I was actually disappointed with the minister’s comments. I very much welcome the apology that he started off with, but fundamentally there has been no campaign to give people the information that they need.
If someone looked at the website—as the minister suggested—and then went to install the equipment, it would not have been straightforward. Retailers should have that information in shops so that people know what they need to buy.
I genuinely do not think that a one year extension will be enough. We are going to need two years, because it is likely to be next summer before we get through the pandemic.
The minister talked about the need for a decent communications strategy and said that that needs to be done closer to the time when people need to be engaged. Surely we need an on-going comms strategy, because we do not want everybody trying to get these installed in the run up to Christmas next year, as Keith Brown said. It has got to be something that people do throughout the year.
When people are moving home—which they are doing all the time, even through the pandemic—that would be a very good time to get this kit installed, but there is no publicity about doing that. We do not need a one-off publicity drive; we need political leadership at Scottish Government and local government levels. I do not see that there has been any of that during the past two years.
It is important that this is given much higher priority. The minister’s opening points about fire safety are absolutely bang on; it is critical to people. Taking into account the comments that Graham Simpson made, we need to give people enough time to do it. However, we also need to ensure that there is a proper process, done by proper installers—not a one-off lay fit.
It is also about retailers. If the idea is that many people can install this themselves, when they buy the equipment, they need to know that it is the right equipment. That is not the case now.
It is important to have a consistent campaign that works with all the stakeholders, such as the SFRS, local authorities, all the consumer groups that have been mentioned and the raft of support organisations. Even if the kit is relatively straightforward to fit, many people, such as those in tenements, people with disabilities and older people, will be unable to reach their ceilings, so they will need suppliers to install the equipment.
The requirement needs to be introduced properly; it cannot be done in a couple of months. If we all went out and tried to buy the stuff from the shops tomorrow, the supplies would not be available; there is also a supplier issue.
A strategy is needed. I welcome the fact that the minister will return to the committee regularly, but we need an implementation strategy, which is not just a publicity campaign. Much more needs to be thought through for the logistics. The change is important for everybody because it is about their property and their life. We must get this done for people and provide support.
There are lessons to learn. We are talking not about a one-off publicity campaign but about much more than that. People need more time than will be provided by resetting the dial by one year, so I think that two years are needed. The minister does not look happy at my comments, but I would prefer to ingrain that period now with a proper campaign. For a lot of people, the issues are the head space, the health concerns and the money. People might not have seen £200 as an obstacle a year ago, but a number of people have lost their jobs in the past year, and we have not got through the pandemic.
A lot more needs to be done. I would like a two-year implementation process, which would be more realistic and would help all those who are involved to make the arrangements work in practice, so that we are not back here next year to say that the work is not quite done.
We do not even know how many homes need to be done. How much equipment needs to be supplied? Is the industry geared up? Are installers geared up? An awful lot needs to be done, for which we need leadership and a strategy that can be rolled out. I do not see that happening in the next six months as we run into the election, and then we will be back to where we were last summer. I see the convener looking at me, so I will take the hint and wind up.