Chamber and committees

I think Savan Qadir wants to come in quickly.

A few suggestions have been made already. This is an opportunity to bring any additional suggestions to us.

We are coming to the end of our evidence session. We have heard lots of important and very powerful testimony. I have one question to ask at the end and I will ask if anybody wishes to make a closing statement; you will have time to do that.

This is a big question, but I wonder whether you could answer it briefly. Feel free to do so in one word or a sentence. We have heard a lot about people slipping through the system and about the areas that are devolved to Scotland. Of course, the main thing is that immigration is not devolved; it is a reserved matter. I would be interested to hear—a yes or a no would be fine—whether you think that it would be better if immigration policy were to be devolved to Scotland.

Thank you for your responses. If you would like to make a closing statement or mention anything that you have not covered so far, you have an opportunity to do that now.

Thank you.

Thank you. Once again, I welcome everyone. It was interesting to hear the variety of issues that you have mentioned. I hope that my colleagues and I will be able to get further information and delve a bit deeper into those.

I will start. I have a special interest in this whole topic, but I would like to start on the issue of children. Last week, we heard evidence regarding the use of hotels. My colleagues will ask about that more widely, but I want to concentrate on the experience of children in particular. I would like an illustration of what it is like for a child of an asylum seeker. It would be good to hear, on the record, what that experience is like and about the effect on the child, the family, their mental health and their access to services. We have heard that a hotel is being used especially for housing unaccompanied children so, if you have more information on that, it would be important to hear it.

I will start off with Pinar Aksu and then bring in Nick Hobbs. I am sure that Selina Hales will have something to say. For anyone else on the panel, if something is not mentioned, feel free to alert me to that.

Thank you. You talked about the spaces. In my constituency, I have personal experience of there being no communal area where mothers can meet up with other mothers with children. How common is it that children do not have any areas where they can get together with other kids? I am, of course, referring to the right to play as well as the right to family time. Are there any remedies for that?

As long as it is very short, because I want to move on.

Hang on. I am conscious that I have taken up a lot of time so, if you do not mind, I will move on and bring in Maggie Chapman. You will get an opportunity to make the points that you want to make later.

Good morning, and welcome to the 10th meeting in 2023 of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee in session 6. We have no apologies this morning.

A new member is joining our committee today. I warmly welcome Paul O’Kane, who is replacing Pam Duncan-Glancy as our Labour member. I thank Pam for her valuable contribution to the committee’s work during this parliamentary session, and I am sure that all members will join me in wishing her all the best in her new role.

Our first agenda item is to decide whether to take in private agenda item 3, under which the committee will consider the evidence that it will hear today. Do members agree to take agenda item 3 in private?

Members indicated agreement.