The committee’s meeting on April 16, which will see Esther McVey’s first appearance at Holyrood, takes place against a backdrop of the Scottish Parliament considering the Social Security Bill, which will see the devolution of 11 benefits and expenditure of £2.9 billion a year.

Committee convener Clare Adamson MSP said: “This meeting comes at a vital time for social security in Scotland. Not only is the Parliament about finalise the Social Security Bill but there are clearly ongoing issues around the roll out of Universal Credit which need resolved and resolved quickly. That is why our committee is pleased that the secretary of state will be appearing before us.

“We will use this meeting to talk about these issues and ensure that any handover of powers happens smoothly. But more importantly, we will use this to ensure that none of us lose sight of those most affected by these changes and that everyone can have confidence in the social security system.”

The first time that a UK minister had appeared before the committee was then Secretary of state Damian Green MP in November 2016. More information about that meeting can be found here.

Image by Chris McAndrew – Official portrait of Esther McVey, CC BY 3.0