Chamber and committees

Given the timing issue, I invite colleagues to agree that the clerks and I will produce a short factual report of the committee’s decision and arrange to have it published. Are members content with that?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you, minister. That is very helpful. I move to questions from colleagues. Some colleagues have indicated in advance that they would like to ask questions on certain areas; if others would like to come in, I ask them to indicate that to me in the normal way, whether in person or online. That would be very helpful.

Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the eighth meeting in 2021 of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee. I ask all members to ensure that their mobile phones are on silent. Apologies have been received from Natalie Don, and Evelyn Tweed is attending as Natalie’s substitute.

This morning, we are considering two Scottish statutory instruments. As outlined in the agenda, we will start with the draft Disability Assistance for Children and Young People (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 before considering the draft Winter Heating Assistance for Children and Young People (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021. There will be the opportunity for a changeover of officials between agenda items 2 and 3.

I welcome to the meeting Ben Macpherson, Minister for Social Security and Local Government, and Jennifer Sinclair, social security policy manager at the Scottish Government. Online, we are joined from the Scottish Government by David Hilber, team leader of case transfer policy, and Kirsten Simonnet-Lefevre, principal legal officer.

Before we move to questions from members, I invite the minister to make an opening statement on the Disability Assistance for Children and Young People (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021.

I thank the officials and the minister for their attendance today. That concludes the public part of this morning’s meeting.

Item 3 is consideration of the draft Winter Heating Assistance for Children and Young People (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021. The minister is now joined by Jana Eyssel, who is the disability benefits policy manager in the Scottish Government. Online we have Stephanie Virlogeux, senior principal legal officer, and a further legal representative from the Government, Natalie Barton. I ask the minister to make an opening statement.

I thank colleagues who have joined us either in person or virtually for their time this morning, and I suspend briefly to allow a changeover of officials.

Yes, that is a helpful suggestion. I am hoping that the committee can liaise with the Minister for Parliamentary Business on the timetable and the timescales. On the points that Ms Duncan-Glancy raises on SCOSS, your proposal to outline the resources would be very helpful and welcome, minister. We will continue to liaise with SCOSS to ensure that it has the capacity to carry out its scrutiny work.

As there are no further questions, we move to the formal debate on the motion. I remind the committee that only committee members and the minister may take part. I invite the minister to move motion S6M-01319.

Motion moved,

That the Social Justice and Social Security Committee recommends that the Winter Heating Assistance for Children and Young People (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 [draft] be approved.—[Ben Macpherson]

Motion agreed to.

Your very helpful briefing points to changes that have had to be made to inflation forecasts. There are obvious reasons for that: volatility in the economy that is driven by residual and continuing effects of Brexit and the pandemic. I have two points. First, as we look ahead to the Scottish budget, how difficult will it be for you to predict inflation rates, given where we are with the fuel crisis, rising energy costs and other costs that are having an impact on households across Scotland? Secondly, where do you expect inflation to be around the time of the Scottish budget and Christmas?

What about the projected trends towards Christmas?