Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you, convener. My other question is on inaccuracies that Social Work Scotland has highlighted. It has referred to inaccuracies in uprating, which means that the financial memorandum is out by £0.5 million.

What is your view on updating the estimates for inflation before a bid is made for budget in order to avoid the situation that arose with the Carers (Scotland) Bill in 2015, which missed eight years of inflation by 2023? Social Work Scotland has asked specifically for that. Are you prepared to commit to doing it?

What conversations have you had with the Information Commissioner about this?

I would certainly appreciate that.

How do they feel about moving some of the money from that system into other systems?

Thank you, convener. I appreciate the opportunity to go back a bit.

I welcome the minister to her new role. I will go back to some of the questions that my colleague Stephen Kerr asked about age. The financial memorandum notes that, in practice, the cut-off to access children’s hearings will be about 17 and a half years old, not 18 years old. Witnesses have argued that that cut-off appears to be “arbitrary” and is actually due to the lengthy waits, which Sheriff Mackie said have left children “lingering” in the system. That cut-off could also contravene the UNCRC, which you said is incredibly important here.

Is the delay in the system the real reason why 17 and a half has been mentioned? Is that cut-off justifiable on any grounds other than slow processing? How will the minister make the bill compatible with the UNCRC when it is brought back to Parliament, if that happens?

I appreciate that, but, in your answer, there were three cut-offs: 17 and a half, 18 and 19. Which one is it? The UNCRC says that the relevant date is the date on which the alleged offence, if we can call it that, happened, so surely that should be the relevant date.

Thank you. If it is okay, convener, I will move on to the next area.

Good morning and thank you, convener. I, too, am pleased to be a member of the committee and look forward to the work that we will do together.

I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests and declare that I have introduced a bill in the area of education—the Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill—which has come to the committee.

Yes, I have a final one on this theme. I also have a question on finance, but, as the convener has said, we will come to that later.

Further to that, Ben Farrugia, you note in Social Work Scotland’s submission that the bill does not fully understand the interface between guardianship and adult support and protection. What should the bill do in that space, and what in that regard should be understood and addressed in the bill?

Thank you, convener—I appreciate your using your discretion to do that. I will be brief.

My question is about the support that young disabled people who are in the system might need, which was mentioned earlier. Are you confident that secure accommodation will be able to provide additional support, for which you are seeing an increasing requirement?