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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-22100

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comments in its disability assistance qualifying periods policy position paper, what discussions it has had with the DWP regarding changing the qualifying periods for disability assistance; whether the DWP advised that change would threaten eligibility for reserved passported benefits and, if so, on what date.

Scottish Government and DWP officials are engaged in ongoing discussions regarding the safe and secure transfer of devolved benefits, including Disability Assistance. These discussions have included passporting arrangements for reserved benefits.

The Scottish Government does not have any powers to change reserved policy and DWP will continue to determine if someone in receipt of Disability Assistance in Scotland is entitled to receive a benefit or premium which is delivered by DWP.

Question reference: S5W-22109

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what devolved social security will be launched in Winter 2019, after the completion of wave 1 in Summer 2019 and ahead of the launch of the new service for disability assistance for children and young people.

Following the launch of our new Best Start Grant payments and Funeral Expense Assistance in summer 2019, we will launch our new Young Carer Grant in the autumn. The grant will provide £300 to young adults aged 16 and 17 (and 18 if still at school) with significant caring responsibilities.

We will also launch our new Job Grant, a consultation for which is currently under way, to support young people moving back into employment.

Question reference: S5W-22087

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates it has requested severe disablement allowance caseload data from the DWP, and whether the information provided included how many working age claimants were on the benefit at that time.

Question reference: S5W-22076

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of statements in its Industrial Injuries Disabled Benefit: policy position paper, and the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People's letter to the Convener of the Social Security Committee of 28 February 2019, whether it is its confirmed position that the new claims service for Employment Injury Assistance will be launched in Autumn 2022.

Question reference: S5W-22049

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government at what rate disability assistance for older people will be paid, and whether it will provide a breakdown of the components of this benefit.

Question reference: S5W-21939

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how its (a) social security policy position papers and (b) consultation on disability assistance take account of the EU social security coordination rules.

The policies discussed in the consultation and associated papers are not directly relevant to the coordination rules. The rules control how differing social security systems fit together to ensure EEA nationals can access support in other member states. Each participating system remains free to decide the nature of its benefits, eligibility criteria and levels of payment.

The Scottish Government is committed to its legal responsibility to ensure that all devolved benefits offer fair and equal access to EEA nationals.

Question reference: S5W-21923

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People on 28 February 2019 (Official Report, c. 50), what assessment it made prior to the statement of the cost of using agency arrangements until 2024; how much it estimates the transition will cost each year, broken down by (a) benefit and (b) the methodology used to calculate this, and what discussions it has had with the DWP regarding these costs.

Agency agreements are a cost-effective way of ensuring that people continue to receive the right payments at the right time whilst we undertake the work required to develop our new system in a safe and steady way.

The costs under each agreement will reflect DWP’s actual delivery cost. Under HMT’s Managing Public Money guidance, DWP are prohibited from charging another government department for services delivered with a view to making a profit. This is to ensure fairness to the tax payer and provides assurance that the costs offer value for money. Agency agreements will be put in place agreed on a case-by-case basis with DWP and detailed costs will be scoped as each agency agreement is prepared. Discussions with DWP in relation to these costs are on-going and a full breakdown is not available at this time.

Agency agreements will reduce a number of overheads for Social Security Scotland, including elements like the staff that we would require to administer these benefits ourselves from the date of executive competence, and other associated costs like property: these need to be set against the cost of the agreements themselves.

Question reference: S5W-21650

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 5 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what rules (a) ministers and (b) officials must follow regarding the (i) release of and (ii) commentary on statistics to the media prior to their official release.

Access to official statistics prior to their release is governed by the Pre-Release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008. This piece of legislation sets out the rules and principles that must be followed, and describes who may receive pre-release access to official statistics, the circumstances in which access may be given, and the duties of the people giving and receiving pre-release access.

It gives authority to Scotland’s Chief Statistician to grant pre-release access, in certain circumstances and subject to a number of conditions, which Ministers and officials must follow.

A Minister or official who has been given pre-release access must not disclose any of the statistics, nor give any broad indication of their content or what they may show, to any individual who has not similarly been given access, as per Condition 5(3) of the 2008 Order.

Question reference: S5O-02966

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Neonatal Expenses Fund.

Question reference: S5W-21532

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether Social Security Scotland has set its risk appetite.