Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the Welfare Reform Committee’s 14th meeting in 2015. Everyone should ensure that their mobile phones and other electronic devices are switched to airplane mode, please, as they can interfere with the broadcasting system.
We welcome Hugh Henry, Neil Findlay and John Lamont, who are new members of the committee. Hugh Henry and Neil Findlay are replacing their Labour colleagues Michael McMahon and Margaret McDougall, and John Lamont is taking the place of his Conservative colleague Annabel Goldie.
I take the opportunity to thank Michael McMahon, Margaret McDougall and Annabel Goldie for all their great work on the committee. This is a new parliamentary committee, and I congratulate in particular Michael McMahon on his convening of it. I think that we all agree that all those committee members contributed greatly to the work over the past years.
We have apologies from Joan McAlpine. I welcome Kenneth Gibson, who is a committee substitute.
Under agenda item 1, I invite declarations of interest from committee members who are new or attending for the first time.
I have nothing to declare.
I declare that I chair the Public and Commercial Services Union parliamentary group. PCS staff are often involved in benefits administration.
I have nothing to declare.
Thank you.
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