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-22307

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22046 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 March 2019, how many of the older people included in the estimate are Attendance Allowance cases (a) with entitlement and (b) in payment, and whether older people who are entitled to but not receiving Attendance Allowance will be transferred to disability assistance for older people.

The forecast of 89,800 provided in response to question S5W-22046 included cases in payment and with entitlement. We do not have forecasts which separately model the off flow in cases between "with entitlement” and “in payment” for existing cases to be transferred. I can confirm that older people who are entitled to Attendance Allowance but are not in payment will be transferred to disability assistance for older people.

Question reference: S5W-22243

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its consultation on disability assistance, with regard to duration of awards, how it defines "significant development milestones" and the conditions under which these would occur, and which of these would require children to be reviewed in exception to the rule that it will introduce a "rolling award".

Question reference: S5W-22266

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether an individual can seek a re-determination or review of a decision of Social Security Scotland not to provide a home assessment.

The circumstances outlined in the Consultation on Disability Assistance in which the Agency may invite a person for a face to face assessment are consistent with section 14 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. The circumstances outlined in the consultation are those where an assessment may be the only practical way to obtain information. The approach outlined in the document has been informed by previous consultation and it is supported by advice from the Disability and Carers Expert Advisory Group. Question 64 of the Disability Assistance consultation requests any further comments consultees wish to make relating to Disability Assistance not specifically covered by the consultation document. This question allows consultees to provide any comments on areas they have not had the opportunity to provide.

Question reference: S5W-22263

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA regarding the recognition of short-term assistance for the purposes of ensuring continuity of the passported entitlements that local authorities control during the period when short-term assistance is paid.

Question reference: S5W-22244

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its consultation on disability assistance, with regard to duration of awards, what mechanism it will use to determine whether a person is likely to have a significant change in their needs in order to set a review point, and whether a person will be entitled to request a re-determination of the decision to set a review point in isolation.

Question reference: S5W-22223

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its comments in its consultation on disability assistance regarding Social Security Scotland's ability to use face-to-face assessments in prescribed circumstances for the determination of disability assistance for working age people, for what reason it has not requested specific feedback on this list of circumstances in its consultation; how it plans to manage the agency's freedom to decide where a face-to-face assessment is required, and how it will consult in further detail on the agency's proposed use of this power.

Question reference: S5W-22237

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its consultation on disability assistance, whether it plans to produce a list of the types of supporting information that will be considered and, if so, whether this will be inclusive rather than exhaustive.

Question reference: S5W-22071

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement in its position paper on Cold Spell and Winter Heating Assistance (WHA) that "We propose this WHA payment is consistent with the current Winter Fuel Payments made by the UK Government at £200", whether WHA will only be paid at a rate of £200.

Question reference: S5W-22219

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether disability assistance case managers will be trained to (a) have specialist knowledge regarding a single or small number of conditions or (b) take a generalist approach with a knowledge of a wide number of conditions.

Question reference: S5W-22265

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether an individual will have an absolute right to a home assessment for disability assistance in the event that they request one as a result of Social Security Scotland having determined that a face-to-face assessment is required.