Seòmar agus comataidhean

Evelyn Tweed has questions on the financial memorandum.

There are a couple of brief supplementary questions on points that you raised earlier, minister. Stephanie Callaghan has a question about self-directed support.

I thank the minister and the other panel members for their contributions. We will have a brief suspension to allow the officials to change over.

Thank you very much, minister.

As no other member has a question, I will ask a small question. The minister might well want to write to the committee on this issue if she is not able to address it directly today.

Ahead of the session, the committee received submissions from the Law Society of Scotland, the Faculty of Advocates and the Office of the Public Guardian in Scotland. The Law Society of Scotland raised one issue relating to the recognition of Scottish powers of attorney in England and Wales, which is causing practical difficulties and is the source of “frequent complaints”, which the Law Society of Scotland advises the committee the UK bill will not resolve. Are there any plans for the Scottish Government to consider that issue? If so, what would the timescale be?

Agenda item 2 is an evidence session with the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport on the timetable for stage 1 scrutiny of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill. I welcome to the meeting the minister, Maree Todd and, from the Scottish Government, Donna Bell, who is director of social care and national care service development, and Anna Kynaston, who is deputy director for the national care service.

I invite the minister to make a brief opening statement.

Good morning, and welcome to the 16th meeting in 2023 of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I have received no apologies.

Agenda item 1 is to decide whether to take agenda items 5 and 6 in private. Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

Before we move on to the next theme, minister, I have a question about your invitation to committee members to participate in the events that you are looking at organising. Do you foresee any conflicts of interests in committee members being participants in those events, given that we will be scrutinising the bill at stage 1?

Thank you, minister. I am going to move on to the position regarding the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the unions and the other key stakeholders. We have touched on that a little bit already. I will go to Tess White first.

I will bring in Gillian Mackay next.

We move on to the next theme that the committee wishes to explore: local and national responsibility and accountability.