year. Are you able to update us?

Thank you. As you are aware, this committee’s remit includes consideration of bills that come from the Scottish Law Commission and, after the Easter recess, we will look at the Leases (Automatic Continuation etc) (Scotland) Bill. Do you expect any other bills to come to the committee this session?

I am not sure whether that was a yes or no to my question. Is it likely that something will come forward this calendar year?