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Convener, is it okay if I ask a couple of supplementary questions?

No, unless David Donaldson or anyone else has anything to add. I think that Davie wants to comment. Sorry, Davie—I have been calling you David. That might be your Sunday name.

Good morning to the panel. Thank you for the information that you gave us in advance, which was very helpful, and thank you for your answers so far.

I have a couple of questions on risk and demand in the social security system. My first one is probably for Emma Congreve. In your submission, you note that the Scottish Government has a policy to increase take-up in benefits. Is it clear from the framework and other documents how it would increase uptake and what the costs and the implications would be?

That is helpful. Can I ask one more follow-up question, convener?

My questions are specifically about the child poverty targets. You have said that it is unclear from the medium-term financial strategy or any other document how the Government’s spending choices will enable it to make progress towards meeting those targets. Therefore, it would be helpful if you could set out whether you believe that the Government’s spending choices will enable the child poverty targets to be met, whether they will enable the targets for the specific priority groups to be met and what you expect the Government to do in the spending review in order to meet the child poverty targets.

First of all, I should correct the record. I said that we got our papers on Thursday, but we got them on Monday. Please forgive me—I was getting confused about which committee papers I was talking about.

I thank the minister for his answer, but I respectfully say to him that I do not think that this is a matter of transferring information from a USB stick. We have had since 2018 to get moving on this, which means that a considerable amount of time has passed. As I know the minister will understand, I understand that the process is complex, but we could have been uprating disability and carers benefits by 6 per cent today. However, we are not, and I just want to mark for the record how unfortunate it is that we have not been able to take that decision, because it means that we are still not delivering those benefits here in Scotland for the people of Scotland.

It will be short. Thanks; that is helpful.

It is noted that there is not much information about how the social security system can address demand, and in the context that you have just set out, prevention and the way it interacts with other services seems to be important. Can you briefly set out why it is important, what the implications are and what you would expect to see?

Has the minister considered any other ways or mechanisms to apply the equivalence of the 6 per cent uprate to disabled people in Scotland or carers who receive carers allowance in Scotland? Have you looked at any other mechanisms that could be used to get that money into people’s pockets?

Thank you for allowing me to ask a question, convener—I know that I said in advance that I might not have one. I have two questions, if that is okay.

Obviously, we face a considerable cost of living crisis right now, and I believe that the measures are well meaning and the right thing to do. To use a phrase that the IFS witness used earlier, the measures are well meaning but not well designed, given the way that you have done it. I worry slightly that the papers that the committee got last Thursday suggested that you were going to replicate the rates and in some areas were not going to uprate at all. What has changed between last Thursday and today to take you to the decision that you have made? I do not think that it is the wrong decision, but I am keen to know that we are taking decisions properly with robust information and in a considered fashion.

My next question is on the benefits that are still being delivered under agency agreement and that we are being asked to uprate today with CPI, which is 3.1 per cent. I guess that this is not so much a question and more of a statement, but I just want to put it on the record, because it is another frustration of mine. We could have been doing something a bit differently had we been delivering those benefits fully in Scotland. What you intend to do on 31 March in other areas shows what we could have been doing for disabled people and carers if we had not still been using agency agreements.

Probably to both witnesses, but I will not need a question later, if that helps for time.