 The first item of business is portfolio questions. As always, please try and be succinct. The first question is from Jenny Gilruth. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress in delivery to the new Scottish social security system. Jeane Freeman. As Audit Scotland recognises, we are on track to deliver the first wave of devolved benefits. The 13 per cent increase through the carers allowance supplement will be delivered this year, with best start grant and funeral expense assistance by summer 2019. We have started recruitment for the staff for our new agency, Social Security Scotland, both at the headquarters in Dundee and locally, but we cannot deliver the devolution of social security powers in isolation from the unavoidable central role of the DWP for the safe and secure transfer of the benefits. It is imperative that the DWP match our pace for delivery, and it is crucial that it has plans in place to prioritise this joint programme of work. Jenny Gilruth. I thank the minister for that response. Does the minister agree that the Scottish Government is currently fighting child poverty with one hand tied behind their back? Particularly given that new research now confirms the number of children growing up in poverty in working households will be £1 million higher than in 2010 due to the UK Government's brutal benefits cuts. Can the minister set out how the Scottish Government will make different choices with the limited powers that it has? Jeane Freeman. I thank Ms Gilruth for that supplementary question. I do agree with the point that she makes centrally in her supplementary. Already we are, as a Scottish Government, providing over £125 million in this year to mitigate the worst effects of the UK Government's austerity welfare agenda. We are the only country in the UK to set targets for the reduction and eradication of child poverty, and with our new social security powers, which embed in legislation which all of this Parliament voted for, that social security is a human right, that best start grant that we will introduce to replace the sure start grant is a significant financial investment in young families together with the increase in carers. We are talking about a partnership between this Government and the citizens that we represent, but let me repeat. For us to deliver what we have promised, it requires the DWP to match our pace, and already we have at least two instances where they are falling behind, the agreements that we have reached with them and are delaying our progress. supplementary, Michelle Ballantyne. Thank you. I agree with the minister that the success of this social security system will rely on a close working relationship between the Scottish Government and the DWP. Can the minister tell me what steps have been taken to ensure the interactions between the DWP and the Scottish Social Security Agency, particularly in areas of split competence, are as smooth as possible? Jeane Freeman. As we have said before in this chamber and at social security committee, our officials, our social security officials in government and DWP officials are in constant, arguably daily contact in order to ensure that we progress this work. However, what does happen from time to time, and we forgot a couple of examples of this recently, which the Social Security Committee knows, is the four-month delay in receiving the integration software code from the DWP. That was four months after the date that we had agreed with them and a delay of a year in implementing our commitment to mitigate the bedroom tax and a delay of a year over the date that we had agreed with the DWP. The officials on both sides are doing their very best. However, I need the Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions to give me an assurance that the warm words of this co-operative joint work will be met by ensuring that her department prioritises the work with us in light of anything else that they may be doing. That's not been the case most recently, and we will continue to pursue that with her. Supplementary Daniel Johnson. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. My constituent Kate Dury was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year at the age of 67. As Pip does not apply to those over 65, Kate is not eligible for Pip, meaning that she cannot access mobility allowance or automatically qualify for a power chair. She will spend £1,700 of her own money and is likely to have to buy another chair in addition to that. Disabled Scots are looking for certainty about how the assistance will give them access to equipment that they need for their lives. In the absence of any detailed disability assistance— Do you come to your question, please? Proposor, a clear time to one minister say today whether disability assistance will cover all adults or whether she will open up the mobility component to older disabled people. Jeane Freeman. As I'm sure Mr Johnson is well aware, the way that we go about designing the delivery and the content of the benefits that we are responsible for is through direct engagement, through our experience panels and with our stakeholder groups. They help us to devise what the system should be. They also help us to devise not only what the system should be, but how it should be delivered. We will continue to discuss with them matters that are respective to attendance allowance and disability assistance, including, because it has been raised with me before, the possibility of offering a choice within attendance allowance, for example, for a mobility component. However, we need to work all that through and we are doing it with them. As soon as we have a resolution to that, I will, of course, make the chamber aware. Question 2, David Torrance. To ask the Scottish Government how much it is investing in delivering more affordable homes across Fife in 2018-19. Kevin Stewart. The Scottish Government has allocated an affordable housing supply programme funding of over £30 million to Fife in this financial year. That will be for housing association and Fife council projects to deliver a range of housing in a mix of affordable tenures, but primarily focusing on social rented housing, which is a key Government priority as we aim to deliver 35,000 social rent homes across Scotland as part of our 50,000 affordable homes programme. David Torrance. I thank the minister for that answer. Would the minister commit to publishing a breakdown of his funding across all of Scotland's local affordable areas? Could he set out how a level of funding for affordable homes across Scotland compares to other parts of the UK? Kevin Stewart. Yes, the Scottish Government's spend per head on the affordable housing programme is three times higher than that of the UK Government and their spending on their affordable homes programme. A full breakdown of the £568 million allocated to all of Scotland's local authority areas for 2018-19 is published on the Scottish Government's website, and I'd be happy to make that available to the member. supplementary from Alexander Stewart. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. During 2016-17, only 7,336 affordable homes were completed, and if the target continues, there will only be around 36,000 homes completed by March 2021, and the SNP's target of 50,000 homes will not be achieved until two years later. Delivering sufficient supply of affordable housing should be a matter of urgency. Can I ask what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that it is a matter of urgency? Kevin Stewart. As I explained at committee this morning, the target itself is not 10,000 a year, it is 50,000 over the course of this Parliament. We know that many housing associations and councils now that they have the resource planning assumptions for the next three years of £1.79 billion, are putting plans in place to ensure the delivery. The target that we have is extremely ambitious, but a recent report by Shelter, the Chartered Institute of Housing, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission agree that we are on track to deliver 50,000 affordable homes during the course of this term. Question 3, Gordon MacDonald. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission regarding whether the recent and proposed bank closures contraven the Equalities Act of 2010. Angela Constance. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Presiding Officer, I believe that the proposed bank closures and their replacement with mobile banking services will have serious implications for disabled people. That is why I have written to the Scotland commissioner on the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, asking her to consider those implications in light of the requirements placed on organisations by the provisions of the Equalities Act 2010 to ensure that a disabled person can access the same services and premises as far as possible as someone who is not disabled. I am happy to share that letter with the member. Gordon MacDonald. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. The mobile banks that have been introduced in my constituency of Edinburgh Pentlands do not provide disability access. Does the minister share my concern that the 30-minute stopping time frame is inadequate to meet the demand of individuals and the areas that it serves? Angela Constance. Presiding Officer, I do very much share the member's concerns and I know that the concerns that he has articulated today are shared by many members across the chamber. It is, in my view, unacceptable that disabled people could, in effect, be excluded from conducting their financial affairs in bank premises or facilities because the physical barriers presented by the mobile banking fleet may make it impossible for those services to be used. That is exactly why I have raised this issue with the EHRC. The Equality Act places a requirement on organisations to take positive steps to ensure that a disabled person can access the same services and premises as far as possible as someone who is not disabled. If the proposed mobile banking alternative does not meet the standard, the potential implications of that would indeed be considerable. As far as the time constraints are concerned, that is something that I urge the bank to reconsider. People should have sufficient time to conduct their transactions without having to worry about a time limit. supplementary Monica Lennon Proposals by Link, the UK's largest cash machine network, have raised fears that many ATMs could disappear from the high street and age Scotland war and this will hit older people hard. Does the minister agree that banks should be investing more in the ATM network? Is she welcome the bill proposed by Jed Killan MP, which seeks to ban ATM charges and protect access to free cash withdrawals? Angela Constance. The member raises a very considerate point. There are a range of financial and banking services that are important to us all. The ATM network does indeed improve access for everybody, particularly for people who may have disability issues or other issues in life to contend with. Having an ATM service and facility that is available as possible is, of course, very worthwhile. Of course, I would echo the concerns by age concern and others about charging in ATM services. If there are aspects of the matters that the member raised that she would like us to pick up as ministers, we could certainly do that. I have already outlined the action that we have taken in this portfolio, but ministers in another portfolio are indeed engaging with the bank as a business and how that could be more inclusive. Time is moving on and we are not getting on terribly far through the questions. Could I ask both questioners and those who answer to bear that in mind? Question 4 is Claire Adamson. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the take-up among claimants of the Scottish universal credit flexibilities. Jane Freeman. The latest data that we published on 24 January shows that, between 11 November and 31 December last year, 5,800 people had been offered one or both of the Scottish choices. Around 2,500 people have taken up either one or both of those. Subject to the provision of data by the Department of Work and Pensions, we plan to publish management information covering the first six months of the operation of Scottish choices in the summer this year. Claire Adamson. I thank the minister for an answer. A recent channel for investigation found that some 70 per cent of DW staff say that the roll-out of universal credit should be dropped. That also follows a trustal trust figure showing that food bank use is up 52 per cent in areas that have a full universal credit roll-out for 12 months or more. Does the minister agree with me that the overwhelming evidence points to the roll-out of universal credit have been nothing short of a disaster? Will she join me once again in calling for the UK Government to halt its roll-out and, if not, to devolve it fully to this Parliament when we can make different choices in the best interest of the people of Scotland? Jane Freeman. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Layer upon layer of evidence over the past two years demonstrate repeatedly that universal credit, both in terms of the policies within it and the freezing of those benefits and the systems itself, is not fit for purpose and is causing significant hardship to many individuals across the country but also to organisations and to local authorities themselves. Most recently, we have learned from the Chartered Institute of Housing, the Institute of Revenue, Rating and Valuation and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations of the particular difficulties they have with the way the DWP schedules the payments of rent. The evidence is overwhelming but the UK Government continues to pursue a policy and a delivery mechanism which all evidence shows is failing. Contrary to the myths perpetrated in the most recently in the Allaware Advertiser by a Conservative MP, this Government is not shying away from the benefit responsibilities we have. On the contrary, simply give us more powers and the resources to match them and I will happily show the UK Government how much better we can do on the grain, going with the grain of people of Scotland with a system that is based on human rights. I recognise that ministers like to give full some answers on all the information that they can but could I ask you to bear in mind that there are many people who wish to ask questions? Question 5 is from Jamie Halcro Johnston. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I will come out in rural areas. That was a really good short question. He caught me unawares there. We provide support to older people in those communities through our investment across a number of areas, including improving digital engagement, accessible housing, transport, specifically the bus pass and the air discount scheme, and the road equivalent tariff fares on the Clyde and Hebrides routes, reforming adult and social care, free personal nursing care, which helps about 78,000 people. In addition, our new social security powers include responsibility for benefits that will be particularly helpful to older people. Our current groundbreaking draft strategy on social isolation and loneliness is taking positive steps to consult with older people, particularly in rural communities, on what we might next do. Jamie Halcro Johnston. I thank the minister for that answer. Older people regularly find themselves in the target of scams, misselling and pressurised door-to-door sales, and evidence from Age UK suggests that almost half of older people have been targeted in this way. Cracking down on scams has been raised by members who visited Parliament this month, and trading standards have agreed to look into the views of older people themselves. Can I ask the minister what actions she will take or is taking to protect older people from those targeted actions by unscrupulous individuals and businesses? Jane Freeman. I thank the member for that supplementary question. There are some of the areas that he has raised that relate to the new consumer powers that we have, and I will raise that with the cabinet secretary who is concerned. In addition, I know that my colleague Mr Matheson, the justice secretary, is keenly aware of the matter and is discussing that with our police service and others. Question 6, Edward Mountain. To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary last met officials from the Highland Council. Angela Constance. Scottish Government ministers and officials regularly meet council officers across Scotland, including the Highland Council. Edward Mountain. In the last 20 years, there has been a 55 per cent increase in the number of people aged 75 and over living in the Highlands with a corresponding reduction in the number of younger people. Given Audit Scotland's report on local government in Scotland, the Highland Council has accepted a need for a fundamental redesign of service provision. What specific financial actions will the Scottish Government commit to in providing help to the Highland Council in the huge redesign of provision of local services? Angela Constance. It is a really interesting question that Mr Mountain raises. The issue of an agent population and depopulation in the Highland area and other parts of Scotland is a very real concern both for the provision of public services and for parts of the economy, but also, I think, broader than that in terms of no strong, cohesive, resilient communities. The question that he asks does touch upon many areas of government. In terms of my own portfolio, I suppose that I would highlight our investment in housing, the Highland Council, currently benefits for £40 million in capital for affordable housing. That will increase to £45 million by the end of this Parliament. There is also the work that we are doing in and around the review of local governance. That is not just about local government services, but about the public services as a whole. There is also a strong theme or thread running through all of that. Work is about how we empower communities and enable citizens to have more say in the decisions that are taken at a local level. supplementary from Kate Forbes. On housing further to Edward Mountain's question, can the cabinet secretary outline how the partnership between the SNP Government and Highland Council will help to deliver affordable housing across the region? Angela Constance. Scottish Government housing officials meet with the Highland Council on a weekly basis through the Highland Housing Hub. This is a very strong partnership arrangement that helps to deliver affordable homes in the area. The Highland Council leads on the overall management of the Highland Infrastructure Loan Fund. All developers can bid for the fund through the council. £6 million has already been invested with a further £4 million currently available for further developments. I am aware that there are two significant projects, one on the rocket and the other in Inverness and this will enable 680 new affordable homes to be delivered in these locations alongside private housing developments. Miles Briggs. To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the planning system supports the development of infrastructure in areas with a growing population. Kevin Stewart. Planning authorities are required to prepare development plans to guide future development and infrastructure. An infrastructure first approach to development is an important part of our on-going planning reforms. Miles Briggs. I thank the minister for that answer. Constituents in Edinburgh who live in communities with a large increase in the number of new houses and flats being built are becoming increasingly concerned at the huge pressure growing populations are placing on vital local health services with many surgeries being restricting their patient lists. What future public service scoping plans are being undertaken to make sure we meet the future needs of new and existing communities? Kevin Stewart. Presiding Officer, as I pointed out, we are looking at all of this through the planning bill. The Scottish Government has provided and supported investment in three health centres in Lothian in recent times. The Blackburn Partnership Centre, the Fairhill Partnership Centre and the North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre, which have all recently become operational. We have also opened phase 1 of the new Royal Edinburgh hospital last year. I want to ensure that local development plans, local authorities and the health service talk to one another to make sure that their plans are truly and utterly intertwined. It is one of the reasons why I have spoken so often about intertwining community planning with spatial planning because I think that that will lead to essential changes. I hope that that answers Mr Briggs' question, Presiding Officers. I see your telling me to move on. I was motioning it, but please don't go up again. I was supplementary from Ivan McKee. A good example of that is Rob Royston in my constituency, where a further 1,600 new homes are being proposed on top of several other completed developments where the local community is rightly concerned about the lack of clarity on provision of local facilities in an area that already suffers from a lack of provision. How does planning legislation ensure that adequate facilities such as schools, health centres and other local amenities are provided to cover the increased population of areas such as this? Kevin Stewart. Our approach to developing the planning bill has involved extensive engagement, including with children and young people because I think that it is important that we involve them because they are the future. For example, we undertook a survey that showed that young people want to be more involved in planning. While I cannot comment on specific planning applications as Mr McKee well understands, I agree that new housing developments should be supported by the facilities that meet local needs. To help achieve that, the planning bill will introduce stronger development plans that are prepared with local communities linked to community planning and supported by clearer delivery programmes. That is good for all. To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages non-departmental public bodies to promote and facilitate public participation in their decisions and activities. Kevin Stewart. In 2016 we refreshed the national standards for community engagement. Those play a crucial role in all sectors, including non-departmental public bodies, to promote and facilitate public participation in their decisions and activities. In addition, the community empowerment act provides a new right for community bodies to make participation requests to certain bodies including a number of non-departmental public bodies. That provides opportunities for community bodies to proactively be involved in improving outcomes on their terms. Tavish Scott. I thank the minister for that answer. He will be aware that officers who have that responsibility for public participation and who work in the islands and have to travel to the Scottish mainland for work will soon have to pay the car parking charges at island airports. Which Government budget will pay that cost? Kevin Stewart. I missed the last part of Mr Scott's question there. I beg your pardon, Presiding Officer. That doesn't surprise me, Presiding Officer, but that doesn't surprise me to pay for something. In terms of the serious matter of parking charges at the island airports, I know that Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd is consulting extensively about the implementation of the extension of car parking charges to Kirkwall, Stornoway and some other airports. That includes passenger surveys at each airport as well as discussions with local authorities and elected representatives. I hope that those discussions will continue and that we will see positivity from those discussions. A very short supplementary from Donald Cameron. Thank you. Likewise on the subject of Hile, will the minister commit to proper, meaningful and urgent consultation with people on Lewis who will be severely affected by the proposed imposition of car parking charges at Stornoway airport? Kevin Stewart. Highlands and Islands Airport are consulting on Kirkwall, Stornoway and some other airports. I hope that that comes to some positivity, as I have said. Obviously, this is not my portfolio and I am sure that Mr Yousaf will be in touch with all the members in this regard. Question 9, Clare Haughey. I refer members to my register of interests. To ask the Scottish Government to support medically trained and qualified refugees in Scotland to achieve medical registration and contribute their skills to NHS Scotland. Angela Constance. The Scottish Government is providing funding to the refugee doctors project that is run by a partnership led by the bridge's programs. It aims to support refugees who were fully qualified doctors in their home countries to achieve general medical council registration and a licence to practice medicine. The new funding provided for this year means that the project has been expanded to include dentists for the first time. I am delighted to say that 37 doctors have already benefited from the project since funding was first provided in April 2017. Clare Haughey. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Can the cabinet secretary take this moment to acknowledge recent analysis showing that Scotland has stood by its claim to be a sanctuary for those fleeing conflict and, in particular, the city of Glasgow, having the highest intake of Syrian refugees and asylum seekers relative to its population? Angela Constance. Recent analysis by the BBC looked at home office statistics for refugees and asylum seekers alongside population statistics. I am pleased to quote the article that stated that it appears that Scotland has generally embraced its claim to be a sanctuary for those fleeing conflict. Glasgow has taken 63 refugees and asylum seekers per 10,000 in the city. That is the highest level for any local authority. I want to pay tribute to Glasgow because of their knowledge and expertise in supporting refugees and asylum seekers. It has been absolutely vital to the collaborative work of our new Scotch refugee integration strategy. That shared vision and partnership approach to new Scots has supported local authorities the length and breadth of Scotland who, since 2015, have welcomed around 2,200 refugees through the Syrian Resettlement programme. To ask the Scottish Government what planning requirements there are for public input prior to the sale of large public buildings and public land. Kevin Stewart. There are no town and country planning requirements related to the sale of land or buildings whether public or private because planning is concerned with the physical changes to land and buildings or material changes in their use but not the sale of land or buildings or who owns them. Daniel Johnson. I thank the minister for that answer. When public buildings are sold to private developers they are not just the public sector who are losing an asset but the entire community. They are under way with NHS Lothian about the disposal of the Ainsley hospital and its surrounding site. For many it is not just a hospital but a green space, walking routes and part of the local community. Does the minister agree with me that large public cells should go through the highest possible levels of pre-sale planning processes to allow real public scrutiny and consultation? Will he consider what could be done in the forthcoming planning bill to require public bodies to secure pre-sale plans prior to sale? After all, publicly owned buildings belong to all of us and we should have a say in how they use in the future. We have asked the questions. Kevin Stewart. My first answer planning is concerned with the physical changes to land and buildings or material changes in their use but not the sale of land or buildings or who owns them. I understand that it is part of the process of disposing surplus assets. The Scottish Government is committed to engagement with all key stakeholders. Those include the general public, MSPs, councillors, the City of Edinburgh Council Planning Department, Historic Environment Scotland and other interest groups to collate ideas and issues that are of importance to people of that community. Question 11, Liam Kerr. To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been a recent assessment of Scotland's future housing needs. Kevin Stewart. Local authorities as the statutory local housing and planning authority undertake regular and continual need and demand assessments to support the development of their local housing strategies and development plans. Those plans are assessed by the Scottish Government to ensure that they are both robust and credible. In 2015, Sheffield Hallam undertook an assessment of affordable housing need across Scotland commissioned by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, the Chartered Institute for Housing and Shelter, to which the Scottish Government analytical staff contributed. Liam Kerr. I remind the chamber of my register of interests, specifically I am a landlord of a small flat in Edinburgh. Under the SNP, the number of long-term empty properties has increased from 20,328 in 2007 to 37,135 in 2017, a rise of 83 per cent to its highest ever recorded level. What action is the Government taking to tackle that rise in empty properties, solve the housing crisis and enable more people to realise their dream of having a home? Kevin Stewart. I thank Mr Kerr for his questions. In that regard, we are cooperating with Shelter, have doubled the empty homes fund to bring homes back into use. We have encouraged all local authorities through that partnership with Shelter to put in place their own empty homes officers. Those local authorities that have done so have seen a number of properties come back into use in the places where they exist. We have doubled the budget for empty homes. We co-operate with Shelter and I would encourage all local authorities who have not yet put empty homes officers in place to do so, because that makes a real difference. Quick supplementary from Elaine Smith. Given that recent research by Crisis has demonstrated a huge cost to councils of keeping people in temporary accommodation beyond seven days, what does the minister think of the current barriers to councils getting people out of unsuitable temporary accommodation and what can be done to reduce those barriers? Kevin Stewart. Like Ms Smith, who has taken a keen interest on the issue for a long time, I want to see no-one in unsuitable accommodation. That is why the Government has put so much effort into the homelessness and rough sleeping action group who are due to report on the third question that they have been set is how do we improve temporary accommodation in Scotland? Their recommendations will be with us very shortly. I am very interested in seeing them and we will respond accordingly. Ms Smith will be aware that, thus far, we have accepted all the recommendations in principle that Haar Sag has put to us, and I look forward to receiving their next set of recommendations. Question 12. Clare Baker. To ask the Scottish Government on what date the first payments of the carers allowance supplement will be made. Jane Freeman. The commitment, which is a 13 per cent increase— Excuse me, Ms. Oh, you're back. A 13 per cent increase that will be operated in line with inflation in future years constitutes an overall investment of more than £30 million a year and benefits over 70,000 carers. The first payments will be made this summer. Clare Baker. I thank the minister for that response, but earlier this year the Social Security Committee heard that a decision on the status of carers allowance supplement for the purposes of calculating council tax reduction was still to be taken and completed that analysis. I think that people are concerned about the date at which that will be introduced. Given that there are 8,700 carers in Midscotland and Fife, can she confirm whether the Government will ensure that the additional income will be disregarded if carers get or receive or apply for the council tax reduction? Jane Freeman. I thank Ms Baker for that supplementary. As she said, work is under way with our officials working on council tax reduction and in social security. I would be happy to update her as soon as we have completed that work and are clear that the council tax reduction and the carers allowance supplement will not contradict each other if I can put it like that. John Finnie. To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that public bodies respect the rights of gypsy travellers. Angela Constance. Scottish ministers expect public bodies to respect the rights of all the communities that they serve and to be responsive to their needs in providing high-quality public services. Public bodies also have legal duties to eliminate discrimination, promote equality and foster good relations. That includes gypsy travellers who are protected as an ethnic group in Scotland. John Finnie. I thank the cabinet secretary for that reply and she will be familiar with the definition which includes the phrase that people who consider the travelling lifestyle part of their ethnic identity. I have read the ministerial working groups extensive list of matters that they are going to cover except that it doesn't say that they are going to cross the list. Cabinet secretary, will you engage with the gypsy traveller community and establish traditional stopping over places that were all many of them which were sealed up? Encourage landowners including local authorities and other public bodies to open those sites up again to reinforce the value that we place on this travelling lifestyle. Angela Constance. The Scottish Government does recognise the rights of the gypsy traveller community to a travelling lifestyle that is part of their way of life, the tradition and their history. The issue about halting stops in traditional routes is one that I am pursuing together with the housing minister. There are a whole host of other issues in and around sites and access to other services that need to be resolved to support the right of the travelling community to their travelling heritage. Question 14, Graham Simpson. To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the performance of property factors. Kevin Stewart. The Property Factor Scotland Act 2011 provides for the performance of factors to be regulated by requiring anyone acting as a factor to be registered and to comply with a code of conduct that sets out minimum standards of practice. The process provides a route of appeal to the housing and property chamber which, among other things, enables owners to have their concerns about their factor adjudicated by an independent judicial body. The tribunal notifies Scottish ministers of its decisions and when a property factor has been found to have failed to comply with any enforcement order introduced by the tribunal. Graham Simpson. Thank you. Since 2013 the tribunal has issued 169 enforcement orders against factoring companies. One in five of those orders have never been complied with which I think is pretty disgraceful. What is the minister doing about that and can he tell us has he struck off any factoring companies that do not repeat offenders? Kevin Stewart. Two property factors have been removed from the register due to failing to comply with a code and property factor enforcement orders. Five property factors have been removed for technical reasons. Seven to eight property factors have been automatically removed from the registers that did not reapply to the expiry of their three-year registration periods. I know that Mr Simpson will be requiring regular update from me in a particular point that he has raised and he can be assured that I will keep in touch with him around about that issue because I want to make sure that the people who are applying the code properly are dealt with. Mr Simpson, I know, will be requiring regular update from me on that issue because I want to see that done right for those folks that have had to throw property factors who may not be doing the job as they should. That concludes question time and if folk could rearrange themselves we'll move on to the next item of business.