Question reference: S5O-00276
- Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 26 October 2016
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 2 November 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the UK Government's response to its proposals for employment support programmes.
Answer
On 5 October 2016 I advised the Scottish Parliament that Damian Green, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions had confirmed in a letter to me that the extent to which the UK Government’s benefit conditionality and sanctions would apply to devolved employment services was a matter for the Scottish Government.
Since that time and following the most recent meeting of the Joint Ministerial Group on Welfare on 11 October 2016, the Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell responded to a question in the House of Commons confirming that the UK Government would respect the desire of the Scottish Government to deliver devolved employment support on a voluntary basis.
I welcome that statement and now expect the UK Government to follow through on that publically stated position.