Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-15913

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) temporary contract and (b) seconded staff there are at its Social Security (i) Directorate and (ii) Agency, and what the total value is of their salaries

Question reference: S5W-15911

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many UK Government staff have transferred to its Social Security (a) Directorate and (b) Agency.

As of 20 April 2018, 55 UK Government staff have transferred to Scottish Government Social Security Directorate. Of these, 13 staff have been assigned to the Social Security Agency Implementation Division. The Social Security Agency will not employ any staff until it goes live later this year. At this point, it is expected that most staff currently employed within the Scottish Government Social Security Agency Implementation Division will be assigned to the Social Security Agency.

Question reference: S5W-15910

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff in its Social Security Directorate have transferred to its Social Security Agency.

The social security agency will not employ any staff until it goes live later this year. At that point, it is expected that most staff currently employed within the Scottish Government Social Security Agency Implementation Division will be assigned to the social security agency. Those recruited through current and planned recruitments for the agency will be, for the initial interim period before the agency goes live, assigned to the Social Security Agency Implementation Division. As an executive Agency all staff will remain Civil Servants employed by Scottish Ministers. As of the end of March 2018 the Social Security Agency Implementation Division had 60 Full Time Equivalent staff.

Question reference: S5W-15912

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many agency staff there are at its Social Security (a) Directorate and (b) Agency.

Question reference: S5W-15794

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 27 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates its officials have met the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to discuss universal credit split payments.

Since the passing of the Scotland Act in March 2016, officials from the Scottish Government have held frequent discussions with officials from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about a range of policy, operational and delivery issues to ensure the safe and secure transfer of the 11 devolved benefits and the Universal Credit flexibilities. This has included a number of discussions about Universal Credit split payments.

Question reference: S5W-15907

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of the Supported Accommodation Steering Group.

The members of the Supported Accommodation Steering Group are:

Michael McClements, COSLA

Tony Cain, ALACHO

Jeremy Hewer, SFHA

David Bookbinder, Glasgow West of Scotland Housing Forum

Yvette Burgess, Housing Support Enabling Unit

Amanda Britain, CIH

Jo Ozga, Scottish Woman’s Aid

Fiona Stringfellow, Blue Triangle Housing Association

Angela Currie, Blackwood Group

June Deans, Glasgow City Council

Julie Hunter, North Lanarkshire Council

Jules Oldham, Homeless Action Scotland

SG Staff

Graham Thomson (chair), Better Homes - Supported Accommodation Team

Dawn Abell, Social Security Directorate

Joseph Jobling, Communities Analytical Services

Sarah Newton, Communities Analytical Services

Tracy McKen, Better Homes - Supported Accommodation Team

Question reference: S5W-15908

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the Supported Accommodation Steering Group last met.

Question reference: S5W-15909

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Supported Accommodation Steering Group will make its recommendations.

Question reference: S5W-15838

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 20 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what IT accessibility programmes it provides for its staff.

Ensuring equality of opportunity to enable people to join and move through the organisation is a key consideration within Scottish Government, including ensuring our people are able to access the equipment and environment required to allow them to contribute fully.

In addition to any accessibility features built into operating systems and standard software packages, the following software is classed as Assistive Technology and is currently available and for use on the Scottish Government’s IT network:

JAWS (version 18)

ZoomText (version 11)

Dragon Professional (version 15)

TextHelp (version 11.5)

Kurzweil 1000 (version 14.02)

MindGenius (version 6)

As new versions of these software packages are released then these will be made available.

Question reference: S5W-15796

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of the universal credit minimum income floor will be on council tax reduction claims where the discretion under Regulation 3 of the Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018 is not used.