Chamber and committees

Thank you for being so frank, Blair—I am sure that members really appreciate that.

The next item on the agenda is the committee’s work programme. I refer members to paper 6 and ask them to note the decisions that were made at our business planning day. If members have any comments, they should email the clerks directly.

That concludes the public part of the meeting. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 14 September, when we will continue to take evidence on the petition to end conversion therapy and hear from stakeholders representing the LGBTI community. We will also hear from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security, Housing and Local Government on the Scottish Government’s priorities in session 6.

Minister, you mentioned in your opening remarks Scottish Law Commission bills, two of which—on trusts and moveable transactions—are on our radar. Clearly there is an interface in that respect between this committee and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, but it would be good to hear your thoughts on timings in relation to those bills and whether there are any other bills to which we should be alerted.

As members have no further questions, I thank the minister and the cabinet secretary and their officials for their really helpful evidence. We will no doubt see the minister again, given that her portfolio covers a big chunk of the committee’s remit.

I suspend the meeting very briefly.

Thanks very much for coming. I will kick off the questions. What is the definition of conversion therapy that we should recognise? A lot of submissions to our consultation say that we need to be really clear about what we mean by conversion therapy.

I am sure that you will keep us up to date on any developments.

I have no relevant interests to declare.

I thank everyone for supporting my nomination to be convener and I look forward to working with all the members over the coming years. This is one of the most important committees in the Parliament. It has shown the benefits of devolution and, particularly during the previous parliamentary session in the difficult times of Covid, it showed the importance of engaging with the population. I was a member of the committee only towards the end of the previous session, but I think that Alexander Stewart was a member throughout it, so he is aware of the engagement that the committee undertook, which we should continue.

The committee’s remit has expanded, which is a good thing, although it means that we will have challenges in managing our time. I look forward to working with all the members in the years going forward.

Item 3 is the choosing of our deputy convener. The Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish Green Party are eligible for nomination as deputy convener. I understand that Maggie Chapman is the party’s nominee.

Maggie Chapman was chosen as deputy convener.

Congratulations, Maggie.