Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government will pay for the costs incurred for delivery of welfare foods under agency agreement with Department of Health and Social Care. The costs for financial year 2019-20 are estimated to be in the region of £45,000.

Yes.

The Prior Information Notice (PIN) published on 3 April alerted interested parties to the Scottish Government's intention to establish an Advocacy Service for the Scottish Social Security system. Alongside the PIN, the Scottish Government published a "Request For Information" (RFI). The RFI sought information from the advocacy sector around contract options, capacity and outcomes to enable the SG to develop a suitable procurement strategy. Services were able to ask for further information and seek clarity while the RFI was open.

Officials have also been working with advocacy and other third sector organisations around the development of the advocacy service standards required by the Act. At meetings with these organisations, officials outlined the procurement options being considered.

Social Security officials have liaised with colleagues responsible for the development and introduction of Children's Hearing advocacy services and shared knowledge and experience where this was relevant.

Any procurement process would require bidders to indicate capacity to provide advocacy support and to demonstrate how they would intend to recruit and train staff. This would be assessed as part of tender evaluation.

Ten third sector organisations responded to the prior information notice/request for information. The number of bodies requesting information cannot be given as the Public Contracts Scotland portal anonymises questions.

The £10 million capital funding in the 2019-20 Social Security Directorate budget is allocated to the development of IT systems.

The Scottish Government record when an individual joins the organisation from another government department, but not which department it is. It is therefore not possible to report on the number of staff who have previously worked for the Department for Work and Pensions.

The Scottish Government is working towards having the advocacy provision in place for the delivery of the first devolved disability benefits in 2020.

Reporting and operating arrangements would be agreed with the contractor or contractors as part of any procurement process.