Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame) SNP

As no members appear to want to sit on the front benches, apart from the Government front benches, I will proceed. The next item of business is a stage 1 de...

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People (Shirley-Anne Somerville) SNP

I will begin by thanking the stakeholders who have engaged constructively with both the Government and the Social Security Committee to inform and scrutinise...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Before I call Bob Doris, I apologise to members. I clean forgot that members have to stay in the seats to which they are allocated so that they do not spread...

Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) SNP

As convener of the Social Security Committee, I am pleased to speak in this afternoon’s debate on the Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership ...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

This is a largely technical bill, and I imagine that what we will hear today is a series of similar speeches. I expect that Parliament will support the gener...

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Like my colleagues on the committee, Labour will, of course, support the bill. It is a short, technical bill that makes sensible adjustments to the framework...

Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green) Green

I, too, thank all those who gave evidence to the committee and helped us in our deliberations. It does not seem so long ago that we passed the historic legis...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani) SNP

We move to the open debate. Speeches should be four minutes, please. 15:54

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in support of the bill. My colleagues on the committee will be aware of my strong beliefs that we should always w...

Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con) Con

I am pleased to be able to speak in this stage 1 debate. As members have pointed out, the bill is quite technical; as such, it will probably not get the atte...

Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) SNP

I am not a member of the Social Security Committee but, as a former convener, I take an interest in its continuing work. I thank the convener and members for...

Gordon Lindhurst (Lothian) (Con) Con

The bill would appear to significantly increase the workload for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service—or at least it has the potential to do so—in deali...

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

When I received a call from the cabinet secretary’s office for an urgent meeting on the Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Bil...

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con) Con

I thank all members for their contributions to the debate, which has been helpful. As has been said, the bill is quite technical, but it contains welcome pol...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

I thank members for their constructive contributions today. I have listened carefully to their critique and their suggestions for how the bill can be improve...

Graham Simpson Con

I thank the cabinet secretary for taking an intervention. I am trying to help her to spin this out a little bit. I appreciate the staffing difficulties at So...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

I am grateful to Graham Simpson for recognising the hard work of Social Security Scotland staff, including the new recruits who have been working remotely. I...

The Presiding Officer NPA

That concludes the stage 1 debate on the Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Bill.