Contents
- Attendance
- Decision on Taking Business in Private
- Social Security Response to Covid-19 (Inquiry)
- Subordinate Legislation
Subordinate Legislation
Carer’s Allowance (Coronavirus) (Breaks in Care) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/350)
Agenda item 3 is subordinate legislation. I refer members to paper 2, which is a note by the clerk.
Members are asked to consider the Carer’s Allowance (Coronavirus) (Breaks in Care) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2020, which are subject to the negative procedure. Are members content to note the instrument? I will wait for a brief moment to ensure that we get agreement on that. I see that Rachael Hamilton is indicating that she wants to make a comment.
I would like clarification on the extension from 3 December 2020 to 12 May 2021. Was that approach in place six months previously, as well? Is that the standard timing?
I am afraid that that is not a question for me to answer, but we can seek clarity on it. Does any other member wish to make a comment on that? I am not sure whether your query prevents you from noting the instrument, but we could certainly get the clerk to give us clarity on that.
Yes, please. That was brought in to reflect the changes that the DWP made. I would like a little more clarity on whether that approach will continue with the UK Government, so that there is consistency.
That is my understanding but, as I said, it is not for me to answer that question; it is for me to agree that, if we need clarity, we should get it. I thank Rachael Hamilton for indicating that that does not prevent her from noting that she is content with the instrument.
If there are any other comments, members should put them in the chat box before we formally note the instrument. There are no additional comments. Thank you very much. We agree to note the instrument.
Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/340)
Agenda item 4 is also subordinate legislation. I refer members to paper 3, which is a note by the clerk.
Members are asked to consider the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2020, which are subject to the negative procedure. Are members content to note the instrument, or would anyone like to make a comment before we note it?
I have a couple of questions that we could perhaps ask the Scottish Government in writing. I presume that the scheme has been implemented at Westminster, so there will be the same scheme across the whole of the United Kingdom, but I am not sure whether that is the case. I also presume that there has been an equality impact assessment. We could write to the Scottish Government to see that assessment, because the change impacts on older people. It would be interesting to know what work has been done by the Scottish Government in that area.
That is a reasonable point, Mr Balfour. I think that the aim is to ensure consistency. We will see what additional information we can get from the Government about an equality impact assessment if we do not have that information already.
I do not see anyone indicating that they are not content to note the instrument. As members are not saying otherwise in the chat box, we agree to note the instrument.
We will now move to agenda item 5, under which we will reflect on the evidence that we heard earlier in the meeting. I formally close the public part of the meeting.
10:45 Meeting continued in private until 11:20.