Chamber and committees

Shall we start with Catriona?

I will move on to Alexander Stewart.

Thank you.

As there are no further comments, and given those points, which are on the record, are members agreed that we will not make any formal comments to the Parliament on the instruments? No member has objected, so we are agreed.

That concludes our consideration of the SSIs.

Thank you—we move to Alexander Stewart.

Item 2 is consideration of two negative Scottish statutory instruments. I refer members to paper 1. Do members have any comments on either instrument?

The next item is to continue taking evidence for our inquiry into women’s unfair responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work. I welcome Satwat Rehman, chief executive officer, One Parent Families Scotland; Susie Fitton, policy officer, Inclusion Scotland; Catriona Melville, policy engagement and campaigns officer, Age Scotland; Margaret Lance, BEMIS and ethnic minority national resilience network; and Dr Patrycja Kupiec, chief executive officer, YWCA Scotland.

I refer members to papers 2 and 3. As we have a number of witnesses, I ask members to indicate which witnesses they are directing their discussion points to, and we can then open the floor to other witnesses for comment. If witnesses wish to respond to a question, please indicate that by typing R in the chat function—I will bring them in if time permits.

This is intended to be a discussion, so please do not feel that is a question-and-answer session; we are keen to hear discussion points from our witnesses, too. However, if any witnesses want simply to concur with what somebody else has said, it is not necessary to come in at that point; there will points when they will be brought in and they can make the point then. Members can also use the chat function on BlueJeans if they wish to intervene.

Since we have a lot of witnesses and members, you may not be able to see yourself on screen as the BlueJeans platform shows only nine people at any given time. The clerks will advise us if anyone loses their connection.

At the end of the session, if any witnesses have outstanding points that they wish to address, please follow up in writing and the committee will take that evidence into account.

I ask each witness to make a short opening statement, starting with Satwat Rehman.

Thank you for that. Those points are on the record.

Are there any further comments from members on the orders?

Who do you want to hear from, Fulton?

Do you want to go first, Satwat?

Item 2 is to take evidence from our panel of witnesses on women’s unfair responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work. I am pleased to welcome Ruth Boyle, policy and parliamentary manager, Close the Gap—Ruth joins us remotely; Eilidh Dickson, policy and parliamentary manager, Engender; and Professor Norin Arshed, chair in entrepreneurship and innovation, school of business, University of Dundee. I invite each to make a short opening statement.