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Item 5 on our agenda is budget scrutiny 2023-24. I refer members to paper 3. I welcome Christina McKelvie, the Minister for Equalities and Older People. The minister is accompanied by Rob Priestley, head of the mainstreaming and strategy unit in the Scottish Government directorate for equality, inclusion and human rights, and Ben Walsh, head of budget improvement at the Scottish exchequer. I invite the minister to make an opening statement, before we move to questions.

Superb. Thanks very much, including for that slightly wider introduction. We might have one or two questions on some of the wider matters. First, however, we want to focus on the budget.

One of the themes that came up in our early pre-budget meetings with stakeholders, and in the meeting yesterday, was the accessibility of the budget—for instance, EasyRead versions. Last week, in particular, we heard just how welcome the document “Your Scotland, Your Finances: 2022-23 Scottish Budget” was. However, there was a little concern that that document, which made the budget much more understandable and accessible to more people, was not available at the same time as the budget was launched. Will you comment on that? Maybe Rob Priestley will give us a flavour of the work that is going on to make sure that, at all times when such budget decisions are being made, accessibility is at the fore.

That is great.

It is languages week and my colleague Pam Gosal wants to probe a little further into that area.

Our next item of business is consideration of an affirmative instrument. I welcome Elena Whitham, the Minister for Community Safety, and her Scottish Government officials: Lisa Davidson, civil justice senior policy officer, and Martin Brown, solicitor in the legal directorate.

I refer members to paper 1 and invite the minister to speak to the draft instrument.

No other member has indicated that they wish to ask a question, so that brings us to the end of the session. I thank the minister and her officials for attending.

As there are no further questions or comments, we will move to item 3, which is the formal business relating to the regulations.

I invite the minister to move motion S6M-07224.

Motion moved,

That the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee recommends that the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Transfer of Functions of the Council Tax Reduction Review Panel) Regulations 2023 [draft] be approved.—[Elena Whitham]

Motion agreed to.

Under item 4, we will consider two negative SSIs. I refer members to paper 2.

As no members have any comments on the instruments, there will be no reporting on them.

I will suspend the meeting briefly to allow the Minister for Equalities and Older People and her officials to take their places at the table for item 5.

Maggie Chapman has some questions.

Thank you very much. It is always good to see the DPLR Committee doing its work so diligently. These are often very technical matters and it is good that the process works.

That is brilliant. Rob Priestley, do you want to add anything about the wider work that is going on?