Seòmar agus comataidhean

I bring in James Dornan, who joins us remotely. James, there is a slight shadow on your camera at the moment; is there any way that you can move your camera?

Okay. Do you want to just come in then?

I am sorry to interrupt, but I am going to bring in Roz McCall to ask a supplementary question.

Can I just clarify whether the cap is for one journey or multiple journeys?

Thank you very much. I thank all our witnesses for taking part and sharing their expertise today.

That concludes our public business for today. Next week, we will conclude our evidence taking for the inquiry with a session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise and the Minister for Higher and Further Education. After that session with the Scottish Government cabinet secretaries and ministers, we will hear from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice about other priorities relevant to the committee.

We now move into private to consider the remaining items on the agenda. Once again, I thank our witnesses.

The national transport strategy’s priorities are wide ranging and include tackling inequalities. To what extent is tackling poverty, including child poverty, a consideration in the specific policies in the latest delivery plan?

Perhaps I can bring in Paul, and then Mick and Paul—Paul White. I just realised that there are two Pauls. It is confusing.

Our next item of business is a decision on whether to take agenda items 5 and 6 in private. Are we agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

Our next agenda item is an evidence session as part of our inquiry into addressing child poverty through parental employment. Before the summer recess, we held a series of evidence sessions on childcare, education, employability and fair and family-friendly working. Today, we are going to focus on transport.

I welcome our panel to the meeting. Paul Finch is strategy manager at the regional transport partnership for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire—Nestrans—and vice chair for transportation on the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland. Mick Hogg is regional organiser at the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers—the RMT. Paul White is a director at the CPT—Confederation of Passenger Transport—Scotland. Thank you all for accepting our invitation.

I will make a few points about the format of the meeting. 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 have to answer every single question. If you have nothing new to add to what others have said, that is perfectly okay. Members who are online should allow our broadcasting colleagues a few seconds to turn on their microphone before they start to speak, please. They can indicate with an R in the chat box in Zoom that they wish to come in with a question. I ask everyone to keep their questions and answers as concise as possible.

I will invite members to ask questions in turn. I ask Roz McCall to ask the first question.

I wish you a very good morning, and welcome you to the 19th meeting of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee in 2023. We have received apologies from Katy Clark.

We have had a change in committee membership. I welcome to the committee Bob Doris, who replaces Gordon MacDonald, and Roz McCall, who replaces Miles Briggs. I thank Gordon and Miles for their valued contributions to the committee.

Our first item of business is to invite Bob Doris and Roz McCall to declare any relevant interests.

I will quickly bring in Katy Clark.