A UK Work and Pensions Secretary will finally appear before a Holyrood committee to answer welfare reform concerns.

It is success at the 12th time of asking for the committee to get a UK minister to appear.

The Welfare Reform Committee on several occasions invited Iain Duncan Smith and then Esther McVey as employment Minister and Lord Freud, a junior minister to come before the committee.

On every occasion they were invited they all declined.

Now, the new Secretary of State, Damian Green has accepted an invite from the re-named Social Security Committee and will take questions from the MSPs in November.

Read more: Work starts on building new state of the art hospice for Glasgow

Mr Green has agreed where his predecessors refused, with Mr Duncan Smith, the architect of the controversial reform agenda, stating he was accountable to the UK parliament and appeared before committees there.

He and Ms McVey were accused of showing contempt for the Scottish people.

The committee has over a period of years heard from people with direct experience of the welfare system, and who have been sanctioned and left with no cash or had their benefits cut and seen disability capability assessments rules changed to declare them fit for work.

The refusals of ministers to travel to Scotland sparked anger from the committee convenors at the time and accusations they were running scared to answer for the damage done by punitive welfare reform policies.

Sandra White, committee convenor said she was pleased the new secretary of state had accepted and said they would discuss the handing of welfare powers from Westminster to Holyrood and also the negative impact of welfare reform.

She said: “The previous Welfare Reform Committee of this Parliament tried and failed 11 times to secure a UK Government Minister to appear in front of them.

“The timing of this session is especially important as the UK Government hands over certain welfare powers over to the Scottish Government. This Committee will play a key role in making sure that people in Scotland are not negatively impacted upon through this transition.”

Read more: Work starts on building new state of the art hospice for Glasgow

“Among the issues that the Committee will want to explore with the Secretary of State include the devolution of welfare powers to Scotland, how the two Government’s will work together to deliver a benefits system across the UK, the operation of Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payments and sanctions.

The meeting will take place at Holyrood on November 3.