 It has been an exciting year for the Scottish Parliament's Social Security Committee, scrutinising the Scottish Government's proposals for legislation in the area of child poverty and in the social security system. One of the biggest pieces of work for the Social Security Committee has been scrutiny of the Social Security Bill, one of the most significant pieces of legislation to come to the Scottish Parliament. This bill will see the devolution of £2.9 billion of welfare spending. It transfers powers for 11 benefits to Scottish Ministers and 1.4 million people living in Scotland will be affected. So between June and October in 2017, the committee sought the views of a wide range of people on the proposed legislation. We received 119 written submissions. They came from individuals, charities, councils, universities and advice services, volunteering networks and professional bodies. We heard from people with the experience of the existing social security system at workshops in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth. From the USA Group, people with disabilities and carers gave us valuable insight into their experiences of the current social security system. So, what did we conclude? In December 2017 we reported that the bill itself provides a framework for the new arrangements but that much of the important detail will follow in regulations. But we have ensured that there will be stronger arrangements for independent scrutiny of the regulations and the right to independent advocacy for people with a mental disorder who are claiming assistance. What else has the committee done? In April 2018 we questioned the UK Government's work in Pension Secretary, Esther McVeigh. We asked her about the working relationship between the UK and the Scottish Government in the shared social security space, the evidence about the structural difficulties with universal credit, split payments and the two-child limit on tax credits. We also completed our scrutiny of the Child Poverty Bill, which became law at the end of 2017. We strengthened the bill by requiring the Government to set interim targets for tackling child poverty and putting the Poverty and Inequality Commission on a statutory footing. So, it has been a busy year for the Social Security Committee. All of our meetings, in private and in public, have been informed by the experiences and expertise of the individuals who have taken the time to speak with us. None of our work would be possible without the engagement of the public, stakeholders and interested groups. And we thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Your views, experiences and opinions have been very valuable.