Seòmar agus comataidhean

Irene Audain, would you like to come in?

Thank you very much. I call Katy Clark.

I will bring in Gordon MacDonald again, and then we will move on to the next theme, with questions from Katy Clark.

Our next item of business is consideration of the Council Tax (Discounts) (Scotland) Amendment (No 2) Order 2023. The instrument makes amendments to the Council Tax (Discounts) (Scotland) Consolidation and Amendment Order 2003, to update the qualifying benefits that are listed in the order. Entitlement to one or more of those qualifying benefits is one condition that is used to determine whether a resident is disregarded for the purposes of a council tax discount. The order also clarifies how the changing entitlement to disregard—because of having an award of universal credit—is to be applied to the case of a person who is currently disregarded on the basis of universal credit.

The instrument Is laid under the negative procedure, which means that its provisions will come into force unless the Parliament agrees to a motion to annul it. No motion to annul the instrument has been lodged.

As members have no comments to make on the instrument, I?invite the committee to agree that it does not wish to make any recommendations in relation to the regulations. Do members agree to note the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Miles Briggs, do you have any further questions?

We move to theme 4, which is the childcare workforce. We have some questions from James Dornan, who is joining us online.

Miles Briggs has a supplementary question.

I will bring in Jonathan Broadbery. I remind everyone to try to be as concise and succinct as possible.

I am now going to bring in Marie McNair to move on to theme 5, which is on children who need additional support.

Before I bring Gordon MacDonald back in, I call Jeremy Balfour, who has a supplementary question.