Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Alison Taylor, Interim Director for Learning, Stella Smith, Head of Supporting Learners Policy Unit, and Robert Eckhart, Supporting Learners Policy Team Leader, Scottish Government.

Nico McKenzie-Juetten, Head of School Education Branch, Scottish Government Legal Directorate.

2. University of Dundee: The Committee will take evidence from—

Professor Nigel Seaton, Interim Principal and Vice-Chancellor and Lee Hamill, Interim Finance Director, University of Dundee.

3. Evidence Session: (In Private) The Committee will consider the evidence it heard earlier under agenda items 1 and 2.

For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, Pauline McIntyre on 85252 or at [email protected]

The committee will meet at 9:00am at T4.40-CR2 The Fairfax Somerville Room and will be broadcast on www.scottishparliament.tv.

1. Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—

Dr Josh Doble, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Community Land Scotland.

Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets, Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Phil Knott, Scotland Chair, Nature Friendly Farming Network.

James MacKessack-Leitch, Policy and Practice Lead, Scottish Land Commission.

Jackie McCreery, Legal Adviser, Scottish Land and Estates.

Rhianna Montgomery, Rural Business Policy Manager, National Farmers Union Scotland.

Anne Murray, Chief Officer, Economic and Community Regeneration, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

Donna Smith, Chief Executive, Scottish Crofting Federation.

2. Subordinate legislation:

The Committee will consider the following negative instrument—

Rural Support (Simplification and Improvement) (Data Publication) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 (SSI 2025/274)

3. Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill: (In Private) The Committee will consider the evidence heard earlier in the meeting.

4. Work programme: (In Private) The Committee will consider its work programme.

For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, Emma Johnston on 85225 or at [email protected]

The committee will meet at 9:30am at T1.40-CR5 The Smith Room and will be broadcast on www.scottishparliament.tv.

1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 5 in private.

2. Emergency cardiac care thematic evidence session: The Committee will take evidence on thematic emergency cardiac care issues in Scotland that have been raised in multiple petitions. The Committee will take evidence from—

Kym Kestell, Policy and Public Affairs Officer, British Heart Foundation Scotland.

Kirsty Morrison, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.

Steven Short, Programme Lead, Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Scottish Ambulance Service.

3. Consideration of continued petitions:

The Committee will consider the following continued petitions—

PE1953: Review Education Support staff roles;

PE1999: Fully implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

PE2006: Review and simplify the legislation in relation to dismissal of property factors;

PE2033: Introduce a full ban on disposable vapes;

PE2073: Ensure accurate information is used when issuing court summons;

PE2084: Allow alkaline hydrolysis; and

PE2131: Grant Scottish rivers, including the River Clyde, the legal right to personhood.

4. Consideration of new petitions:

The Committee will consider the following new petitions—

PE2172: Allow late proposals to alter the Council Tax Valuation Band in exceptional circumstances;

PE2175: Immediate ban on the sale and use of Disposable (Instant) Barbeques in Scotland;

PE2176: Introduce penalties for failing to comply with Mental Welfare Commission recommendations related to duty of candour; and

PE2177: Support and fund mobility services.

5. Consideration of evidence: The Committee will consider the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 2.

For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, Jyoti Chandola on 85227 or at [email protected]

The committee will meet at 9:30am at T4.60-CR6 The Livingstone Room and will be broadcast on www.scottishparliament.tv.

1. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will take evidence on the Early Release of Prisoners (Scotland) Regulations 2025 [draft] and the Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Amendment Rules 2025 (SSI 2025/277) from—

Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Fiona Thom, Head of Parole, Release and Reintegration, and Ruth Swanson, Solicitor, Legal Directorate, Scottish Government.

Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive, Scottish Prison Service.

2. Subordinate legislation:

Angela Constance (Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs) to move—

S6M-19222—That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the Early Release of Prisoners (Scotland) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.

3. Subordinate legislation:

The Committee will consider the following negative instrument—

Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Amendment Rules 2025 (SSI 2025/277)

4. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will take evidence on the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber (Police Appeals) (Procedure) Regulations 2025 [draft], the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber Police Appeals and Upper Tribunal for Scotland (Composition) Regulations 2025 [draft] and the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Transfer of Functions and Members of the Police Appeals Tribunal) Regulations 2025 from—

Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Alasdair Thomson, Senior Tribunals Policy Officer, and Emma Thomson, Solicitor, Legal Directorate, Scottish Government.

5. Subordinate legislation:

Angela Constance (Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs) to move—

S6M-18945—That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber (Police Appeals) (Procedure) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.

S6M-18946—That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber Police Appeals and Upper Tribunal for Scotland (Composition) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.

S6M-19179—That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Transfer of Functions and Members of the Police Appeals Tribunal) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.

6. Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—

Dr Niina Vuolajärvi, Assistant Professor in International Migration, London School of Economics.

Ruth Breslin, Director, Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy Institute, Republic of Ireland.

Dr Larissa Sandy, Associate Professor of Criminology, University of Nottingham.

Professor Jo Phoenix, Professor of Criminology, University of Reading.

7. Evidence Session: (In Private) The Committee will consider the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 6.

8. Inquiry into the harm caused by substance misuse in Scottish Prisons: (In Private) The Committee will consider a draft report.

For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, Stephen Imrie on 85931 or at [email protected]

The committee will meet at 9:30am at TG.60-CR3 The Fleming Room and will be broadcast on www.scottishparliament.tv.

1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take agenda items 3, 4 and 5 in private.

2. Flooding in communities: Moving towards flood resilience: The Committee will take evidence from—

Roy Brannen, Director-General Net Zero, Diarmund Ó Néill, Interim Director for Environment and Forestry, Anne Aitken, Deputy Director for Environmental Quality and Resilience, and Michelagh O'Neill, Flooding Team Leader, Scottish Government.

Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive Officer and Alex Flucker, Chief Operating Officer, Data, Evidence, and Innovation, Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Gareth Dixon, Policy Manager, Local Government Finance and Mark Boyd, Head of Finance, North Ayrshire Council, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

Will Burnish, Senior Engineer, Moray Council and Lead Local Authority Forum for Flooding, Scottish Collaboration of Transport Specialists (Flooding).

3. Flooding in communities: Moving towards flood resilience: The Committee will consider the evidence heard at agenda item 2 and take further evidence from—

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland.

Cornilius Chikwama, Audit Director, Audit Scotland.

4. Flooding in communities: Moving towards flood resilience: The Committee will consider the evidence it heard at agenda items 2 and 3 and agree any further action it wishes to take.

5. Work programme: The Committee will consider its work programme.

For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, Katrina Venters at [email protected]

The committee will meet at 10:00am at T1.60-CR4 The Clerk Maxwell Room and will be broadcast on www.scottishparliament.tv.

1. Declaration of interests: Sarah Boyack will be invited to declare any relevant interests.

2. Decisions on taking business in private:

The Committee will decide whether to take items 4 and 5 in private, and whether consideration of its work programme should be taken in private at future meetings.

3. Consumer Scotland: The Committee will take evidence from—

David Wilson, Chair, Sam Ghibaldan, Chief Executive, and Sue Bomphray, Director of Operations and Partnerships, Consumer Scotland.

4. Evidence Session: The Committee will consider the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 3.

5. Work programme: The Committee will consider its work programme.

For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, Anne Peat on 85182 or at [email protected]

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Wednesday 29 October 2025

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