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Minutes: 14 March 2024
Thursday, 14 March 2024
8th Meeting, 2024
Minutes
1. Decisions on taking business in private:
The Committee agreed to take items 3, 4 and 5 in private and that its review of evidence heard, at future meetings, on the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill be taken in private.
2. Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill:
The Committee took evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—
Kirstie Henderson, Policy Officer (Scotland) and Claire Andrews, Legal Rights Officer, Legal Rights Service, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB);
Craig Smith, Senior Policy and Research Officer, Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH);
Allan Faulds, Senior Policy Officer, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE).
3. Consideration of evidence (In Private):
The Committee considered the evidence heard earlier in the meeting.
4. Work programme (In Private):
The Committee considered its work programme. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government regarding proposals to split Universal Credit payments and to write to Social Security Scotland regarding its use of face-to-face meetings. The Committee agreed to defer until later in the year a decision on whether to conduct an inquiry on violence against women and girls. It also asked the clerks to consider options for a mini-inquiry on the Scottish Child Payment and its effectiveness in tackling poverty.
5. Correspondence (In Private):
The Committee considered a letter from the Chair for the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, and agreed to accept the invitation to an informal meeting. The Committee also considered a letter from the Convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee and agreed the proposed approach and timescales for scrutiny of the national outcomes.