Chamber and committees

Under existing social security legislation, Social Security Scotland already have the power to recover social security benefits that have been overpaid.

Social Security Scotland does not report the cost of administering individual benefits as the organisation operates a flexible workforce across its 18 benefits, with shared systems and corporate functions supporting delivery. As a result, administrative costs are not incurred or recorded on a per-benefit basis and cannot be broken down by individual benefit.

The organisation deploys staff across all benefits to respond to changes in demand, including seasonal peaks, ensuring clients continue to be supported effectively. Costs may therefore fluctuate over the course of the year in line with this operational approach.

Information on Social Security Scotland’s overall administrative expenditure is published in its Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25: Social Security Scotland - Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25.

Social Security Scotland uses data from its translation services provider to identify the languages most requested by clients. Proactive translations of factsheets are made based on this information.

The full list of Ministerial responsibilities can be found at the Scottish Government website. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing's responsibilities are here: https://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-ministers/cabinet-secretary-for-social-justice-and-housing/.

The Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS Dumfries and Galloway which is used to best meet the healthcare needs of their resident population. Funding is not ring-fenced for the provision of NHS Dentistry and it is not therefore possible to provide this figure.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00214 on 1 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found athttps://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government has committed to respond directly to the concerns of rural and island communities which includes the review and refreshment of existing financial incentives available to the sector, such as Golden Hello payments, to better support patient access in rural and island areas. This work is currently underway and we hope to have revised arrangements in place later in this financial year.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on registration and participation centrally. Public Services Delivery Scotland publishes information on patient registration and participation for NHS Boards, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway: NHS dental data monitoring report.

The Scottish Government recognises the challenges faced for patients accessing NHS dentistry in rural and island areas, which is why we have provided an additional £437k of recurring funding from 2025-26 to support access to dental services in NHS Dumfries and Galloway.