Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you very much.

I know that most of the witnesses listened to the earlier panel, so they might have heard me ask Sarah Latto this question. Does anyone have a view on whether it is sensible or necessary to have the same disqualification criteria here as there are in the rest of the UK?

Tapadh leat.

Mòran taing, Natalie—agus taing dhan a h-uile neach finais a tha a‘ gabhail pàirt san t-seisean an-diugh. Tha mi a-nis a’ toirt cuireadh do Bhòrd na Gàidhlig ro-ràdh goirid a thoirt seachad mus tòisich sinn.

Finally on that theme, I would like to go to Shona NicIllinein, because I am keen to pick up on geographical issues. I do not simply mean issues relating to distances and topography; I mean cultural issues, as well. Does Shona NicIllinein have any insights on the impact of the disqualifying criteria in Gaelic and rural and island organisations—on people who have multiple roles and who are relied on in many different roles?

It is also important to ensure that lived experience is in the mix. We talked about that earlier. Will that be made harder with the proposed criteria in respect of having people who maybe have Gaelic and relevant experience for the charities that they want to help?

Good morning, minister and officials. As the minister has mentioned, uprating has been extended beyond the benefits where uprating had to happen. We have forecasts from the Scottish Fiscal Commission that £776 million more will be spent on social security than what is received through the block grant. Will the minister expand on any developments on those figures as well as the challenges of deviating from DWP spending and how the decision was made to go above that?

I want to ask about the cost of living crisis and the fact that we have a 10.1 per cent increase in the CPI, which is significant. Of course, the context is the economic mismanagement—it is difficult to describe it as anything other than that—that has led us to that level of inflation. Is that figure higher than was expected or initially planned for?

That is helpful. I have just one more question.

Thinking about the difference between the block grant and what is being spent, should there be increased funding from the UK Government, particularly given the cost of living crisis and rate of inflation? Also, should the Scottish Government budget be inflation-proofed?

Thank you. The Scottish child payment has increased by 150 per cent in the last eight months and is now five times more than campaigners originally called for in the give me 5 campaign. On the increase of £25, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said:

“The full rollout of the Scottish Child Payment is a watershed moment for tackling poverty in Scotland, and the rest of the UK should take notice.”

Do you agree with that?

That payment, of course, does not exist elsewhere in the UK, so I would like, finally, to ask you the question that the Child Poverty Action Group posed: is it not the case that, if the Scottish Government can make that kind of serious investment in protecting children from poverty, so too can the UK Government?