Meeting of the Parliament 20 May 2014
It is a very good point. I noticed that Kenneth Gibson was also wearing the same tie for Enable Scotland. This is an enabling bill for those who have disabilities, so it is quite appropriate.
On welfare reform, our guiding approach so far has been to maximise the number of people who will passport automatically because they were previously eligible. We have tried to minimise the changes that will take effect in Scotland by keeping an eye on those who have blue badges and making it as straightforward as possible for them to continue to use them when they are eligible. That will be the approach that we will continue to take in future.
Enforcement officers and the question of legal recompense to local authorities were mentioned. The bill confers powers, not duties, so it is up to local authorities to decide how to use the powers. They can help to fund additional officers—if that is what they choose to do—by using the money that they can take under the bill. As I said earlier, someone in Glasgow or Edinburgh who misuses a badge can gain up to £6,000 a year. That money is lost to the local authorities. If they can get that money back in, it can help them to pay for their enforcement services, but that would be the choice of the local authorities.
The one place where there will be an additional cost is the review process. I note the point that Anne McTaggart raised about an independent and perhaps external review process. We looked at such a process and, although I am not afraid to look at it again, we have taken local authorities at their word that they can manage—as they do in many other respects—an internal review process. Of course, outwith that, people have recourse to the ombudsman and, as I said earlier, to the legal process, so there are adequate means of redress.
On a related point, there is a good reason why the process to get a blue badge can be quite complex: to protect the interests of blue badge holders. The process is complex right across the UK—the Scottish Government has not done this alone—whether regarding the database or the new process. The reason is to minimise the number of people who should not have a badge who do. The number of spaces is limited, so it is very important that we protect the interests of those who need them most. That is one reason why the form, as Cameron Buchanan mentioned, is quite complex.
I mentioned that we will put in place the review process, which builds on the introduction of independent mobility assessments, carried out by occupational therapists. It will no longer be for personal GPs or nurses to make assessments; rather, there will be independent mobility assessments. That was what the UK-wide review came back with.
The existing legislation is clear that the assessment will be carried out by an independent health professional with the correct skills and experience to determine a person’s functional mobility, which is the crucial criterion for the awarding of a blue badge. The implementation of IMAs is being closely monitored, particularly in light of the recent welfare changes.
The Scottish Government is pleased with the Local Government and Regeneration Committee’s report. The provisions will provide local authorities with powers that they can use as part of their existing arrangements for parking enforcement and apply as they consider necessary. Importantly, the bill responds to the views of badge holders. Once again, I congratulate Dennis Robertson on the work that he has done so far.
17:21