Seòmar agus comataidhean

I thank the witnesses for the evidence that they submitted in advance and Dame Susan for her extremely helpful presentation.

My first questions are on a similar theme and relate to the evidence that has just been given. When the higher costs of the Scottish child payment in 2023-24 were included, how much were those costs at the time? In your written evidence, you say that some factors, such as eligibility and uptake, have been revised downwards. I am keen to understand a bit more about that downward revision and your assumptions about eligibility and uptake.

I have another couple of questions but those are on a different subject.

Thank you for your responses, which are very helpful.

I have a further question on some of the assumptions but this time in relation to unemployment figures. You have assumed—[Inaudible.]—and you have now amended that to 4.9 per cent. How much of that employment is secure work? Do the figures break down so that we can look at how specific groups—for example, women, black and minority ethnic people and disabled people—are affected? How do they fit into the forecasts?

I echo the convener’s thanks for your flexibility on this work. In your future estimates for adult disability payment, have you estimated how many people’s awards would increase, decrease or stay the same? If so what are those assumptions?

Thank you, Sara—that was helpful.

On a similar tack, I was interested in the link that you make in your submission between social care and the climate crisis and green jobs—I think that, ultimately, you consider social care as an area in which to create green jobs. That is something that I believe in passionately. I have often said that social care is a key sector that could be a massive help to our economy, particularly as we move towards a green economy.

Can you say more about how you believe the Government could combine its agenda of addressing financial and recruitment issues in social care with looking at broader climate justice solutions?

Thank you for allowing me to come in again, convener. I want to explore a couple of areas a wee bit further, if that is okay.

Sara, your submission mentions the evidence that was given on the impact on equalities alongside the budget and says that the top-line information was given “across portfolio areas”, but we probably need a bit more detail on specific inequalities. How can the detail be improved so that we can continue to improve in that area?

Convener, I have another question that is on a slightly different topic, if I can come back in afterwards.

That was really helpful. The examples from the transport and Covid recovery portfolios are useful. We can look into those in more detail.

I move to an almost completely different subject, although it is still on the budget and a feminist analysis of it. I am interested in your deliberations. What is your assessment of the impact that we might be able to have on violence against women and on services that deal with violence against women, as part of addressing some of the structural inequalities that drive violence against women and make it worse?

Good morning, Sara. Thank you for the information that you sent us in advance of the meeting and for your time today.

My questions are about social care and women’s responsibilities for work, including unpaid work. The “Equality and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement 2022-23” identified women’s responsibilities for unpaid work as a risk with regard to their ability to find paid work. Does the budget go far enough, particularly with regard to social care? Does it contain enough support to lift women out of poverty? Does it do enough to address the increased structural inequality that was seen as a risk? The question also applies to disabled people, and disabled women in particular.

What do the forecasting and the spending that you have set out in your written evidence and this morning suggest for the affordability of the social security budget in Scotland in the longer term?

I want to pick up on the point in SAMH’s submission about the intention to review people on PIP under the ADP system. ADP has been delayed, as we know. Can you talk a little bit about the impact that that has had on the people you represent? Bill Scott, it would be helpful to hear if you have any further evidence on that particular issue.

Thanks again for all your contributions. This morning’s discussion has been really interesting. I hope that there is ambition to change a lot about adult disability payments so that disabled people have the support that they need to live an ordinary life. However, we have discussed a number of issues. Do you have a view on whether there are sufficient systems in place within the current social security system in Scotland to support continuous improvement, specifically given that Social Security Scotland’s approach is to have a minimum viable product? I pose that to Judith Paterson.