Chamber and committees

Oh, right.

However, you get the fact that a hotel room with, say, a double bed in it, will not necessarily have space for a crib and all the equipment that a newborn baby would require. It is a very vulnerable time for any mother, but especially for a mother who is fleeing from trauma and needs additional support services. What is the availability of the health and social care services that that mother and child will need?

Thank you for your answers. The evidence that I have heard—it is anecdotal and has been gathered through chats, but it is people’s lived experience, so it is entirely valid—is that, when there are tensions in the system and things are not working or go wrong, very vulnerable people have to rely on third-sector organisations or advocates to defend their case and fight their corner. You have given us a good outline of what you technically provide, and I am sure that you do provide that, but a common phrase that I have heard is, “Mears gets there in the end, but you have to fight for it.”

You are clearly very experienced at this—you run lots of outlets and do lots of things—so why are people still asking why you are not getting it right the first time? I am sure that that is what you want to do, so why is that not happening?

Thank you.

That concludes our formal business this morning, and I thank our witnesses for attending. We now move into private session to consider the remaining item on our agenda.

We seemed to lose you for a moment, Rachael. Do you want to repeat your last sentence?

Our next agenda item is a decision on whether to take in private agenda item 4, which is consideration of today’s evidence. Do we agree to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Good morning, and welcome to the 12th meeting in 2023 of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee in session 6. We have received apologies this morning from Karen Adam. I welcome Ben Macpherson, who is attending as Karen’s substitute.

Our first agenda item is an invitation to Ben Macpherson to declare any relevant interests.

Thank you for your understanding, Fulton.

I thank the witnesses for their evidence. You have provided some very valuable information and context. If my colleagues have further questions or want more information, we will put that in writing to you. I am sure that you will be more than happy to provide us with further evidence. I hope that that satisfies anybody who did not get to come in during the session.

We will suspend the meeting briefly to allow for a changeover of witnesses.

Are we okay to leave it there? I am conscious of the time.

Is it all right if we come back to you? I am just mindful of time. If we have time, we will absolutely come back to you.