Seòmar agus comataidhean

Good morning, and welcome to the 33rd meeting in 2024 of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee. We have not received any apologies.

Our first item of business is a decision on taking business in private. Do we agree to take agenda items 3 and 4 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

How have the changes that were made by the Parliament, such as the inclusion of interim targets, affected the Scottish Government’s approach?

Bob Doris joins us online. Over to you, Bob.

Sorry—it is not the end of our question session. Bob Doris has a question.

Can you be brief and concise with your question, please?

I thank everyone for joining us today. Next week, we will hear from the Scottish Government.

That concludes our public business. We will move into private session to consider the remaining items on our agenda.

Our next item of business is our second evidence session for our post-legislative scrutiny of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017. The committee has already done some scrutiny work on child poverty through its inquiries into the impact of the Scottish child payment and efforts to increase earnings from parental employment. This inquiry adds to that work by considering the impact of having a legislative framework in the act that underpins policies. Last week, we heard from a panel of witnesses who focused on the impact of the act on local policy and delivery.

Today, the committee will hear from representatives of national organisations, including those who called for the creation of statutory targets. I welcome our witnesses: Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Joseph Rowntree Foundation; Hannah Randolph, economics fellow, the Fraser of Allander Institute; John Dickie, director, Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, who is representing the End Child Poverty coalition; and Professor Stephen Sinclair, chair, Poverty and Inequality Commission. Thank you for joining us.

I will mention a few housekeeping points. Please wait until I or a member says your name before speaking and allow our broadcasting colleagues a few seconds to turn your microphone on before you start to speak. I ask everyone to keep questions and answers as concise as possible. Gordon MacDonald has the first question.

Briefly.

Good morning, and a warm welcome to the 32nd meeting in 2024 of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee. We have not received any apologies.

Our first item of business is a decision on taking business in private. Are we all agreed to take agenda items 3 and 4 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you. That is the end—

I invite Paul O’Kane to come in.