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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-26061

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Equality Impact Assessment that it carried out to inform its decision not to include a mobility component in Disability Assistance for Older People.

A partial equality impact assessment was carried out as part of the Consultation on Disability Assistance in Scotland held earlier this year. This can be found on the Scottish Government’s website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-consultation-disability-assistance-scotland/pages/12/

A full equality impact assessment will be published when regulations are laid for Disability Assistance for Older People.

Question reference: S5W-26062

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its analysis in its paper, A Consultation on Disability Assistance in Scotland, Scottish Government response, how many older people would receive the (a) standard and (b) enhanced component of a mobility component, according to its calculations of the cost introducing a mobility component for disability allowance for older people.

Scottish Government analysis of the inclusion of a mobility component in Disability Assistance for Older People (DAOP) suggests that around 10,000 people could receive the standard rate and around 180,000 people could receive the enhanced rate in 2020-21.

There is significant uncertainty associated with estimating the number of individuals who would be eligible for and receive a mobility component of DAOP. This analysis uses the existing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 65+ client group as the best comparison to DAOP and generates client numbers for a DAOP mobility component as if it followed the same claiming patterns as DLA 65+. However, there may be some fundamental differences between the people receiving the two benefits, such as the average age of clients in each group, which means the estimates using the DLA 65+ client group as a comparison to DAOP are intended to provide an illustration of the potential scale of the volume of mobility clients.

Question reference: S5W-26060

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the full calculations and analysis that it used to inform its decision not to include a mobility component in Disability Assistance for Older People.

The calculations and analysis that were used to inform the Scottish Government’s decision not to include a mobility component in Disability Assistance for Older People can be found in A Consultation on Disability Assistance in Scotland, Scottish Government response, published 28 October 2019 at.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/consultation-disability-assistance-scotland-scottish-government-response/pages/2/ .

Question reference: S5W-25878

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 31 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether disability assistance regulations will provide a right for an individual to request a review of their award, and, if so, whether (a) the outcome of that review will and (b) the decision whether or not to review an award will attract a right of appeal.

As indicated in the Disability Assistance in Scotland consultation, Disability Assistance regulations will include provision to review awards where individuals notify of a change of circumstances that may affect the level of assistance they receive.

Where the outcome of a review is a new entitlement decision, a client will have the right to request a redetermination of that decision and, where they are not satisfied with the redetermination, will be able to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

Question reference: S5W-25877

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 31 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether disability assistance regulations will provide for a right of appeal where a new determination is made as a result of an individual notifying a change of circumstances.

As set out in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (‘the Act’) and stated in the Disability Assistance in Scotland consultation, an individual will have the right to request a redetermination of any entitlement decision made by Social Security Scotland relating to Disability Assistance. This will include any determination made following notification of a change in circumstances. If the individual is dissatisfied with the outcome of the redetermination, they can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

Provisions relating to notification of a change of circumstances will be set out in regulations but the right of appeal relating to a determination is already provided for in the Act.

Question reference: S5W-25653

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 31 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many Fair Start Scotland participants in each local authority area who reported deafness or partial hearing loss achieved a (a) 13- and (b) 26-week job outcome.

Question reference: S5W-26063

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-25652

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many Fair Start Scotland participants in each local authority area have reported deafness or partial hearing loss.

Question reference: S5W-25649

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what stakeholder engagement it has carried out regarding its replacement of the DWP Specialised Employment Support schemes, and with which organisations.

In developing a replacement service for DWP’s Specialist Employability Support, we have engaged with a number of stakeholders in order to inform how the replacement service might better meet the needs of disabled people in Scotland.

This has included holding a number of stakeholder engagement events around Scotland, to ensure funding and support is best targeted at individuals most in need of assistance. Participants in these events included representatives from Local Authorities, the Third Sector and Disabled People’s Organisations, including, but not limited to: Glasgow Disability Alliance, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, Inclusion Scotland, SUSE, Shirlie Project, Highland Council, Action on Hearing Loss, Prince’s Trust, Remploy, Cantley Bridge College, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

In addition we are clear that, consistent with the principles of No One Left Behind , the new service must align to local strategic employability pipelines. We are therefore in dialogue with the Scottish and Local Government Alignment group to ensure appropriate integration.

Question reference: S5W-25646

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many Fair Start Scotland participants in each local authority area have achieved a (a) 13- and (b) 26-week job outcome, broken down by health condition.