Meetings

9th Meeting, 2026

18 November 2026

1. Choice of Deputy Convener
2. Planning stakeholder roundtable – evidence
Show witnesses
• Ewan Anderson
  Director, 7N Architects
  Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
• Dr Caroline Brown
  Director
  Royal Town Planning Institute
• Hazel Johnson
  Director
  Built Environment Forum Scotland
• Paul Marcari
  Chief Officer
  Heads of Planning Scotland
• Clare Symonds
  Chief Officer
  Planning Democracy
3. The Visitor Levy (Amendment of Returns and Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 – evidence
Show witnesses
• Hannah Mary Goodlad
  Minister for Public Finance
  Scottish Government
• Fiona Campbell
  Visitor Levy and Cruise Ship Levy Team Leader
  Scottish Government
• Susan Robb
  Solicitor
  Scottish Government
4. Visitor Levy (Amendment of Returns and Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 – motion recommending approval
5. Instrument subject to annulment
6. Planning stakeholder roundtable – consideration (in private)

This is all meetings of Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee held in 2026. On meeting pages you can find agendas, meeting papers, minutes, and links to Official Reports and Scottish Parliament TV.

8th Meeting

11 November

1. Choice of Deputy Convener
2. Housing stakeholder roundtables – evidence
Show witnesses
• Paul Bradley
  Director of External Affairs
  Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
• Tony Cain
  Policy Manager
  Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers
• Anna Gardiner
  Senior Policy Adviser (Business and Property)
  Scottish Land and Estates
• David Raine
  Head of Policy Development
  Homes for Scotland
and then from:
• John Blackwood
  Chief Executive
  Scottish Association of Landlords
• Maeve McGoldrick
  Head of Policy and Communications
  Crisis Scotland
• Kate Polson
  Chief Executive
  Rock Trust
• Emma Saunders
  National Organiser
  Living Rent
3. Housing stakeholder roundtables – consideration (in private)

7th Meeting

04 November

1. Decision on taking business in private
2. Local government stakeholder roundtables – evidence
Show witnesses
• Mo Baines
  Chief Executive Officer
  Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)
• Jennifer Henderson
  Member
  Accounts Commission
• Pippa Milne
  Chair of SOLACE Scotland, and Argyll and Bute Chief Executive
  SOLACE Scotland
• John Mooney
  Regional Organiser
  UNISON
• Heather Yedigaroff
  Chief Operating Officer
  Local Government Information Unit (LGIU)
and then from:
• Elizabeth Docherty
  Director
  Scottish Community Alliance
• Justin Kenrick
  Chair
  Action Porty
• Councillor David Ross
  Leader of Fife Council
  Fife Council
• Pauline Smith
  Chief Executive
  Development Trusts Association Scotland
3. Local government stakeholder roundtable – consideration (in private)
4. Work programme (in private)
5. Pre-Budget scrutiny – letter

6th Meeting

28 October

1. Declaration of interests
2. Decision on taking business in private
3. Child poverty stakeholder roundtable – evidence
Show witnesses
• Chris Birt
  Associate Director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
  Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick
  Commissioner
  Poverty and Inequality Commission
• Peter Kelly
  Chief Executive Officer
  The Poverty Alliance
• Fiona King
  Head of Policy, Research and Influencing
  Save the Children
• Justina Murray
  Chief Executive
  Aberlour Children's Charity
• Satwat Rehman
  Chief Executive Officer
  One Parent Families Scotland
4. Subordinate legislation
5. Child poverty stakeholder roundtable – consideration (in private)
6. Pre-budget scrutiny – letter

5th Meeting

30 September

1. Social security stakeholder roundtable – evidence
Show witnesses
• Tressa Burke
  Chief Executive Officer
  Glasgow Disability Alliance
• Fiona Collie
  Head of Public Affairs and Communications, Scotland
  Carers Scotland
• Emma Jackson
  Assistant Director of Policy and Research
  Citizens Advice Scotland
• Kirsty McKechnie
  Early Warning System Project Manager
  Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland
• Dr Pauline Nolan
  Head of Participation and Policy
  Inclusion Scotland
• Paul Traynor
  Head of External Affairs (Scotland)
  Carers Trust
2. Social security stakeholder roundtable – consideration (in private)

4th Meeting

23 September

1. Pre-Budget scrutiny – evidence
Show witnesses
• Michael Davidson
  Head of Social Security and Devolved Taxes
  Scottish Fiscal Commission
• Hannah Randolph
  Economic and Policy Analyst
  Fraser of Allander Institute
• Dr Eleanor Ryan
  Commissioner
  Scottish Fiscal Commission
and then from:
• Edel Harris OBE
  Independent Chair, Review of Adult Disability Payment
• Chirsty McFadyen
  Knowledge Exchange Fellow
  Scottish Health Equity Research Unit
• Craig Smith
  Public Affairs and Policy Manager
  Scottish Association of Mental Health
2. Pre-Budget scrutiny – consideration (in private)

3rd Meeting

16 September

1. Scottish Government priorities
Show witnesses
• Shirley-Anne Somerville
  Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing
  Scottish Government
• Julie Humphreys
  Director, Tackling Child Poverty
  Scottish Government
• Steve Lea-Ross
  Director, Building Safety and Standards
  Scottish Government
• Annabel Turpie
  Director for Housing
  Scottish Government
• David Wallace
  Chief Executive, Social Security Scotland
  Scottish Government
2. Scottish Government priorities
Show witnesses
• Ivan McKee
  Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform
  Scottish Government
• Ellen Leaver
  Acting Director - Local Government and Communities.
  Scottish Government
• Ruth Meyer
  Head of Public Service Reform Strategy and Governance Unit
  Scottish Government
3. Evidence session (in private)

2nd Meeting

09 September

1. Decision on taking business in private
2. Scottish Government Priorities
Show witnesses
• Jenny Gilruth
  Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
  Scottish Government
• Hannah Mary Goodlad
  Minister for Public Finance
  Scottish Government
• Andy Kinnaird
  Head of Transforming Planning
  Scottish Government
• Catriona MacKean
  Deputy Director for Local Government
  Scottish Government
• Ian Storrie
  Head of Local Government Finance
  Scottish Government
3. Subordinate legislation
Show witnesses
• Hannah Mary Goodlad
  Minister for Public Finance
  Scottish Government
• Fiona Campbell
  Visitor Levy and Cruise Ship Levy Team Leader
  Scottish Government
• Susan Robb
  Solicitor
  Scottish Government
4. Subordinate legislation
5. Consideration of Evidence
6. Work programme (in private)

1st Meeting

24 June

1. Declaration of interests
2. Choice of Deputy Convener
3. Decision on taking business in private
4. Work programme