Seòmar agus comataidhean

Is that okay with you, Pam?

Welcome back, everybody. Under item 5, we will consider kinship care. This morning, we are taking evidence from the Minister for Children and Young People and discussing issues arising from our recent evidence sessions on kinship care. The committee heard evidence from stakeholder organisations on 24 February and had an informal session with kinship carers on 21 March.

I welcome to the meeting Clare Haughey, the Minister for Children and Young People. The minister is joined by Scottish Government officials from the improving lives for people with care experience unit, who are in the room with us: Gwen Davidson is unit head, and Louisa Brown is family care team leader.

I invite the minister to make an opening statement.

Thank you very much, minister.

Marie McNair joins us remotely. She will be followed by Emma Roddick, who joins us in the room.

I have one final question for you, minister. In our informal session with kinship carers, we heard that there is no provision for family leave for people who are in that situation and who can, indeed, find that their whole world is turned upside down overnight. That sort of thing depends very much on the good will of employers; we heard some good examples of where such provision has worked well and another example of there being no provision at all. Can the Scottish Government do anything to help with that and move things forward for those who find themselves in such situations?

Good morning, and welcome to the 12th meeting of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee in 2022. Our first item of business is a decision to take items 6 to 8 in private. Are we agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

Agenda item 2 is the draft Social Security (Up-rating) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2022. The draft regulations were laid on 16 March, replacing the draft that was laid on 28 January. At our meeting on 17 March, the minister told the committee that the original draft regulations had been withdrawn, following the Scottish Government’s decision to uprate some benefits by 6 per cent this year.

I welcome to the meeting Ben Macpherson, the Minister for Social Security and Local Government. The minister is joined remotely by Scottish Government officials. Simon Coote is the head of the cross-cutting policy unit, Camilo Arredondo is a solicitor and Dominic Mellan is an economic adviser for social security analysis. I invite the minister to make an opening statement.

Thank you, minister. Have you completed your questioning, Pam?

The next item of business is an evidence session on case transfer, with the Minister for Social Security and Local Government. The session will allow members to discuss arrangements for case transfer, from DWP to Social Security Scotland, of people who are on disability benefits. The minister is joined by Scottish Government officials. Kate Thomson-McDermott, who is unit head of carer benefits and case transfer policy, joins us in the committee room. David Hilber is the team leader in case transfer policy, Kayleigh Blair is a solicitor and Jane Goodier is senior lead for disability and carers benefits at Social Security Scotland, and they join us online.

I welcome you all to the meeting and invite the minister to make a short opening statement.

We move to questions from Emma Roddick, who joins us in the room, followed by Natalie Don, who will join us remotely.

Thank you, minister. We move to a question from Pam Duncan-Glancy, who joins us remotely.