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-15847

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the 2019-20 Budget process will take account for the proposed income supplement to tackle child poverty.

The Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan was launched on 29 March setting out our plans to reach the statutory targets to reduce and ultimately eradicate child poverty by 2030. A key action in the plan is the commitment to work towards introducing an income supplement for low income families. Further work is needed to develop the policy of the income supplement and assess what the most cost effective delivery route would be. The Poverty and Inequality Commission did not take costings into account in their recommendations to the Scottish Government, but advised they should be taken into consideration alongside issues such as complexity of delivery, potential take up rates, income security, potential disincentives to move into work or increase earnings as well as likely impact. The budget requirements of all Scottish Government portfolios, including those for the income supplement, will be considered as part of future budget processes.

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-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-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-15914

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 people have been employed at its Social Security (a) Directorate and (b) Agency in each month since April 2017.

All social security staff are currently employed by the Scottish Government.

The following table provides the relevant staffing levels from April 2017. Full time equivalent staff in Social Security Directorate and Agency Implementation Division (directly employed - permanent & fixed term, modern apprentice & inward loan).

	Social Security Directorate FTE	Agency Implementation Division FTE	Total FTE
Apr-17	107	3	110
May-17	104	14	118
Jun-17	127	35	162
Jul-17	147	36	183
Aug-17	191	39	230
Sep-17	220	39	259
Oct-17	226	42	268
Nov-17	229	44	273
Dec-17	225	53	278
Jan-18	232	56	288
Feb-18	225	61	286
Mar-18	228	60	288

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-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-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-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.