Question reference: S5W-16170
- Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 25 April 2018
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 10 May 2018
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, should the UK Government's support be withdrawn in March 2019, what plans it has to replace funding for supported businesses in Scotland.
Answer
The key area of work at this stage is to continue to press DWP for further detail on their new funding arrangements for supported businesses which will be in place from April 2019. The financial impact on businesses is a critical issue and we are liaising closely with the sector in Scotland as the detail emerges.
I have written twice to DWP on this topic this year and on 28 March 2018 I discussed the matter with Sarah Newton, Minister for Disability, Health and Work when I asked for details on the financial implications for the businesses.
In support of our work to achieve the commitment to reduce the disability employment gap by at least half, the Scottish Government is currently developing a Disability Employment Action Plan which will be published later this year. Many third sector and community enterprises support the employment of disabled people and we will consult with them and the supported businesses involved as this work is developed.