Mark Griffin

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average weekly number of items of correspondence it received from MSPs and MPs has been since 1 January 2019, broken down by ministerial portfolio, and what the average time taken to respond was by portfolio.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The information in following the table is taken from the Scottish Government Case Handling systems   MSP/MP correspondence to Ministers from January 2019 to 18 May 2020 Cabinet Secretary/Minister responding Average Items Received Per Week Average Respons…

15 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter to all MSPs from the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, Europe and Constitutional Affairs of 7 April 2020 establishing a process for Members to raise urgent COVID-19 issues direct with Ministers, how many items of correspondence from MSPs and MPs have been receive…

Answer · Graeme Dey: The urgent MSP mailbox was established on 7 th April as a means of separating the most pressing of MSP queries about the pandemic from the very significant volumes of general COVID related correspondence received by the Scottish Government and by so doing att…

7 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet has met since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic on 11 March 2020; on what dates these meetings took place, and how many were held in a (a) partly- and (b) fully-remote manner.

Answer · Michael Russell: Since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic on 11 March 2020, the Scottish Cabinet has met 11 times, up to and including 19 May. The dates of these 11 meetings are as follows. From 24 March onwards, all of these meetings h…

23 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the frequency of publication during the COVID-19 outbreak of statistical and management information regarding (a) applications, (b) decisions, (c) payments and (d) expenditure for (i) the Scottish Welfare Fund and (ii) locally administered council tax reduct…

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We have no current plans to increase the frequency with which we publish information about devolved social security benefits, the Scottish Welfare Fund or the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. Officials are in regular contact with staff in Social Security Scotla…

23 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Choices for universal credit remains operational, and what management information regarding applications for the scheme it has received from the DWP since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Universal Credit (UC) Scottish choices remains operational and will continue to be offered to all people who are claiming UC, both new and existing claimants. For new claimants it is offered following their first assessment period and existing claimants can r…

23 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People on 1 April 2020 (Official Report, c. 53), whether contingent workers on the Social Security Programme are being retained.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Contractors are retained in the Social Security Programme where their specialist skills are needed, as they are in normal times. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting all members of our workforce during this unprecedented time, as well as ensuri…

23 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what change in (a) Best Start Grant applications, (b) Funeral Support Payment applications and (c) Carer's Allowance Supplement caseload Social Security Scotland (i) has experienced and (ii) expects to experience since the start of the of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The number of applications received, decisions made, payments and expenditure for Best Start Grant and Funeral Support Payment since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak have remained fairly consistent. Given the increases seen in numbers of people applying fo…

23 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what management information it has received from the DWP regarding increases in universal credit caseload in Scotland as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Department for Work and Pensions DWP have provided the Scottish Government with management information that shows the number of households and individuals making a Universal Credit declaration in Scotland.  

23 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the rate of staff absence has been in (a) Social Security Scotland and (b) the Social Security Directorate during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: In March 2020 there were an average of 19 Social Security Directorate absences (both sickness and special leave), and 21 Social Security Scotland absences per day, representing 4.1% and 3.5% of staff respectively. This compares to a Core Scottish Government f…

23 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People on 1 April 2020 (Official Report, c. 53), whether work on the Social Security Programme has been paused.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: As I informed Parliament in my statement on 1 April, work in the Social Security Programme has not stopped. We have focused remaining resources on delivering the Scottish Child Payment as soon as possible, to support families on low incomes particularly at ri…

23 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure the delivery of accessible community rehabilitation care.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government continues to support and encourage health and social care partnerships to develop a range of Intermediate Care services. These services provide short-term rehabilitation and re-ablement services at home, or in a homely setting, as a st…

18 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether an equality impact assessment for the Scottish Child Payment will be published when the regulations are laid and, if so, on what date.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government will publish an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) when the Scottish Child Payment regulations are laid in the Scottish Parliament. The timescale for this will be confirmed in due course given the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security’s…

11 Mar 2020 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many families have been supported by the Neonatal Expenses Fund in the two years that it has been operating.

9 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statement in the British Sign Language Interpreting in Scotland: A Landscape Review 2019 that "one specialist BSL agency... was perceived by some as being unethical in winning contracts, and caring about profit before staff well being or the BSL community", an…

Answer · Maree Todd: The views expressed in the report are those of the people and organisations involved in the research undertaken by Queen Margaret University, and do not necessarily represent those of the Scottish Government or Scottish Ministers. Public bodies have their own…

9 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which of the recommendations in the British Sign Language Interpreting in Scotland: A Landscape Review 2019 it has adopted.

Answer · Maree Todd: The ‘ BSL Interpreting in Scotland: Landscape review ’ was commissioned by the Scottish Government to identify steps that could strengthen the BSL/English interpreting profession in Scotland, arising from a commitment in the BSL National Plan. It is worth no…

9 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the British Sign Language Interpreting in Scotland: A Landscape Review 2019.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government welcomes the ‘BSL Interpreting in Scotland: Landscape review’. The research incorporates various perspectives on BSL/English interpreting and interpreter provision in Scotland, and provides an invaluable overview of the current landsca…

9 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has requested that Queen Margaret University publishes (a) the interview data and transcripts and (b) a statistical summary of the characteristics of participants for the British Sign Language Interpreting in Scotland: A Landscape Review 2019.

Answer · Maree Todd: The review was designed to capture a range of perspectives and views and participants were interviewed on the basis that their contributions would not be publicly identified. Therefore the Scottish Government has not requested the individual data, transcripts…

6 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what modelling or assessment it conducted to determine the viability of the National Carer Organisations' recommendation that Carer's Allowance should be a qualifying benefit for the Job Start Payment.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The purpose of the Job Start Payment is to provide support with the costs of starting work to young people who have been out of paid employment for at least six months and who may otherwise struggle with the costs to take up a job offer. The purpose of the qu…

6 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response was to the recommendation by the National Carer Organisations that Carer's Allowance should be a qualifying benefit for the Job Start Payment.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government published its response to the Job Start Payment consultation on 18 December 2019. It is available at:https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-response-consultation-job-grant/pages/4/  

4 Mar 2020 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Fiscal Commission's forecast that spending on devolved employability services will be £27 million lower in 2022-23.

27 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Best Start Grant applicants have had their application refused in cases where they have had a universal credit adjusted amount greater than £0 but have not paid anything because of other deductions, as noted by the President of the Social Security Chamber in Decision Report 5.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Universal Credit has been a qualifying benefit for the Best Start Grant since its introduction in December 2018. When assessing an application for Best Start Grant, Social Security Scotland considers the adjusted amount of any Universal Credit award, before …

27 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is updating (a) application guidance, (b) internal information and (c) regulations to take account of the observations of the President of the Social Security Chamber in Decision Report 5.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-27647 on 10 March 2020. 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/…

26 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20328 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 December 2018, how it has evaluated the Universal Credit Scottish choices, and when it will publish its findings.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government is committed to evaluating how the Universal Credit Scottish choices are understood and experienced by people in Scotland. We have been working with the Department for Work and Pensions since 2018 to determine how the Scottish Governme…

26 Feb 2020 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will conduct a feasibility study to investigate extending accessibility arrangements to cross party groups.

Answer · Sandra White on behalf of the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body: The SPCB is committed to providing accessibility support to enable members of the public to engage in parliamentary business. For instance, FMQs are currently interpreted into British Sign Language (BSL) to enable BSL users to follow the live proceedings.   …

21 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27328 by Jamie Hepburn on 21 February 2020, when each cohort improvement activity plan commenced, and whether it will publish these plans.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government manages Fair Start Scotland contracts through regular performance management activities. Current cohort activity plans were implemented in December 2019. As performance management activities are ongoing there are no plans to release …

20 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Best Start Grant and Carer's Allowance statistics do not include a breakdown by Scottish Parliament constituency and region.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We produce our publications in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, which requires that we produce statistics that support society’s needs for information. Therefore, decisions on which geographical breakdowns to include in our published official st…

13 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to release regular statistical publication of overpayments made by Social Security Scotland.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Overpayments and underpayments are used as a measure of fraud and error. The methodology which will be applied to estimating the value of fraud and error for devolved benefits is currently in development. Once this methodology has been developed we will look …

13 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) many and (b) much in overpayments of (i) Best Start Grant, (ii) Funeral Support Payment and (iii) Carer's Allowance Supplement have been made to date, and how (A) many and (B) much were due to (aa) an official and (bb) a customer error.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Best Start Grant, Funeral Support Payments and Carer’s Allowance Supplement are administered by Social Security Scotland. Social Security Scotland currently publishes details of overpayments within their Annual Report and Accounts. The most recent Annual Repo…

12 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it plans to increase spending in the Government Business and Constitutional Relations portfolio by £4 million in 2020-21.

Answer · Michael Russell: This budget will strengthen my portfolio’s ability to ensure that the UK’s exit from the EU is undertaken in a way that protects Scotland’s interests as far as possible. We are preparing for all scenarios that may arise at the end of the transition period and…

7 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by the Scottish Fiscal Commission regarding Disability Assistance for Children and Young People in its paper Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts February 2020 that "we forecast the real average award to follow a downwards trend, as has been the ca…

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: In Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts February 2020 the Scottish Fiscal Commission state that, since the Child Disability Payment is a new benefit with no existing data, the forecast of average awards is based on historical DWP data for Disability Livin…