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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-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.

Question reference: S5W-21290

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 21 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statements by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People to the Social Security Committee on 17 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 23), where it received the advice that "It is simply not the case that a top-up to child benefit, which would require intricate working with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, could be done simply and quickly."

It is clear that making any alterations to a reserved benefit is a significant and complex task. It would require the agreement of UK Ministers and the cooperation of the relevant UK Government department to include any change to their work programme and ensure that any potential negative impacts of those payments on recipients - for example through breaching the benefit cap - were mitigated by making the necessary legislative and IT infrastructure changes.

Our experience of introducing Universal Credit Scottish Choices and working with the DWP on devolved benefits has shown the complexities that are involved when working with two social security systems. Such complexities would be increased if we sought to top-up a reserved benefit.

It is for these reasons that we are undertaking detailed options appraisal so we can examine the interrelated strategic questions of policy and delivery and assess the risks and opportunities.

Question reference: S5W-21504

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason papers presented to the Social Security Scotland Executive Advisory Body have not been published on the body's meetings, minutes and agendas webpage.

Question reference: S5W-21292

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People to the Social Security Committee on 17 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 23) that "it does not make sense to have an interim solution [for the income supplement] that would also take a long time to deliver", what formal decision ministers or the Social Security Programme Board have made regarding not to proceed with an interim solution; whether ministers sought advice on this, and whether officials have recommended not to proceed with an interim solution.

The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan sets out 57 actions we are taking over the period 2018 – 2022, to increase family incomes and reduce living costs, and help meet our ambitious child poverty targets. As part of that work, we will work towards the introduction of the income supplement over the lifetime of the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan.

Given the scale and ambition of that commitment it is right that we take the time to fully and properly appraise all options, including the pace at which they could be introduced, and ensure we focus efforts on delivering an income supplement that meets the two key tests set out in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan: that the additional income is targeted on those families who need it, and that it’s therefore helping to lift the maximum number of children out of poverty; and, that there is a robust and viable delivery route to get the additional income to those families, and that the delivery costs are reasonable.

Question reference: S5W-21295

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statements by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People to the Social Security Committee on 17 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 23), what (a) staff, (b) financial resources and (c) staffing hours it has committed to the feasibility studies for the delivery options for an income supplement.

Information on the number of staff hours per week being used to develop policy on the income supplement and take forward the options appraisal is not available. This differs in teams across the organisation who contribute to the policy and is dependent on individual working patterns.

The proposed budget for Social Security Advice, Policy & Programme within the Social Security and Older People Portfolio is £77.8 million in 2019-20. This budget will include funding for supporting the development of the income supplement.

Question reference: S5W-21288

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statements by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People to the Social Security Committee on 17 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 23), how many commercial, public and private sector partners are assisting with the feasibility studies for the delivery options for an income supplement, and who these partners are.

An options appraisal is being taken forward over the coming months, to examine potential policy and delivery options for the income supplement, which will include consideration of the feasibility of each option. This options appraisal will be undertaken by Scottish Government officials.

As part of this process, we are engaging, where necessary, with relevant UK Government departments, including HMRC and DWP, to better understand delivery issues and complexities. We are also engaging closely with a range of stakeholders, to determine their views on the income supplement and how it could be delivered. This includes local authority representatives, third sector organisations, and academics.

Question reference: S5W-21293

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statements by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People to the Social Security Committee on 17 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 23) that it is "looking at...timeframes and the cost of the different delivery mechanisms" and that this information will "be shared with Parliament and the committee", whether this information will be shared with members of the Committee prior to its first update on the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan.

Question reference: S5W-21291

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statements by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People to the Social Security Committee on 17 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 23), whether it will provide details of the scope of the work that it is undertaking with HMRC; whether it has shared an outline of this work with stakeholders, including the Give Me 5 coalition, and whether it will place full details of this work in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) when it provides its first update on the Every Child Every Chance delivery plan.

As part of the income supplement options appraisal we are engaging with relevant UK Government departments, including HMRC and DWP, to determine the feasibility of delivering the income supplement through a reserved benefit. Initial discussions have taken place with DWP and HMRC to outline the commitment contained in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, identify relevant issues for further consideration, and determine how we can best engage with each other as this work continues.

We are engaging closely with stakeholders, including representatives of the Give Me Five campaign, as the options appraisal work is taken forward.

The options appraisal will be published at the same time as my first progress report to Parliament on the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan.