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1. Decisions on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take items 4 and 5 in private.

2. Housing (Scotland) Bill:

The Convener and Jeremy Balfour informed the Committee of an engagement event they attended on lived experience, facilitated by Crisis.

The Committee then took evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—

Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Director of Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE), Heriot-Watt University;

Maeve McGoldrick, Head of Policy and Communications in Scotland, Crisis;

John Mills, Co-Chair and Head of Housing at Fife Council, Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO);

Annika Joy, Programme Director - Ending Destitution, Simon Community Scotland;

and then from—

Jules Oldham, Head of Policy, Scottish Women's Aid;

Gordon MacRae, Assistant Director (Communications & Advocacy), Shelter Scotland;

Maggie Brunjes, Chief Executive, Homeless Network Scotland.

3. Housing (Scotland) Bill (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence heard under item 2.

4. Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2025-26 (In Private):

The Committee considered a further approach to its pre-Budget scrutiny. The Committee agreed its call for views and that late submissions will be published as correspondence but excluded from the SPICe analysis of responses.

5. Correspondence (In Private):

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of this agenda item to its next meeting.