Responding to this morning's revelation that some Glasgow private high rise homes have combustible cladding the Local Government and Communities Committee Convener, Bob Doris MSP, said: "It was deeply concerning to hear a Glasgow City Council official say that combustible cladding has been found in private high rise homes.

"People who are currently living in private high rises and who listened to this today will of course be worried about their safety in their homes.

"We don't want this to cause undue alarm, as these buildings may well be safe, but people who live in these homes deserve answers.

"That's why we've asked Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to urgently provide us with more information on the extent of this issue and we will put these concerns to the Minister when he appears next week.”

Image source, Getty Images

The committee is currently in private session discussing this morning's evidence session where they heard Glasgow City Council say some privately-owned high-rise flats in Glasgow have cladding similar to that on Grenfell Tower.

The council says the residents and the Fire Service have not yet been informed.

Raymond Barlow -- from the council's planning and building standards department -- confirmed that to MSPs on Holyrood's Local Government committee.

He said he'd only informed the Scottish Government.

The Local Government and Communities Committee , externalwill shortly take evidence on homelessness.

The committee will hear from young people who have experienced homelessness:

• Saffron Rohan
• Simone Smith
• Rhys Campbell
• Thomas Lyon
• Julie McCallagh
• Emma Pearce

Image source, Alamy

In May the Herald reported, external that figures reveal that four homeless, external people are dying every month on the streets of Glasgow, external - that's one death each week.

The revelations have now prompted the director of one of Scotland, external's leading homelessness, external charity to hit out at the “shameful” numbers of rough sleepers dying on the streets of Glasgow.

Figures obtained by the Sunday Herald from Glasgow City Council via freedom of information request reveal that at least 39 homeless people have died in Glasgow in the space of just 10 months.

Image source, bbc

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart told the chamber yesterday:

• homelessness applications have fallen by more than a third since 2010
• government will establish a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group
• chair of that Group will be Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of the homelessness charity Crisis
• government will create an ‘Ending Homelessness Together’ Fund of £50 million over a 5 year period

The Local Government and Communities Committee , externalwill shortly take evidence on homelessness.

The committee will hear from young people who have experienced homelessness:

• Saffron Rohan
• Simone Smith
• Rhys Campbell
• Thomas Lyon
• Julie McCallagh
• Emma Pearce

The Committee will now take evidence on the Budget Process Review Group's final report from:

• Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland
• Dr Angela O'Hagan, Lecturer, Glasgow Caledonian University

If you want to continue watching this please click here., external

We're going to switch our coverage to the Local Government and Communities Committee which which will shortly take evidence from young homeless people.

Committee convener Bruce Crawford says Mr Russell made a welcome commitment to work with committees and asks him to expand on this.

Brexit Minister Michael Russell says he wants to be as open as he can be and promises to keep the committee briefed.

Mr Russell says he has no idea what Theresa May will say in Florence on Friday, which "is not very helpful".

Brussels. Strasbourg. Berlin. Paris.

All great cities of the EU that won't be hosting Theresa May when she makes a key speech on Brexit this week.

The BBC's Katya Adler, Adam Fleming, James Reynolds and Laura Kuenssberg explain why the prime minister is going to Florence instead.

SNP MSP Maree Todd says the NHS England system is completely different to NHS Scotland and that the NHS here has been protected from private companies.

Ms Todd asks if there is a possibility that process will be opened up.

Brexit minister Michael Russell says decisions should not be made by the UK government because those decisions may not be in Scotland's interests.

Image source, Reuters

Mr Russell says the UK government is now in breach of the memorandum of understanding as there has not been JMC since being asked four weeks ago.

In August Welsh and Scottish minsters demanded the UK government reconvene a Brexit-liaison group which has not met for six months.

The joint ministerial committee (JMC) to seek a UK-wide approach to leaving the European Union was meant to meet monthly.

The Welsh and Scottish governments said it was "unacceptable" it had not met since February.

The UK government said its engagement on Brexit had been "unprecedented".

Read more here.

Image source, PA

Mr Russell says it may not be possible for the UK government to deliver promises made without speaking to the devolved nations.

The Brexit minister says "we need to find away of reminding people that the devolved nations do exist."

He says there is a meeting of the JMC scheduled for October the 16th and he hopes this will take things forward and kick off the monthly meetings again.

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Neil Bibby asks if all the amendments were agreed to would the government back giving legislative consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Mr Russell says: "If all the amendments are agreed to, of course that would happen."

He says the government would also consider alternatives to the amendments as it wants to find a a way through it.

Image source, Getty Images

The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, known as the repeal bill, will convert EU laws into UK laws. Some of these will be in areas such as the environment and agriculture, which are normally the responsibility of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones, have described the bill as a "naked power-grab" that undermines devolution. But do they have the power to block it?

The UK government says it will negotiate with the devolved governments and attempt to seek consensus. Ultimately, though, the bill could pass even without the agreement of Scotland and Wales, but not without the potential for severe political consequences.

• Read more here
• What is the repeal bill all about?
• Brexit: All you need to to know

Mr Harvie asks what the implications are of discussions following his statement last week and asks what he would see as acceptable to recommend an LCM to parliament.

Mr Russell says he does not want to pre-empt discussions with Adam Tomkins and Jackson Carlaw but he will put his case forward in those discussions.

Mr Harvie asks that any discussions on the LCM can be as open and transparent as possible and discussed with the committee.

Mr Russell says he can make that assurance and says the promise from Tory MSPs to take part in discussions to move things forward is positive.

Mr Russell says: "Leaving the EU is chaotic and unnecessary."

The Brexit Minister says he hopes the UK does not continue on the same course but the legislative structures must be put in place to deal with it if it does.

He says our very own political editor Brian Taylor has called him the "Minister to mitigate Brexit" and he accepts he has to wear that hat.

Mr Russell says: "There is no such thing as a good Brexit."

He says: "All we can hope for is a least bad Brexit."