Chamber and committees

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has been allocated additional funding of £2,586,000 this year through transfers made at the Autumn Budget Revision, of this £1,728,000 was funding for STEM bursaries. Changes to budgets made at the Autumn Budget Revision are published on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/2021-22-autumn-budget-revision-budget-scotland-act/ 

The Scottish Government routinely publishes official labour market statistics for disabled people in Scotland and uses these to analyse how labour market barriers and outcomes for disabled people are changing over time and how they have been impacted by COVID-19.

Latest data are published at:

Labour market monthly briefing: October 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We know, for example, the disability employment gap in Scotland - the difference between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people - narrowed over the latest year to July 2020 – June 2021, to 32.0 percentage points.

Analysis is also published as part of the annual progress report of a Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: employment action plan - our plan to at least halve the disability employment gap in Scotland by 2038.

Latest report available here: Fairer Scotland for disabled people - employment action plan: progress report - year 2 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We are committed to working with Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) to ensure that the refresh of ‘ A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment action plan’ is informed by the lived experience of disabled people.

The short life working group overseeing the development of the refreshed action plan is co-chaired by the Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA). GDA and other DPOs will engage directly with their members and disabled people for input and views with regards to the refreshed action plan to ensure their views are heard and seen.

More broadly, we are committed to working together with DPOs to ensure disabled people’s input is represented in Scottish Government’s strategic and policy development in relation to achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people. For example, the direct involvement of disabled people’s organisations and their members has played a key role in shaping the next phase of No One Left Behind, our strategy for placing people at the centre of the design and delivery of employability services.

Working alongside Disabled Peoples Organisations, the STUC, and representatives from the third, public and private sectors, the Scottish Government is currently developing a refresh of ‘A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan’.

The refreshed action plan will set out how we will build on the progress we have made in tackling inequalities as we recover from the pandemic. We expect the plan to be published in Spring 2022.

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads with the local road authorities, including parking on local roads. In addition, Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. As such this is not an issue where the Scottish Government would become involved.

However, Glasgow City Council will enforce car-exclusion zones around schools by way of Traffic Regulation Order which will prohibit any motor vehicle without a permit of valid exemption from using the School Streets zone whilst the scheme is in operation.

Further information on this can be found at the following link;

Spaces for People: Expansion of School Car Free Zones - Glasgow City Council

The recently announced Social Security Scotland recruitment campaign will support the effective national roll-out delivery of Child Disability Payment and, in due course, Adult Disability Payment in line with our values of dignity, fairness and respect. This will also provide capacity to process new claims and support the transfer of existing cases from the Department of Work and Pensions. In 2022-2023 alone this will ensure that payments in excess of £2.2 billion are made safely and securely to over 400,000 people with lasting health conditions or disabilities. In addition, we are also building capacity for the introduction of further benefits beyond Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment, including Scottish Carers Allowance.

All buses are required to be compliant with the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) which are a matter reserved to the UK Government.

We are however aware that the Department for Transport (DfT) have granted some time limited exemptions to home to school transport and rail replacement bus services.

The UK Government, through their published National Bus Strategy for England “Bus Back Better”, included a commitment to complete a review of PSVAR by the end of 2023. This review should ensure that the accessibility of bus and coach services continues to be informed by the needs and expectations of disabled passengers for the foreseeable future.

All trains which run in Scotland must meet the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non-Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2010 (RVAR 2010) and the requirements in the Persons of Reduced Mobility National Technical Specification Notices (PRM NTSN). These regulations are reserved to the UK Government and regulated by the Office of Road and Rail.

The UK government (DfT) Access for All and Mid-Tier Programmes will deliver step-free access at Anniesland, Croy, Dumfries, Johnstone, Port Glasgow, Uddingston and Anderston between 2019 and 2024. The Scottish Government also remains committed to improving access, as part of wider rail investments, beyond the UK government programmes and over the same period Scottish Government will provide funding for step-free access at Aviemore, Pitlochry, Nairn and Kingussie stations in addition to making all new stations fully accessible.

The Scottish Government recognises that disabled persons’ parking places play a vital role in enabling disabled people to carry out day-to-day activities that non-disabled people can take for granted. Local authorities have a duty under the Disabled Persons' Parking Places (Scotland) Act 2009 to promote the proper use of disabled persons’ parking places, and aims to make all disabled bays enforceable. To do this, local authorities can use their Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) making powers to allow them to make adequate provisions for disabled parking around schools to aid parents or guardians.

In relation to the placing of a disabled persons’ parking place on a local road, it will be for the local authority to ensure it has complied with any relevant legislation and to take account of the safety of all road users. Local authorities are responsible for deciding how best to meet this duty on local roads in their areas.

We are continuing to make good progress towards delivery of Scottish Carer’s Assistance. We are currently undertaking joint feasibility work with the Department for Work and Pensions on the complex interactions Carer’s Allowance has, and Scottish Carer’s Assistance will have, with benefits such as Income Support and Universal Credit which will remain reserved. This will give us a better understanding of what can be delivered and when so that we can confirm our new delivery timetable for Scottish Carer’s Assistance.

Our aim is to begin building Scottish Carer’s Assistance next year, and we anticipate that it will take a minimum of 18 months, given the complex links with reserved systems. We plan to consult on proposals for the future of Scottish Carer’s Assistance this winter.

We are already delivering 11 benefits, seven of which are new. These include the first major disability benefit, Child Disability Payment, which launched as a pilot on 26 July and will roll out across Scotland on 22 November 2021. The new benefit also marks the start of our complex and large-scale programme of case transfer.

We have ambitious plans for the coming years. Next year we will deliver Adult Disability Payment and extend Scottish Child Payment to all eligible under 16s, subject to DWP cooperation. Last month, we announced further benefit dates including the planned launch of Low Income Winter Heating Assistance in winter 2022 and Pension Age Winter Heating Assistance, provisionally scheduled for winter 2024. We are working with DWP to confirm a launch date for Scottish Carer’s Assistance and will consult this winter on the new benefit.

As we emerge from the worst of the pandemic, with a new Ministerial team in post, we will take the opportunity to review our full timetable with our delivery partners in light of what we have learned during COVID-19, to see where there are options to do things differently and more efficiently.