Mark Griffin

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that its forthcoming social security bill does not (a) contain and (b) allow for the introduction of regulations that have the same effect as the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, once responsibility for disability benefi…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is very concerned about the significant impact on people’s lives that will result from the recent amendments being made to the Personal Independence Payment regulations by the UK Government. I have already written to the UK Minister re…

1 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what response the Minister for Social Security received to her letter of 10 January 2017 to the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work regarding the contract for assessments of personal independence payments.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I have received a letter from Penny Mordaunt MP, the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work in response to my letter of 10 January 2017 regarding the contract for assessments of Personal Independence Payments in Scotland. A copy of this letter…

27 Feb 2017 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister how many children the measures in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill will lift out of poverty by May 2021.

21 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the first set of statistics on levels of persistent poverty will be published.

Answer · Angela Constance: The first set of statistics on levels of persistent poverty in Scotland will be published at 9:30am on Thursday 16 March 2017.

20 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-02667 by Jeane Freeman on 28 September 2016, whether the spend on all devolved benefits will be demand-led.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Spend on the current benefits in the areas being devolved by the Scotland Act 2016 are demand led, apart from Discretionary Housing Payments. There are no plans at present to change the spend classification of such benefits. We are committed to a rights based…

20 Feb 2017 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister for what reason the wealth gap between rich and poor in Scotland is widening.

13 Feb 2017 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have applied to join the social security experience panels, and how many have been accepted.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As I referenced in my statement to Parliament, I will announce more details on the Experience Panels in the next few weeks. In advance of recruitment launching, those interested in taking part can email the Scottish Government researchers who are setting up …

13 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the response to question S5W-06218 by Angela Constance on 30 January 2017, whether the scoping exercise will conclude before the end of 2016-17 and, if so, whether the extent of funding required will be determined in 2017-18.

Answer · Angela Constance: As set out in the answer to question S5W-06218, Scottish Government is currently working with partners to scope delivery of the Financial Health Check. The scoping exercise will conclude later this year, and any decisions required on funding will follow there…

10 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06219 by Jeane Freeman on 30 January 2017, what the gender breakdown is of these staff, and how many are disabled.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: When providing data on diversity characteristics headcount is used. Staffing information for related PQ reference S5W-06219 was on an FTE basis, which explains the differing totals. The grouping “directly employed” - used to present our Official statistics an…

10 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the test for absolute poverty in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill is reliant on net household income for the financial year 2010-11.

Answer · Angela Constance: The absolute poverty target measures whether the poorest families are seeing their incomes rise over time (in real terms). It requires a choice of baseline year that is both sufficiently recent to reflect contemporary living standards and sufficiently far in …

9 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06495 by Angela Constance on 6 February 2017, when it will publish the minutes of (a) the meeting of 15 December 2016 and (b) all other fuel poverty forum meetings that have taken place since April 2016.

Answer · Angela Constance: The minutes of the Fuel Poverty Forum meeting held on 16 December 2016 will be approved at the next meeting of the Fuel Poverty Forum to be held on 20 April and will be published on the Scottish Government website thereafter. The Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum …

8 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06491 by Jeanne Freeman on 3 February 2017, whether extending winter fuel payments to families with severely disabled children can be delivered before executive competency for this benefit has been fully transferred once the UK Government has laid t…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Changes to existing DWP benefits require the transfer of executive competence. Existing benefits will not transfer at the point at which the UK Government lays commencement regulations this spring, but at a later date or dates, as yet undecided, but no later …

6 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the social security experience panels will first meet.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Social Security Experience Panels will start in summer 2017 and will last for four years.

6 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the recruitment process for the social security experience panels opened.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I will make a detailed announcement on experienced panels in the coming weeks.

6 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how people eligible to receive at least one of the devolved benefits will be able to apply to join a social security experience panel.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: People with recent experience of receiving benefits will be recruited to the panels in two ways – by direct invitation mailed to a representative sample of current benefit recipients and by an open invitation, publicly asking for volunteers. After the launch…

6 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the social security experience panels are being delivered by it or an external organisation.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Social Security Experience Panels are being delivered by Scottish Government researchers.

6 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people had applied to join the social security experience panels as of 31 January 2017, and how many of these had been accepted.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In advance of recruitment launching, those interested in taking part can email the Scottish Government researchers who are setting up the panels at:[email protected]. Details of those who have contacted us have been stored securely, and indivi…

6 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in each year since 2011 on public information campaigns to encourage an increased take-up of social security entitlements, and how it has measured the effectiveness of these.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Responsibility for social security in the timeframe outlined has been reserved to the UK Government. Since the introduction of the 2012 Welfare Reform Act the Scottish Government has made considerable investment in a range of advice services to help people …

2 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S5O-00612 by Angela Constance on 1 February 2017 (Official Report, c. 6), whether it will provide a breakdown by (a) year and (b) service of the investment in advice services that is worth between £40 million and £50 million.

Answer · Angela Constance: I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.

30 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what target it uses for reducing the rate of disability poverty.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not have a specific disability poverty target rate. However our delivery plan ‘A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People’ sets out five long term ambitions aimed at changing the lives of disabled people in Scotland and ensuring that …

30 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it records and reports on the disability poverty rate.

Answer · Angela Constance: The disability poverty rate is published each year in the ‘Poverty equality analysis’ and ‘Characteristics of poverty’ analysis on the poverty statistics pages of the Scottish Government website: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Social-Welfare/Inc…

23 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to recommendations 9 and 10 of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group report, A Scotland without fuel poverty is a fairer Scotland, and by what date it will implement these.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government has welcomed publication of reports from both the Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group and the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force. Collectively, over 100 recommendations were made, many of which are complex and have wider …

23 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on victims, whether it has notified the UK Government of its position on the so-called tax credit “rape clause” proposal in which, to avoid losing tax credits, a woman who has a third child as the result of rape would have to justify her decision to keep…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government wrote to the Minister of State for Welfare Reform on 15 December 2016 about the UK Government's proposals for “Exceptions to the limiting of the Child Element of Universal Credit to a maximum of two children”. The letter made clear th…

23 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether extending winter fuel payments to families with severely disabled children can be delivered before competency for this benefit has been fully transferred to the Scottish Ministers.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is currently waiting for the UK Government to lay the necessary regulations to commence section 23 of the 2016 Scotland Act, which makes provision for heating expenses. Until the UK Government acts, the Scottish Parliament does not hav…

23 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mitigate the effect of inflation on winter fuel payments once competency for this benefit has been fully transferred to the Scottish Ministers.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring our policies are designed to best meet people’s needs, in the context of swingeing UK Government cuts to the overall welfare budget. That is why we have already committed to uprating disability benefits in line…

23 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of responses to its consultation on social security in Scotland advocated means testing for winter fuel payments.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has commissioned an independent organisation, Research Scotland, to carry out an analysis of all of the responses to the Scottish Government’s consultation on social security. The analysis report, which will be published shortly, will …

19 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether executive competence is required to deliver the Maternity and Early Years’ Allowance.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Yes, executive competence would be needed to deliver all aspects of the Best Start Grant (formally Maternity and Early Years Allowance). Following the Scotland Act 2016, UK Ministers could transfer their executive competence for maternity payments under exist…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what target it has set for the number of organisations that apply for the new model of Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers accreditation in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: There is no target for accreditation. The new model for accreditation is being tested across a 3-year period from November 2016, and current estimates are that around 150 organisations could go through the process in that period. This would enable all previou…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations are accredited under the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The list of Accredited Agencies published on the Scottish Government’s website at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Justice/policies/widening-access/standardsforadvisers indicates that there are 97 organisations accredited to the SNSIAP, some with multiple accredita…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided to encourage Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers accreditation since 2009.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Scottish Government funding for the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers accreditation since 2009 has been as follows: 2009-10 - £150,000 2010-11 - £150,000 2011-12 - £150,000 2012-13 - £150,000 2013-14 - nil* 2014-15 - £116,…