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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 17 June 2025
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Displaying 2022 contributions

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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Meeting date: 27 May 2025

Bob Doris

Okay. I will not ask any more questions. I am minded to think that it would be easier if all the commencement powers were in the hands of the Scottish Government, but it would be helpful if the Cabinet Secretary for Transport could inform the committee whether any work has already been done in relation to what the new fees regime might look like and what the timescale might be, to see whether the possibility exists of there being a mismatch between a repeal of the existing regime and the new system coming into place.

Nick, do you have anything to add?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Meeting date: 27 May 2025

Bob Doris

I know that I said that I had no further questions, but let us fast forward two years and assume that the Scottish Government wants to make a change. How long would it take a UK secretary of state to do their bit and get on with repealing the previous provisions? What is the timescale for that?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]

Financial Considerations When Leaving an Abusive Relationship

Meeting date: 22 May 2025

Bob Doris

I will be brief, convener.

Good morning, minister. I was pleased to hear that you are keen to look at the cost of the school day, which was the question that Marie McNair was exploring. When women leave a household, they do not always leave with all their belongings and clothes, and they may have children.

I do not expect you to say yes to this today, but in relation to the cost of the school day, I note that school clothing grants are issued once a year. Could there be circumstances in which a bit of flexibility could be considered in relation to an additional application for a school clothing grant where a woman is fleeing domestic and economic abuse from a perpetrator? I am just asking for consideration of that suggestion, rather than saying that we should do it.

Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]

Financial Considerations When Leaving an Abusive Relationship

Meeting date: 22 May 2025

Bob Doris

Before I move on to the next theme, I will ask a little more about Jeremy Balfour鈥檚 line of questioning. Something that has come up consistently during our evidence taking is that women need a pathway to leave. Victims and survivors might leave because of a crisis, but they sometimes know for a long time that they need to leave, before they take the final step of leaving an abusive relationship.

Mr Balfour said that the five-week wait for the first universal credit payment is a major challenge. Women cannot apply for universal credit in confidence and have certainty that an award will be issued seamlessly. Community care grants and crisis grants can take domestic abuse into account, and we have heard about the fund to leave. Should consideration be given to cross-Government working, and to work between the DWP and the Scottish Government, to give financial certainty to a woman who decides that she must leave an abusive relationship? Should a package of measures be put in place before a woman, often with children, has to flee an abusive relationship? Real partnership working could mean the end of the five-week wait and could also change some of the criteria for Scottish Government grants. Could you work with Shirley-Anne Somerville to take that piece of work forward across Government and could you encourage work between the Scottish and UK Governments on that pathway to leave?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]

Financial Considerations When Leaving an Abusive Relationship

Meeting date: 22 May 2025

Bob Doris

I am very aware鈥攁gain because I represent a Glasgow constituency鈥攖hat Glasgow City Council sees some of those issues at first hand, as new Scots who want to get their leave to remain status to stay in the country have very quickly become homeless and have gone into that system.

Glasgow City Council and Paul McLennan, as housing minister, made representations to the UK Home Office, which seems to be shirking its duty and responsibility to ensure that proper support is in place. They made those representations from a housing perspective, but you are the Minister for Equalities, so have you added your weight to those calls?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]

Financial Considerations When Leaving an Abusive Relationship

Meeting date: 22 May 2025

Bob Doris

In my, as always, rather long-winded way, for which I apologise, I am asking whether you think that you could work with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and with the UK Government to have in place a package of measures in advance of a woman leaving, to ensure that she has certainty and has cash in her pocket at the point at which she leaves, instead of being in crisis after she leaves?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]

Financial Considerations When Leaving an Abusive Relationship

Meeting date: 22 May 2025

Bob Doris

Thank you. I got my money鈥檚 worth out of that question, minister.

There is going to be a new legal duty for social landlords to develop and implement a domestic abuse policy. The equally safe strategy commits to supporting social landlords to embed gender equality commitments. How is that going? What work is taking place in relation to that?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]

Financial Considerations When Leaving an Abusive Relationship

Meeting date: 22 May 2025

Bob Doris

I find that a reassuring answer. I do not want to follow up on that. That answer was pretty strong.

The committee has heard how the high cost of refugee accommodation, the lack of suitable temporary accommodation and the high cost of housing all contribute to the difficulty of leaving an abusive relationship. In what ways is the Scottish Government taking that into account when developing its housing policy?

I get that that is a cross-portfolio issue that also goes across Governments, because some of the structural issues are Home Office matters; however, what is the Scottish Government doing to try to resolve that?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Grangemouth鈥檚 Industrial Future

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Bob Doris

So there are no specific actions at the moment. One suggestion that was made about how to reduce the costs of green hydrogen was to blend green hydrogen into the existing gas networks, which could reduce costs by up to 30 per cent. That could be actively considered now and taken forward, so is the UK Government actively looking at that?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Grangemouth鈥檚 Industrial Future

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Bob Doris

Okay. I have no further questions, but I will put on the record that, if we can reduce electricity costs for green hydrogen, blend into the existing gas network and secure carbon capture and project union for Scotland, that could transform key elements of project willow and the market. Investors need certainty, and they need it quick, minister. Anything that you can put in concrete and in writing would be incredibly helpful.