Seòmar agus comataidhean

I need to move on, but I have got the gist of your concerns.

What are the main pressure points for third sector organisations that support refugees and asylum seekers? You have both touched on that a bit, but could Graham O’Neill answer that question for me, please?

Thank you.

In explaining the decision to uprate benefits such as the best start foods payment and the best start grant this year, the Scottish Government told the Scottish Commission on Social Security that that will

“strengthen our collective action on child poverty”,

which I understand. If those benefits contribute to reducing child poverty, why do we not have a statutory requirement to uprate them?

Amendments 108 and 109 are probing amendments, and they follow on from other amendments that have been lodged and discussed. They are on concerns about separation and biological sex in secure accommodation. I have listened to the minister during the past couple of weeks, and I am not sure that there will be much more that she can add on these probing amendments. However, I will, again, put across a scenario, because I am concerned about safeguarding measures and I have concerns over adequate accommodation provision.

We could have a situation in which a biological male who was residing in secure accommodation because of a sexual assault was in the same secure accommodation as a biological female who needed to be removed from a harmful environment. I would appreciate it if the minister would elaborate on that and give more detail on the safeguarding measures to ensure that a scenario of that type will not happen. I will probably not press the amendments, but I would like to hear what the minister has to say.

I move amendment 108.

I will not spend a long time winding up. I thought that that was very interesting, and I will not press amendment 108.

Amendment 108, by agreement, withdrawn.

Amendment 109 not moved.

My questions are for the council representatives. I will start with Gavin Smith. As a Mid Scotland and Fife MSP, I am glad that you have highlighted the issues that we have in Fife and the rural area. Councils—especially those that do not own their own stock—rely on social landlords to rehouse homeless households. How are registered social landlords responding to the pressures on council homelessness services? Is there scope for improving joint working?

We have already heard from the other council representatives on this topic, but if Nicky Brown or Jim McBride has anything specific to add, it would be great to hear from them.

That is interesting. Thank you.

Jim, do you have anything to add?

Hello, everyone—it is nice to see you again. Thank you very much for the great visit the other week.

I will be blunt: why does it take longer to process child disability payments than it takes to process adult disability payments? It is a very simple question.

I hope that, as time progresses, we will get additional information.