Chamber and committees

Our next question is from Foysol Choudhury, who is also joining us online.

I now move to questions from the deputy convener, Emma Roddick.

We have one final question from Jeremy Balfour. Please make it quick, Jeremy, as we have just under four minutes left.

That is great, thank you, Jeremy. If the witnesses could follow up by sending us that information, that would be fantastic.

I thank you all for appearing this morning. The committee will now move into private session. Can members who are joining us remotely please use the Microsoft Teams link in their calendars to join the meeting?

Absolutely. The concerns have been noted and, if the committee is happy to do so, we will hold off writing to the Government at this time and wait for a response from the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee.

Are we agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

Agenda item 3 is an evidence-taking session with VoiceAbility representatives on the organisation’s progress to date in providing independent advocacy under the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018.

I welcome to the meeting the chief executive Jonathan Senker, who is joining us remotely, and Susan Douglas-Scott, chair of trustees and Emily Johnston, operations manager, both of whom are in the room with us today. Thank you for accepting the committee’s invitation to give evidence.

Before we start, I want to make a few points about the format of the meeting, given that we are meeting in a hybrid format. First, I ask Jonathan Senker and any members attending remotely to please wait until I or the member asking the question say their name before they speak. It would also be helpful, Jonathan, if you could give our broadcasting colleagues a few seconds to turn your microphone on before you start to speak. If you wish to come in on a question, you can indicate as much by typing an R in the dialogue box in BlueJeans or simply by showing your hand.

To all our witnesses, I say this: please do not feel that you have to answer every single question. If you have nothing new to add, that is perfectly okay.

Finally, colleagues in the room should indicate to me or the clerk if they wish to ask a supplementary question. Committee members attending online should use the chat box or WhatsApp.

Before we move to questions, I believe that Mr Senker would like to make an opening statement. I am happy for you to do so now, Mr Senker.

In that case, I call Jeremy Balfour.

Sure.

Emily, would you like to come in?

We will now have questions from Pam Duncan-Glancy before we move on to our next theme.