Parliamentary questions
Mark Griffin
2,186 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20555 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 January 2019, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what (a) discussions it has had with and (b) information it has sought from the UK Government regarding mitigation of the two-ch…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-20880 on 24 January 2019. 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/parliamentarybusines…
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S5W-20555, S5W-20556 and S5W-20558 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 January 2019, whether its statement that the policy “is a fully reserved benefit the Scottish Government has have no control over and cannot change” refers to the two-child benefit cap …
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government has very limited administrative flexibilities over Universal Credit. These are laid out in the Scotland Act 2016, giving Scottish Ministers the power to change when and to whom Universal Credit is paid, and to vary the amount of housin…
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20558 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 January 2019, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what alternatives to accessing DWP data it has considered in order to mitigate the two-child benefit cap, and for what reason it…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The two child limit is a UK Government policy which the Scottish Government has repeatedly called for to be scrapped. The changes announced by the UK Government last week show that it too now finally accepts that the policy is unfair. It should therefore scra…
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20556 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 January 2019, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding when it requested access to DWP data for the purposes of mitigating the two-child benefit cap, and for what reason it did not pr…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-20880 on 24 January 2019. 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/parliamentarybusines…
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S5W-20616 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 January 2019, whether it remains its position, as set out at section 1.3 of its document, Social Security Programme - Disability Benefits Assessments Strategic Outline Case, which was published under the freedom of infor…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: While our working assumption for planning purposes is that the rules and structures will remain broadly the same, no final decisions have been taken; we will continue to look for opportunities to improve these, provided the changes do not risk the safe and se…
9 Jan 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to statistics stating that eligible pensioners in Motherwell and Airdrie received double the number of cold weather payments as those in Bellshill and Coatbridge in 2017-18.
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20346 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 December 2018, how it defines the "practical implementation" of the DWP Verify Earnings and Pensions service, and whether it has considered, assessed or agreed any future implementation.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Practical implementation would be the use of DWP Verify Earnings and Pensions service in the delivery of a devolved benefit. I refer the member to the answer to questions S5W-20346 and S5W-20857 on 17 January 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questio…
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20346 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 December 2018, what (a) direct and (b) indirect decisions have been made about the implementation of the DWP Verify Earnings and Pensions service.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: No direct or indirect decisions have been made about the implementation of the DWP Verify Earnings and Pensions service.
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20346 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 December 2018, what assessment it has made of the indirect implementation of the DWP Verify Earnings and Pensions service as part of its agency arrangements agreement for the DWP to deliver carers allowance, an…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government entered into this agreement in order to deliver the Carer’s Allowance Supplement by summer 2018. This provides over 75,000 carers with an additional £442 in 2018-19, an increase of 13% on the DWP’s Carer’s Allowance. All aspects of the…
8 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20557 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 January 2019, what format the release of the statistics will take, and how it will detail whether a child is the third or greater in a family.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Official statistics, covering the first months of applications for the Best Start Grant, will be published in April 2019. More-detailed analysis will be published in a quarterly publication series starting from August 2019. In line with the Code of Practice …
8 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20557 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 January 2019, on what date the statistics will be released, and for what reason the date is not listed in the document, Official Statistics - Forthcoming Publications.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Official statistics, covering the first months of applications for the Best Start Grant, will be published in April 2019. More-detailed analysis will be published in a quarterly publication series starting from August 2019. These dates are now listed in the …
8 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20546 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 December 2018, whether it will publish each of the three reviews.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Gateway Reviews are conducted for the Scottish Government and associated public sector organisations to help support the successful delivery of programmes and projects by ensuring that good programme and project management practice is being used; that key ris…
8 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20404 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 December 2018, what the estimated risk is of Social Security Scotland being the target of fraud and organised crime beyond matters of public protection.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Our assessment of the risk posed to Social Security Scotland by Serious and Organised Crime Groups takes place on an ongoing basis, and we have been consulting with experts and relevant organisations to understand these risks and to design responsive control …
7 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20404 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 December 2018, whether it remains its position that the sole role of Police Scotland, as set out at section 5.4 of its document, Social Security Programme - Programme Blueprint, which was published under the fr…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The original PQ referred to where Police Scotland would act as a Delivery Partner. We have no definition of a Delivery Partner. However we have been clear that we anticipate that the Counter Fraud function within the Agency will participate in formal intelli…
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20405 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 December 2018, what the manual checks in place for quality assurance require in terms of staff time per claim; what proportion of the processes are (a) automated and (b) manual, and what the staff time is per c…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: With the commencement of Best Start Grant, all applications require that the Client Advisor verify the evidence prior to processing the application to an outcome. The information supplied within the clients application determines the verification processes an…
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-20403 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 December 2018, for what reason promotion of the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment was not fully embedded in NHS board maternity and health visiting pathways prior to the launch of the grant; whether it…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Our preference is to promote the Best Start Pregnancy and Baby Payment before the baby is born, in order to ensure that parents have access at the earliest opportunity. On the run up to the launch of the Pregnancy and Baby Payment, we ran a co-ordinated commu…
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20403 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 December 2018, whether this has been progressed with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport; whether it considers that a cross-portfolio approach has satisfactorily been taken, and whether section 3 of the …
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Ministers continue to work closely to ensure an effective cross-portfolio approach. Throughout the development and implementation of the Best Start Grant we have and will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders, service users and the wider public as w…
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide a substantive answer to question S5W-20261, which received a holding response on 13 December 2018.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: S5W-20261 was answered on 20 December 2018.
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide a substantive answer to question (a) S5W-20346 and (b) S5W-20333, which received a holding response on 17 December 2018.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Scottish Government responded to the questions (a) S5W-20346 and (b) S5W-20333 on 20 December 2018.
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the cost per check will be for its Financial Health Check service.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The duration and cost of each check will vary depending on the issues a client wishes to cover. We estimate the cost of a full check to be approximately £100.
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what procurement process was conducted for the provision of its Financial Health Check service.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The service is grant funded by £3.3 million over two years.
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information (a) it and (b) Citizens Advice Scotland has published on the Financial Health Check service, in addition to its press release of 2 November 2018.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has published information on the Financial Health Check service on the money matters section of our Parent Club website: https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/financial-health-check ; in our recently published second annual progress r…
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it or Citizens Advice Scotland is responsible for advertising and promoting the Financial Health Check service; what advertising and promotional work has been agreed as part of the agreement with Citizens Advice Scotland to deliver the service; how frequently this work is to be d…
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Both the Scottish Government and Citizens Advice network in Scotland are responsible for advertising and promoting the service. The Scottish Government will undertake a national marketing campaign week commencing 7 January 2019 to raise awareness of the servi…
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many financial health checks have been conducted under its Financial Health Check service, also broken down by (a) local authority and (b) citizens advice bureau.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: We do not hold this information yet.
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the requirements are on Citizens Advice Scotland to report statistical information under its agreement to deliver the Financial Health Check service, and how frequently it is required to report this.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Reports on the overall progress of the service will be submitted to the Scottish Government on a quarterly basis.
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the verified financial gain (VFG) of its Financial Health Check service is to date, and what the target VFG gain is for (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Client financial gain is one of the six key performance indicators for the service. Citizens Advice Scotland and Citizen Advice Bureaux record a financial gain for a client once they can confirm the client has been awarded a benefit and/or service. We do not …
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the minimum level of service is for the Financial Health Check service agreed with Citizens Advice Scotland.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Financial Health Check service is expected to provide income maximisation support for an additional 15,000 clients each year.
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) members of staff and (b) volunteers it expects Citizens Advice Scotland to commit to the delivery of the Financial Health Check service.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: To deliver the Financial Health Check service Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has employed 5.5 FTE staff:1 Project Manager1.5 x Co-ordinator2 x Administrator1 IT support CAS has also committed additional staff support from its Senior Management Team, Communic…
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the £3.3 million funding for its Financial Health Check service is performance-linked, and what the criteria are that must be met in order for funding to be released.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This is a two year project with funding for year two subject to a successful evaluation of year one.
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the key performance indicators are for its Financial Health Check service being delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The key performance indicators are:Number of clients accessing the serviceProfile of clientsClient financial gainClient satisfactionClient financial confidenceImproved mental health as a result of the check.