Chamber and committees

The benefit cap is a UK Government policy that sets a limit on the total annual payment a household can receive from means-tested benefits. The Scottish Government cannot amend this policy but we can provide support to benefit-capped families through the discretionary housing payment system. Our aim is to mitigate the cap as fully as possible within the parameters set by UK legislation on discretionary housing payments.

We are working with local authorities to identify good practice in benefit cap mitigation and agree how to best support those affected. This additional funding will be rolled out as early as possible this year. Estimates show around 4,000 households are capped and we will work with local authorities to identify those.

The duty to ensure equality of opportunity rests with employers and so the development and implementation of plans is a matter for Local Authorities. The Scottish Government does not collect this information centrally.

Public sector bodies, including local authorities, are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) which requires listed public authorities, in all their functions, to have due regard to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic, such as disabled people, and those who do not.

Furthermore, local authorities in Scotland are subject to The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012. This includes a duty to gather and use employee information in relation to their protected characteristics, before using that information to better fulfil their duties under the PSED; as well as a duty to publish statements on equal pay and occupational segregation (within organisations) regarding disabled people. Responsibility for ensuring compliance with these duties lies with the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The Scottish Government is currently reviewing the effectiveness of the PSED in Scotland. This means reviewing the Scottish Specific Duties as well as the implementation environment in which they sit. From December 2021 to April 2022 we ran a public consultation containing ambitious and detailed proposals for changes to the duties, several of which will help to address barriers faced by disabled people in the workforce.

After consultation responses have been analysed, we will continue to work with public bodies and equality advocacy groups with a view to introducing new regulations that will deliver better outcomes for those who experience inequality.

The Scottish Government has published two progress reports following the initial publication of A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan in December 2018. These were published in March 2020 and March 2021.

Labour Market Statistics are published regularly by the Scottish Government and include data on disabled people’s employment rate, and the disability employment gap. The most recent full year figures for the Annual Population Survey, allowing comparison with our baseline year (2016), were published on the Scottish Government’s website in March of this year.

We are currently in the process of refreshing A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan, to be published in Autumn 2022 as part of a single, unified Fair Work Action Plan. Where appropriate, this will include a refresh of actions that remain in progress, whilst also identifying new action to be undertaken to reduce the disability employment gap.

The Scottish Government has established a Short Life Working Group (SLWG), co-chaired by Glasgow Disability Alliance, to develop a refresh of the Action Plan, to be published in Autumn 2022 as part of an overarching Fair Work action plan. Membership of the working group includes: disabled people’s organisations (Inclusion Scotland, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living), national disability organisations (e.g. ENABLE Works, Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities), as well as wider stakeholders with an interest and expertise in disabled people’s employment (e.g. STUC, the Institute of Directors, Public Health Scotland, Skills Development Scotland) and internal Scottish Government policy teams.

Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO’s) are key to representing the voice of lived experience on the working group itself – they have been clear in their view that the Scottish Government should not repeat previous engagement as to what the barriers to employment are for disabled people. Rather, we have agreed that the working group will develop initial proposals for action to address barriers and discrimination, with engagement with disabled people themselves to then be led by the DPOs, with support from Scottish Government and wider partners. This will enable us to sense check proposals and ensure they align with disabled people’s priorities in order to tackle the disability employment gap. In addition, engagement will be undertaken with wider stakeholders, as part of a communications and engagement strategy for the overarching Fair Work action plan.

Transport Scotland look to improve accessibility as part of wider rail enhancement and decarbonisation programme; which is why the 2 new stations on the new Levenmouth Railway, the new Inverness Airport station and the new Hairmyres Station on the East Kilbride line will all have accessibility at the heart of their design. Throughout 2019-2024 this Government will also provide funding for step-free access at Aviemore, Pitlochry, Nairn and Kingussie rail stations.

Rail accessibility is reserved to the UK Government and, while we work closely with the Department for Transport to agree priorities, the final decision rests with the UK Government. We continue to push for full devolution of rail powers to enable us to better deliver for Scotland’s rail users.

The DfT Access for All and Mid-Tier Programmes will deliver step-free access through the rail control period 2019 -2024 at selected Scottish stations can be found in the attached links:. Access for All: 73 stations set to benefit from additional funding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Rail stations across Great Britain receive £20 million funding boost for accessibility improvements - GOV.UK ( www.gov.uk ) Work has already commenced on site at Croy and Johnstone with the new accessible footbridges and lifts anticipated for completion later this year.

The Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) was recently published and this will inform transport investment in Scotland for the next 20 years (2022-2042) and recommendation 19, Infrastructure to Provide Access for all at Railway Stations, recommends a review of station accessibility across Scotland to identify barriers and improve access . Additional details can be obtained within the Draft Technical Report - January 2022 - STPR2 | Transport Scotland .

As part of the British Sign Language National Plan 2017 – 2023 , we have a commitment to work with partners to deliver and evaluate two training programmes aimed at supporting BSL/English interpreters to work within the Justice sector, with a view to informing a longer-term approach. Queen Margaret University now offers an elective module for BSL interpreting in Justice settings; more details can be found in the Scottish Government’s British Sign Language: Progress Report 2021 . The BSL Justice Advisory Group met again for the first time after the pandemic in October 2021, and another meeting was held in March 2022, where plans to develop workstreams was discussed. This includes looking at improvement in provision of BSL and English interpreters in courts and police stations, and potential solutions to current issues reported by case studies.

The Scottish Government has a commitment in the British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan 2017 – 2023 to work with local authorities, providers, and service users to improve the way that adult social care is delivered for BSL users. Work is underway to explore ways to meet this commitment with the establishment of the National Care Service. There is also a commitment to learn from actions we are taking forward in health to strengthen Scotland’s interpreting profession. Queen Margaret University offers a module in BSL interpreting in healthcare settings; more details can be found in the BSL Progress Report 2021 .

The Scottish Government is committed to the establishment of a National Care Service (NCS), and that work is continuing on schedule, ensuring that the design and delivery of the NCS has human rights embedded throughout. We will continue to engage with the real experts – people with lived experience of the service whether they are people accessing care and support, their families, care workers or providers – to improve future services and make things better for everyone. We have established a Social Covenant steering group, made up of people with lived experience, to ensure the new service is designed around the needs of care users and supports the needs of care workers.

ScotRail’s three-week public consultation provided passengers with the opportunity to have their say on the proposals for ticket office opening hours. The aim of this review, the first of its kind in over 30 years, is to make changes that will ensure the modernisation of Scotland’s stations and offer passengers a more efficient and effective service for the future. ScotRail has already provided assurances there will be no job losses.

Transport Focus – the independent passenger watchdog – was responsible for coordinating the associated consultation, collating responses, and providing its own view on the proposed changes. The Transport Focus findings, and ScotRail's response, were published by Transport Focus on 24 February.

I discussed the proposals when I met with the unions last month and will also discuss them with Transport Focus when we meet after Easter. Following that, I will consider the proposals, alongside the consultation findings and ScotRail’s response to the findings, before making any final decision.

Low Emission Zones regulations provide an exemption for Blue Badge holders, which includes both individual and organisational badges. Throughout the development of Scotland’s Low Emission Zones Transport Scotland have engaged with both the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland, and Disability Equality Scotland organisations to shape how the schemes will work.

Transport Scotland have completed an Equalities Impact Assessment, and held a public and organisational consultation with stakeholders in December 2021. This provided valuable feedback on the development of the National Blue Badge Exemption system, and Transport Scotland continues to work closely with the four local authorities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and Disability Equality Scotland as this system develops.

Transport Scotland will continue to consult with relevant stakeholders, including local authority partners who will be operating the schemes going forward.

In setting our Public Sector Equality Duty Equality Outcomes for the 2021-2025 reporting period, we committed to improving and embedding inclusive communication within Government and across the wider public sector. We are working in partnership with public bodies, equality advocacy groups and people with lived experience to create national standards and best practice examples of inclusive communication, including the production of information in a BSL format.

In addition, we are improving how BSL users can access information. In response to the British Sign Language National Plan 2017 – 2023 , a Guide and Tool has been developed that lets BSL users know of upcoming research events, currently used by the Scottish Government’s Digital Directorate. The guide has been provided as an example to other researchers in the public sector. More details on this action can be found in the British Sign Language Progress Report 2021 .