Minutes: 01 October 2026

1. Decisions on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take items 3, 4 and 5 in private.

2. Pre-budget scrutiny 2027-28: Women's poverty – evidence:

The Committee took evidence, in a roundtable format, from—

Anna Ritchie Allan, Executive Director, Close the Gap;

Chloe Campbell, Policy and Parliamentary Officer, The Poverty Alliance;

Charis Chittick, Head of Policy, Strategy and Communication, One Parent Families Scotland;

Sara Cowan, Director, Scottish Women's Budget Group;

John Dickie, Director, Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland;

Susan McKellar, Manager, The Scottish Women’s Convention.

Holly Bruce declared an interest as a serving councillor on Glasgow City Council.

3. Pre-budget scrutiny 2027-28: Women's poverty – review of evidence (in private):

The Committee reviewed the evidence heard under agenda item 2. The Committee agreed to write to the UK Government on issues relating to reserved policy areas.

4. Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice – review of evidence (in private):

The Committee reviewed the evidence heard under agenda item 2 at its meeting on 24 September 2026.

5. Work programme (in private):

The Committee considered its work programme and agreed to:

hold an evidence session with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Legal Aid Board on their preparation for legal aid reform and current challenges in the legal aid system; 

hold an evidence session on the use of artificial intelligence in the civil justice system; 

make a bid for a People’s Panel on legal aid reform and support a bid for a People’s Panel on child poverty; 

hold evidence sessions on the implementation of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's revised Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions, and Associations;

write to the Scottish Government on its response to the conclusions of the report “Twentieth century policies affecting Gypsy/Traveller communities in Scotland: archival research”; 

hold an evidence session on the forthcoming report by the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on economic, social and cultural rights in the South of Scotland; 

invite the Scottish Government to give evidence on progress towards ending the institutionalisation of people with learning disabilities and/or who are autistic; 

hold annual evidence sessions with the SHRC on its State of the Nation reports; 

hold evidence sessions as part of pre-legislative scrutiny of the proposed human rights bill; 

write to the Scottish Government for an update on commencement of provisions in the Female Genital Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) (Scotland) Act 2020, the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 and the Domestic Abuse Protection (Scotland) Act 2021; 

undertake an inquiry into community cohesion; and 

undertake an inquiry into violence against women and girls.