Chamber and committees

We want everyone eligible for disability benefits to access their entitlements. Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment provide financial support to help mitigate the additional costs of being disabled or living with a long-term health condition. We take a person-centred approach to decision making, based on individuals’ level of need, rather than on the specific condition or disability.

The Scottish Government have abolished anxiety inducing private sector assessments for Adult Disability Payment. Instead, Social Security Scotland make decisions on the information provided in the application form and any supporting information.

If more information is needed, a consultation with a Social Security Scotland health and social care practitioner may be carried out. Consultations are based on trust and they do not involve degrading examinations.

Scottish Development International prioritised 26 international markets as set out in our export strategy, A Trading Nation, which is available on the gov.scot website. At the time of publication in 2019, these 26 markets account for 80% of strongest export growth opportunities.

The Scottish Government is awaiting the final business case from the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Once received, it will be reviewed through the relevant governance processes.

Data is available on the share of SME employers that report a profit. These estimates, sourced from the Small Business Survey, are shown in Table 1. In 2019, 78% of SME employers in Scotland reported generating a profit, this fell to 70% in 2020, with the latest data for 2023 putting the share back at 78%.

Table 1: Taking into account all sources of income in the last financial year, did you generate a profit or surplus? – SME Employers - Scotland

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35682 on 27 March 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Figures provided by the recipients of the Green Jobs Fund awards estimated that the projects will support up to 7354 jobs over the life of the individual projects.

The original policy intent of the powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 was to support local decision making around non-domestic rates reliefs. Local authorities are independent bodies, and it is for local authorities themselves to consider whether to use those powers. However, the Scottish Government includes information on these powers in its non-domestic rates relief guidance issued to local authorities annually, and routinely works with councils and the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation to ensure those powers are clearly understood.

The Scottish Government’s A Fairer Scotland for Older People: framework for action contains a dedicated strand focused on activity we are undertaking to ensure people are financially secure and supported as they age. The framework and actions within it are discussed at the Older People Strategic Action Forum, of which Independent Age are a valued member.

The Scottish Government provides funding of £2.2 million, through the Equality and Human Rights Fund, to older people’s organisations and age equality projects. This funding is delivering a range of initiatives that tackles poverty among older people. A copy of the fund’s progress report can be found here Oct 23-Mar 24_E&HR Progress Report and provides details on initiatives we are delivering with this funding.

We are also tackling social isolation and loneliness by providing £3.8m over three years to 53 community projects across Scotland through the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund that is creating opportunities for people to connect. Disabled people and older people (75+) are two of the priority groups targeted by the Fund.. A copy of the fund’s progress can be found here SIAL-2023-26-year-2-progress-report-2.pdf

As you may know, on 9 June the UK Government announced an intention to expand eligibility to the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) in England and Wales to pensioners with an individual income of £35,000 or less per year. Following careful consideration of the options available, the Scottish Government has decided to mirror the approach taken by the UK Government for our Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP). From this winter onwards, PAWHP will be a payment of £203.40 per pensioner household with no individual aged 80 or over, or £305.10 per pensioner households with an individual aged 80 or over. This means pensioners in Scotland will be better off compared to those in the rest of the UK.

There is other support in Scotland, through the Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) Passport, that aims to increase independence and participation of older and disabled people. This includes Free Personal Care, access to a disabled person’s bus pass and a companion pass and although receipt of PADP does not provide automatic entitlement to a Blue Badge, eligible disabled people can apply through their local authority.

The provisions of the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill will make permanent the legislative framework for virtual attendance at criminal courts first introduced over five years ago. This approach has been extensively consulted on including through the Scottish Government’s pre-legislative consultation. The responses of the Faculty of Advocates and the Law Society of Scotland to that consultation supported making these provisions permanent. The Scottish Solicitors Bar Association’s written evidence to the Criminal Justice Committee also supported the use of virtual hearings in specific circumstances such as intermediate diets and preliminary hearings.

As with any aspect of service delivery, the greater use of technology may cause difficulties to arise from time to time and justice agencies and partners engage with each other on those as they would about any matter of operational practice.

By its very nature, that is an ongoing and continuous process. Through repeated use and refinement of the technology over the last five years since the emergency legislation was introduced, practice has improved and there are adequate checks in place to minimise disruption caused by technical difficulties.

The comments by Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association were both made in the context of feedback around virtual custodies rather than the functioning of virtual provisions generally. Delivery partners have recognised concerns and virtual custodies have been paused pending a review including on the technological challenges experienced to date in implementation. A revised model will be explored through a working group established by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service which includes justice partners such as the Law Society of Scotland.

The Scottish Government remain deeply concerned about the current financial pressures facing the social care sector. We fully recognise the anxiety and growing concerns within the social care sector in light of the increasing financial viability pressures.

These pressures have been caused by recent policy decisions made by the UK Government, including the rise in employer National Insurance Contributions, increases in salary threshold levels and adjustments to the social care visa system, all of which have direct and significant implications for the sector’s workforce and financial sustainability.

The Scottish Government has been pressing the UK Government at every opportunity to reverse these decisions, which are potentially catastrophic for the social care sector in Scotland. Despite the lack of engagement from the UK Government, Scottish Government officials have undertaken a significant programme of work to consider how to respond to the current financial viability pressures in the sector, and to understand the impact that these challenges will have. The Scottish Government initially established the eNICS Working Group in February 2025, which has since developed into the Financial Viability Response Group (FVRG).

The FVRG includes representatives from COSLA, from Health and Social Care Partnerships, SOLACE, Scottish Care, CCPS and the SSSC and it meets weekly, subject to progress.

This includes ongoing engagement with local leaders through the Collaborative Response and Assurance Group (CRAG), alongside regular monthly roundtable discussions involving Scottish Ministers, COSLA, and other key partners. In addition, we are continuing to evaluate both the immediate and longer-term impacts of these changes on care providers, service delivery, and the social care workforce.

Our shared goal is to identify, understand and manage the immediate risks effectively, while also laying the groundwork for a more resilient and sustainable social care system in Scotland. This will be an ongoing process with a number of options under consideration, and we value the collaboration and insight of all stakeholders as we navigate these complex challenges together.

While we will continue to provide as much support as possible to the sector, we are also confident in the ability of our local partners to ensure that appropriate contingency planning is being undertaken effectively and to respond to both national and local level pressures.

Local Authorities, Integration Authorities, and NHS Boards each play a key role in developing contingency plans at the local level. As Category One Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act, they undertake significant and robust planning and preparation, in order to fully respond effectively to a range of scenarios.