 Good morning, and I'd like to welcome everyone to this, the eighth meeting of the Standards Procedure and Public Appointments Committee in 2022. I would like to remind those members who are joining us virtually to place an R in the chat function of blue jeans if they would like to come in on any issues. Agender item one today is for the committee to agree to take agenda item four in private. This item is for the committee to consider some correspondence. Are members in agreement to do that? Excellent. Rydw i'r berthynas cyfnodau yn y dyfodol o'r'r cymunith, llawer o gwybod eu blaeniau a gyfnoddau cyrragedd yn y cylywyr y Prifwyr Cymru sy'n habywch, ac rydw i ni'n bwysig i fynd hyfforddiol i fawr i'r sjiganau Cymru. Paul yw y cyfnoddut y rynllun canynoddau cysylltu i fynd i gyfnoddau cylliddon i jechyd i gilydd. Rydw i'n bwysig i'w ddweud y cyfnoddau cyfnoddau ar gyfer yłem cross-party gynllun cymryd? I thank you, convener, and good morning to colleagues in committee. I'm very pleased to hear this morning and to share with you the intentions of the cross-party group on care leavers. Essentially, the establishment of this group, convener, was around a sense that there wasn't a dedicated focus for care leavers within the Parliament. We obviously have a number of cross-party groups that I think cater in terms of the children who are currently looked after and, indeed, other cross-party groups that cross-cut around social work and other issues. However, I think that there was a sense that young people who are leaving the care system and young people who have dedicated experiences of being in the care system did not have a voice within the cross-party group system. Essentially, within the summary of the papers, the purpose of the group is to inform MSPs of the many social, emotional, wellbeing and financial challenges that care leavers face via the form of the CPD, which will seek to share information and knowledge about the experiences of care leavers and those who support them. We will work in collaboration across the other cross-party groups that I have mentioned, particularly a strong relationship with the cross-party group on social work. We intend to have a wide membership that is drawn from young people with lived experience and, indeed, adults who have also went through the care system. Essentially, we will seek to express their views, opinions and ideas to both Government and Parliament and to share their vision for what Scotland can be. A core part of that is the work that we are all committed to on the promise. There is a sense that the cross-party group would want to contribute to the progress of the promise and the scrutiny of the promise and ensure that we as decision makers and wider civic society in Scotland keep the promise that we made to care experienced young people and those who live in care across Scotland. There will be a number of other related issues that we will discuss, but in summary, this is about putting on the map and ensuring that a very underrepresented group is often represented in our Parliament. Thank you, convener. Thank you, Paul. I know that one of the organisations that is signed up to the CPG is staff, and it was lovely to see them displaying in the garden lobby and meeting with MSPs to discuss that. Do any committee members have any specific questions on this matter? Were you surprised, Paul, that this was the first time that Care Levers group was being proposed? Did it come as a surprise? It did, convener. I must say that, given the remarks that I have just made about the importance to all of the promise and the degree in which the profile of people who have care experience and the care system has generally been at the forefront in the past few years, I was quite surprised, but it is definitely of its time that it will provide a strong forum for us as decision makers to continue to scrutinise that journey and support the voices of care experience on people. I would also just like to thank you, convener, for reminding colleagues that staff are in Parliament this week, and our stall continues today, and indeed we have an event this evening, so I'll just abuse my position slightly to plug that event if colleagues are around at half-five this evening. That was not in any way set up. Thank you for attending, Paul. The committee will consider whether or not to approve the application for recognition at agenda item 3, and the clerks will inform you of due course of the committee's decision. I thank you for attending today. Agenda item 3 is indeed to decide whether or not we wish to afford credit to the proposed cross-party group on care leavers. Do any committee members have any comments, questions or views on that? I'll come to Bob first, then you collect. Just a very brief comment. I nearly asked a question to Mr Cain, but I didn't think that it was required by me to put on the record that I think that this cross-party group could be of a good service to the committees of the Parliament as well, because I also sit on the Education Committee and the promise is clearly something. The Education Committee is clearly going to have a scrutiny role in relation to delivery of it. We won't always find the time to give that as much time as we'd like to, so I think that the work of the cross-party group will certainly complement the work of the main committees of the Parliament. I think that we've all got that responsibility to make sure that we deliver on the promise. In that context, I think that it's very welcome that this cross-party group is going to hopefully be established in the Parliament. I think that you're making an interesting comment, Bob, because this committee has heard on a number of different matters the challenge of hearing evidence, particularly from experienced lived witnesses, and maybe it would be an opportunity not just if this proposed CPG goes forward, but to look at some of the resources that sat in some of our CPGs when we're looking for evidence across committees. Collette, can I invite you to come in? Yeah, I just want to put on the record that I am actually a member of that CPG based on where it gets accepted. My background in the past, prior to being elected, was working for a care experience charity who had three care homes throughout Scotland. It's something that's really, really close to my heart. It's so welcoming to see this and to be able to be a voice for these young people. I've seen first-hand the challenges that they've faced. One of the things that stood out for me, and it's something that I would like to see going forward, is that within any care home setting, although the local authority is the corporate parent there, there's no potential will for any of the care staff to make sure that the young people are going to school and getting a proper education for, say, it's not incumbent on them. The other thing that stood out for me as well was the fact that they were very reluctant to register to vote, which I found quite concerning as well, because they felt that Big Brother was watching them and that the police would be on to them for various different things. So it's something that I'm really passionate about and something keen to take forward and bust any myths and association with that. I like your comment on busting any myths and the record notes your potential interest in this CPG. Are members agreed, therefore, to accord recognition to this proposed cross-party group on care leavers? We're all agreed with that, thank you. I'm now going to close the public part of this meeting and the committee will move into private.