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I will preface my comments by referring members to my entry in the register of members’ interests. I am a member of Unite the union.

As I represent Glasgow, I recognise a lot of the points that have been made, particularly the controversy over the low-emission zone restrictions that are planned for introduction next year. I understand that Glasgow City Council recently announced that enforcement of the LEZ will not apply to certain taxis until 1 June 2024, which is, in effect, an extension of one year. Is that sufficient time to allow non-compliant vehicles to be retrofitted with emissions reduction systems or fully replaced?

I thank both witnesses for coming today. What does the selection procedure for the boards of Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, David MacBrayne Ltd and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd look like, and how is it determined? Obviously, there is a power structure in terms of who picks the people who go on those boards. How does that process work in practice?

Vacant and derelict land is a particularly acute issue in Glasgow. I think that the bulk of Scotland’s derelict land is in Glasgow, so it would be interesting to get insights from the Clyde Gateway urban regeneration company, which is the only urban regeneration company left in Scotland, about its work and the model that it has adopted.

It would also be worth while engaging with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and the Chartered Institute of Building, which has proposed a demolition levy to promote the reuse and renovation of buildings. A major disincentive has been created through the tax system whereby the renovation and retrofitting of existing buildings is subject to 20 per cent VAT, but demolition and new builds are zero rated, so a handicap is imposed on what should be the right thing to do. That is why you often see otherwise pleasant-looking buildings being destroyed; it does not make any financial sense for the developer to renovate them. There are some perverse incentives out there that should be investigated, because addressing them could be part of the remedy.

It seems like a rigorous process for ensuring technical competence. I guess that there is a tension between the ideal of having representation and the fact that that is severely limited because of the population base that you can draw from.

I wonder whether there is a way of providing continuous professional development not just for the transport-related boards, but more widely across Government. For example, I am dealing with significant issues with community housing association boards in Glasgow, and there is a tension with the regulator, which says that a lot of the boards do not have the necessary technical competence, which creates pressure to take control away from communities. Is there a wider cross-Government approach to improving CPD opportunities for people who are eager to participate but who perhaps do not have the technical ability that is necessary to pass the selection panel?

I want to supplement Mr Ewing’s call for more evidence or helpful information. You mentioned the wider impact on the economy. Anecdotally, I can attest to significant issues in Glasgow that have been felt by businesses in the night-time economy, which are not getting the sort of trade that they used to get because people say that it is too difficult to get back home, and therefore the city is a ghost town at night. There are massive queues at taxi ranks next to train stations—people sometimes wait for about half an hour for a taxi out of George Square, and that is midweek. Places that hold big events, such as the Scottish Event Campus, are also feeling an impact on their ticket sales.

You mentioned the manufacturing base. We had a healthy ecosystem in manufacturing taxis at Allied Vehicles Group in Possilpark, employing more than 600 people in skilled manufacturing. You mentioned that the only product available is from a Coventry and Shanghai-based manufacturer called LEVC. There is a wider economic impact, both on the taxi supply chain in Scotland and on the night-time economy in major cities such as Glasgow.

If the witnesses could furnish us with more evidence—perhaps Unite could commission work or we could try to find ways to build up the picture—it would make for a more compelling argument.

I cannot remember what stage it is at, but I believe that there is a UK Parliament Fisheries Bill—it might have already passed into statute. It might be worth contacting the Scotland Office to see whether the UK Government has input on the matter.

You have described significant constraints such as the age profile, the financial crunch that is involved and the risks that are associated with people reaching the end of their careers having to take on a huge amount of financial leverage. The Scottish Government, in response to a written question that I lodged some months ago, indicated the three main schemes that the Energy Saving Trust is administering on its behalf.

The first is the switched-on taxi loan scheme, which offers interest free loans of up to £120,000, but I think that we heard a response mention a cost of servicing that of £800 to £1,000 a month.

The second is the low-emission zone retrofit fund, which provides

“80% grant funding to replace existing diesel engines to meet the Euro 6 standard for driving within a LEZ. The grant provides up to £10,000 per wheelchair accessible taxi installing re-powering technology, or £5,000 per taxi installing exhaust after-treatment systems.”

The third is the low-emission zone support fund,

“which is available to eligible microbusinesses and sole traders (including taxi operators)”

and provides

“a £2,500 grant towards the safe disposal of non-compliant vehicles as an incentive.”

Those are quotes from a response to a written question that I received on 6 January 2022.

You mentioned that the Manchester scheme has a £20,000 grant, so in the context of the three options that the Scottish Government has provided, would you suggest that enhancing the retrofit fund to provide a grant towards new purchases could be a satisfactory solution?

On the issue of limiting access to finance for small businesses, I note that sole traders are excluded from the bill’s consumer protections. Do you agree with that approach? Mirka, you said that there are other legislative remedies or protections that could be applied. I am interested to hear from both of you your thoughts on that exclusion from the consumer protections in the bill.

Thank you—that is helpful.

Colin, do you have any thoughts?