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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-19500

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) regarding bringing forward winter fuel payments for 2018-19 to support older people who use off-grid energy and, what the outcome was.

The Department for Work and Pensions retain responsibility for administration of the Winter Fuel Payment scheme in 2018-19. They are aware of the Scottish Government’s ambition to enhance the support provided to older people who rely upon off-grid energy.

First and foremost we are determined to ensure a safe and secure transfer of each of the eleven devolved benefits, including winter fuel payments. The timing of the introduction of these new benefits will depend upon implementation and successful testing of the new social security system’s operations.

We expect the Department for Work and Pensions to support delivery of this change in line with the commitments made in the UK Government’s 2015 White paper (Cm 8990) and the Memorandum of Understanding agreed with the Scottish Government in 2016.

Question reference: S5W-19205

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) enquiries and (b) complaints Social Security Scotland has received regarding payment of the carer's allowance supplement, and whether the DWP has reported any misdirected enquiries to the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S5O-02632

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will rule out the delivery of Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance by the DWP under agency arrangements.

Question reference: S5W-19665

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants to the Social Security Scotland Executive Advisory Body made an application noting a potential "Conflict of Interest and other Ministerial Public Appointments held", and what roles were listed by applicants in response to questions of this nature.

Question reference: S5O-02606

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what employment schemes it runs for offenders in order to improve their skills, reduce reoffending and increase its recruitment of ex-offenders.

Question reference: S5W-19467

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13171 by Jeane Freeman on 21 December 2017, whether the commitment to extend Winter Fuel Payments to families with disabled children on the higher rate of Disability Living Allowance will be dependent on the higher rate of the care component, mobility component, either component or both, and, in light of the reference in the answer, when the ongoing policy development process on this proposal began, including direct engagement with engagement panels.

Question reference: S5W-19468

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-13172, S5W-13171 and S5W-13158 by Jeane Freeman on 21 December 2017, when direct engagement with the experience panels regarding (a) extending Winter Fuel Payments to families with disabled children on the higher rate of Disability Living Allowance and (b) winter fuel payment policy development, began, and for what reason this research project is not listed in the Experience Panels Research Plan 2018-19.

Question reference: S5W-19466

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13172 by Jeane Freeman on 21 December 2017, at what rate Winter Fuel Payments will be made to families with disabled children on the higher rate of Disability Living Allowance, and, in light of its commitment to consult the experience panels, and according to the Experience Panels Research Plan 2018-19, for what reason this has not yet commenced.

The rate of Winter Fuel payments is currently the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-13172 on 21 December 2017 and S5W-19465 on 14 November 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S5W-19458

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Cold Weather Payments Ten Minute Rule Bill, which is due to have its second reading in the UK Parliament on 23 November 2018 and which re-examines the way that weather data that triggers cold weather payments is gathered.

Question reference: S5W-19501

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has asked the UK Government lay commencement regulations under section 23 of the Scotland Act 2016 for for the purposes of having executive competence for the delivery of (a) cold-spell heating assistance and (b) winter heating assistance by Social Security Scotland and, if so, what the outcome was.

We have not yet asked the UK government to lay commencement regulations in respect of Cold Spell Heating Assistance or Winter Heating Assistance. The timing of the introduction of these new benefits will depend upon implementation and successful testing of the new social security system’s operations. We are determined to get this right and will expect the UK Government to support this change in due course.