Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame) SNP

The next item of business is the stage 3 debate on motion S5M-22845, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on the Social Security Administration and Tribun...

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

I thank all those who have contributed to and supported the development of the bill. I know that the past months have been hard on everyone, so I am particul...

Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Con

I am delighted to open on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives, and I want to thank everyone who gave evidence for the purposes of the bill. Its development ...

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

Building a social security system that is fit for purpose clearly takes many years and a lot of hard work. I imagine that it must have been a very stressful ...

Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green) Green

I, too, thank everybody who provided evidence to assist our scrutiny of the bill. The main purpose of the bill is to make adjustments to our new social secu...

Shona Robison (Dundee City East) (SNP) SNP

Although the Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Bill is a short, technical bill, it makes some important changes to the admini...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

I speak as a former member of the Social Security Committee. I was technically in charge of the bill for my party for a very brief period, in my stint as sha...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Stewart Stevenson is the last speaker in the open debate. 16:27

Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) SNP

Congratulations to Graham Simpson, who has made the bold and, I am sure, entirely justified claim that nothing went wrong on his watch. Of course, he was car...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Can I stop you there, Mr Stevenson? You might think that you have made a short contribution, but you are already a minute and a half over.

Stewart Stevenson SNP

I am most obliged to you, Presiding Officer. As I peer at my screen, I can now see the clock. I will draw my remarks to a conclusion there by saying that I w...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Thank you. I appreciate that it is difficult when you are attending remotely. Notwithstanding my little scolding of Mr Stevenson, we might be able to bring d...

Pauline McNeill Lab

There is not much to add. When Graham Simpson reminded us that nothing went wrong during his brief stint as shadow minister for social security, I was remind...

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con) Con

This has been a consensual debate—so much so that even the convener of the committee has not felt the need to intervene.

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

I was going to intervene on Pauline McNeill, who is the deputy convener, but I will intervene on Mr Balfour instead to put on record my thanks to fellow comm...

Jeremy Balfour Con

I thank Mr Doris—that is probably the most positive comment that he has made in the past four and a half years. Laughter. I was about to say that the committ...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

I thank all members for their contributions to the debate, and everyone who contributed at stages 1 and 2 of the bill’s passage. Pauline McNeill was quite ri...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Thank you, cabinet secretary. When I am waving my pen and glowering at you, it means that you are running well over time. I might have to do other gestures; ...