Seòmar agus comataidhean

I want to touch quickly on a point that you mentioned earlier, when Roz McCall was asking questions in relation to the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work. The minister noted the importance of keeping on track and said that a formal request would be required if the agency agreement for IIDB were to be extended further. Do you have any additional information on that?

Thanks very much. I will bring in Bob Doris.

Okay. We move to agenda item 4, which is formal consideration of motion S6M-11172.

Motion moved,

That the Social Justice and Social Security Committee recommends that the Social Security Information-sharing (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2024 [draft] be approved.—[Shirley-Anne Somerville]

That was helpful and really interesting.

Good morning, and welcome to the 29th meeting in 2023 of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee. We have received no apologies for today’s meeting.

Our first item of business is a decision on whether to take agenda items 3, 4 and 5 in private. Are we agreed to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

Lucy Kenyon wants to come back in.

I thank our witnesses very much for taking part and sharing their expertise. I found it very interesting and helpful, as did all the members. We will continue to take evidence on the bill next week. Thank you once again.

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

Thanks very much. I now invite Marie McNair, who joins us online, to ask a question.

Our next agenda item is the second evidence session on the Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council Bill—the SEIAC bill for short. It is a member’s bill that was introduced by Mark Griffin MSP on 8 June 2023. It is currently at stage 1. The bill would create a Scottish employment injuries advisory council to advise Scottish ministers on employment injuries assistance. It is proposed that the council have three functions: to report on draft regulations for employment injuries assistance, replacing the Scottish Commission on Social Security’s role; to report to the Parliament and ministers on any matter that is relevant to employment injuries assistance; and to carry out, commission or support research into any matter that is relevant to employment injuries assistance.

I welcome our panel for today’s evidence session on the bill. Lucy Kenyon is a non-executive director and past president of the Association of Occupational Health and Wellbeing Professionals, and she joins us online. Professor Ewan Macdonald is chair of the academic forum for work and health, which is hosted by the Society of Occupational Medicine, and he joins us in the room. I thank you both very much for accepting our invitation.

Before we start, there are a few points to mention about the meeting’s format. Please wait until I say your name or the member who is asking the question says your name before speaking. Do not feel that you both have to answer every question. If you have nothing new to add to what has been said, that is okay. Please allow our broadcasting colleagues a few seconds to turn your microphone on before you start to speak. Lucy, as you are joining us online, you can indicate with an R in the chat box on Zoom if you wish to come in on any of the questions. I ask everyone to keep their questions and answers as concise as possible.

I will now invite members to ask questions in turn.

No, not yet. That is why we are taking evidence.