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Good morning. In your opening remarks, cabinet secretary, you touched on allowing funeral support payments to be paid outwith the UK. What circumstances might be considered exceptional in that respect?

That was much appreciated. Thank you.

That would be good.

Thanks.

Good morning. It is good to see you back at the committee. The committee has learned that the equality data improvement plan is progressing in a positive direction. What blockers, if any, have been experienced, and what are the emerging priorities for the next stage in the work plan?

I appreciate that. Have you fed into the development of the new national outcomes? What discussions have taken place there?

Thanks. Are there likely to be further delays, or do you not know that at this stage?

I will come in on the back of Paul O’Kane’s comments. Cabinet secretary, in September, you wrote to the UK Government because you were concerned about the amount of mitigation that you are providing. You say that you cannot continue to mitigate the effects of UK policies, but we have been told:

“Read my lips: no austerity under Labour.”

What response did you get to that letter?

Good morning. It is welcome that the First Minister wrote to councils to seek assistance in the drive to increase the take-up of pension credits. I am aware of the good work that has been done in that regard in my constituency and across Scotland. Will the cabinet secretary put on record her appreciation of the work that local authorities are doing to increase pension credit take-up?

I am sure that they appreciate that. Receipt of a council tax reduction can in some cases be a good indication that a pension credit claim should be made. Are you aware of examples of council tax reduction records being used to help to target pensioners who may be entitled to pension credit?