Chamber and committees

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

The Committee was established in June 2026. It focuses on:

social justice, including tackling poverty
the Scottish Government’s social security policies and the operation of Social Security Scotland
local government (including local government finance), local governance and community empowerment
housing and building standards (including cladding remediation)
homelessness and rough sleeping
tenants’ rights
third sector and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)
planning.

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Next meeting of the committee

Start time: 9:30am, Wednesday 18 November 2026

Location: Committee Room 5

Agenda:

Choice of Deputy Convener
Planning stakeholder roundtable – evidence
The Visitor Levy (Amendment of Returns and Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 – evidence
Visitor Levy (Amendment of Returns and Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 – motion recommending approval
Instrument subject to annulment
Planning stakeholder roundtable – consideration (in private)

Full agenda and other meeting papers

Dates for future meetings

The Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee usually meets on Wednesday.

Previous meetings of the committee

See all meetings of the committee

Work of the Committee

Work of the Committee: Current work

Pre-budget scrutiny 2027-28: Disability benefit spending

Work of the Committee: Future work

Strategic objectives

The Committee has agreed how it wants to approach its scrutiny and what it aims to achieve in Session 7.

Read the Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee's Session 7 strategic objectives

The Committee’s future work programme has been agreed and will include work on:

the Scottish Government’s benefit take up strategy
local government councillors code of conduct
local government reform
rent control area assessments
planning aspects of AI data centres
housing supply (including More Homes Scotland) and homelessness prevention
benefit appeals
child poverty

The Committee has also agreed to hold annual evidence sessions on the issue of child poverty, and annual evidence sessions with:

the Scottish Housing Regulator
Social Security Scotland
the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.

The Committee will also invite the Scottish Fiscal Commission to give evidence on social security spending forecasts and invite Audit Scotland to give evidence on its Housing Audit.

Work of the Committee: Correspondence

Correspondence

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

Delays in Social Security Appeals

12 November 2026

Letter from Convener to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing, 12 November 2026

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

Fiscal Framework Review 2028

12 November 2026

Letter from Convener to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, 12 November 2026

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

The Scottish Child Payment Amendment Regulations 2027

9 November 2026

Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing to the Convener, 9 November 2026

See all of this committee's correspondence

Work of the Committee: Official Reports of meetings

Official Reports of meetings

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Decision on Taking Business in Private, Local Government

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Interests, Decision on Taking Business in Private, Child Poverty, Subordinate Legislation

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Social Security

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2027-28

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Scottish Government Priorities

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Decision on Taking Business in Private, Scottish Government Priorities, Subordinate Legislation

Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Interests, Deputy Convener, Decision on Taking Business in Private

See all of this committee's Official Reports

Work of the Committee: Reports

Committee reports

The Visitor Levy (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 [draft]

1st Report, 2026 (Session 7)

Published: 14 September 2026

See all of this committee's reports

Work of the Committee: Committee Remit

To consider and report on matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing, and on matters relating to local government within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government