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Thanks again for all your contributions. This morning’s discussion has been really interesting. I hope that there is ambition to change a lot about adult disability payments so that disabled people have the support that they need to live an ordinary life. However, we have discussed a number of issues. Do you have a view on whether there are sufficient systems in place within the current social security system in Scotland to support continuous improvement, specifically given that Social Security Scotland’s approach is to have a minimum viable product? I pose that to Judith Paterson.

I would like to thank the witnesses again for their evidence. It is incredibly powerful to hear about the impact that some of the existing eligibility criteria for disability benefits has on the people whom you represent.

I will pick up Bill Scott’s point about the safe and secure transfer of benefits. I declare an interest as someone who gets personal independence payment. I, too, would, be concerned if I thought for one minute that, in the process of transferring benefits from one Government agency to another, the benefit stopped and I lost my Motability vehicle, for example. It is no wonder that disabled people have said that the safe and secure transfer of benefits is important. However, if they were told that it might require 10 years before any fundamental change to the criteria could be made, I agree with you that they would not have put that aspect first.

Before I move to my question, I will highlight one really important point. The First Minister put the impact of the PIP criteria very well when highlighting that people who get enhanced mobility support could lose up to £3,000 a year. She said:

“Important though the money is, let us remember that, for people in those circumstances, that loss could take away more than pounds and pence—it could take away their very independence.”—[Official Report, 13 August 2014; c 33391.]

I whole-heartedly agree with that, which is why we need to move on the issue.

My initial questions are probably for Keith Park, Bill Scott and Craig Smith. Can you give a rough figure for the number of people who, in the coming weeks, months and years, will be left without their independence as a result of the criteria continuing in its current form? Is there any reason why the Scottish Government could not start to review eligibility and adequacy now, so that, when the safe and secure transfer finishes in 2023—if, indeed, it does—we can more or less switch on the new system that same day?

I note that no children’s rights and wellbeing impact assessment was done on SSI 2021/420. I am keen to hear the reason for that. Perhaps the Government will address that at a future date.

In addition, given that the minimum age of criminal responsibility that will come into force this month is 12, it is interesting that the United Nations has said that 14 should be the minimum. I am keen to know why the Government has chosen a lower age.

My question is for Susie Fitton and for Satwat Rehman. How might the increase in unpaid work impact on Government plans for the no one left behind approach to employment, and on the aim of reducing by half the employment gap for disabled people?

I could have listened to you all day. Catriona, do you have any comments on the impact of unpaid care not only on the older people who rely on it but on those who provide it?

I thank the witnesses for joining us, and for the written evidence that they submitted in advance, which was incredibly helpful.

I have a couple of questions, initially for Susie Fitton and Catriona Melville. I am keen to understand a bit about the impact on disabled people of having to rely more on, as well as having to give, unpaid care. What is your assessment of last week’s budget? Does it go far enough to support unpaid carers and social care, given the additional pressures that are still present as a result of the pandemic?

Can you talk specifically about any barriers within social security?

I direct my question to Paul Bradley from the SCVO first.

My next question is for Kaja Czuchnicka. In your submission, you note that in order to achieve the volunteering for all strategy and to get to a fairer Scotland, a number of social security changes and other changes would need to happen. Can you tell us what those specific social security changes would need to be so that we can support and encourage volunteering?

My next question is for Ian Bruce. Could you tell us a little bit about the experience of your organisation in delivering for the people and organisations that you represent, specifically around the employment of people in your organisations? Have you seen any need across Glasgow for redundancies? Has that been an on-going concern in the past year and a half?