Minutes: 13 May 2025

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

13th Meeting, 2025

Start time:08:33am

End time: 12:35pm

Location: TG.40-CR1 The Burns Room

Published: Thursday, 15 May 2025

Also Present:

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice), Maggie Chapman, Katy Clark, Rachael Hamilton, Daniel Johnson, Ben Macpherson, Carol Mochan, Willie Rennie, Graham Simpson

Minutes

1. Declaration of interests:

Lorna Slater was invited to declare any interests relevant to the remit of the committee. She stated she had no such interests to declare, but indicated that she is a member of Unite the Union and previously worked for Orbital Marine Power Ltd.

2. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take item 4 in private.

3. Housing (Scotland) Bill:

The Committee considered the Bill at Stage 2 (Day 2).

The following amendments were agreed to (without division): 282, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 107, 300 and 303.

The following amendments were agreed to (by division)—

281 (For 6, Against 1, Abstentions 0)

147 (For 4, Against 3, Abstentions 0)

283 (For 4, Against 3, Abstentions 0)

207 (For 4, Against 3, Abstentions 0)

284 (For 5, Against 2, Abstentions 0)

285 For 5, Against 2, Abstentions 0)

294 (For 6, Against 1, Abstentions 0)

295 (For 6, Against 1, Abstentions 0)

296 (For 5, Against 2, Abstentions 0)

297 (For 5, Against 2, Abstentions 0)

298 (For 5, Against 2, Abstentions 0)

299 (For 6, Against 1, Abstentions 0)

301 (For 6, Against 1, Abstentions 0)

302 (For 6, Against 1, Abstentions 0).

The following amendments were disagreed to (by division)—

148 (For 1, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

149 (For 1, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

98 (For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

99 (For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

289A (For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

100 (For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

290A (For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

293A (For 1, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

101 (For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

150 (For 3, Against 4, Abstentions 0)

152 (For 3, Against 4, Abstentions 0)

106 (For 3, Against 4, Abstentions 0)

108 (For 3, Against 4, Abstentions 0).

Amendment 102 was moved and, no member having objected, withdrawn.

The following amendments were pre-empted: 54, 412, 94, 95, 96, 97, 55, 3, 448, 4 and 5.

The following amendments were not moved: 208, 209, 210, 103, 104, 105, 134, 151, 211, 411, 212, 566, 416, 56 and 57.

The following provisions were agreed to as amended: sections 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14.

The Committee ended consideration of the Bill for the day amendment 5 having been disposed of.

4. Scottish Public Services Ombudsman - Statement of Principles for Complaints Handling Procedures (In private):

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of its approach to consideration of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman draft revised Statement of Principles for Complaints Handling Procedures (SPSO 2025/01) to its next meeting.