Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-12079, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on delivering record social security investment in Scotlan...

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville) SNP

We have transformed social security provision in Scotland. We have established a radically different system that is based on dignity, fairness and respect. T...

Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD

When the minister was at Ibrox primary school this morning, did she discuss the very low take-up of the early learning and childcare provision for two-year-o...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

We have indeed spoken about that in the past in the chamber. I recognise Willie Rennie’s continued interest in the area. As he and I have discussed in the pa...

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con) Con

I know about the cabinet secretary’s points from my committee work and agree with many of them, but what work has the Scottish Government undertaken to look ...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

As Miles Briggs should know, one of the reasons why the number of complaints has gone up is that the number of cases has gone up exponentially because we too...

Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

What would the cabinet secretary say to the 50,000 people who are waiting more than three months for disability benefits, some of whom are being forced to go...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

One of the very different aspects of the system that I have just discussed is the fact that Social Security Scotland will gather the supporting information. ...

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con) Con

I remind members that I receive the personal independence payment. I am pleased to take part in the debate. It is always encouraging when we come to the cha...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

Does the member recognise that we are spending more money than Westminster because our values are different? That spend includes investment of nearly £500 mi...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I will give you the time back, Mr Balfour.

Jeremy Balfour Con

I say with respect that I think that the cabinet secretary has got the wrong end of the stick. I am simply asking, if the Scottish Government is going to nee...

Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

John Swinney (Perthshire North) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Jeremy Balfour Con

I will in a second. One would think that, if the agency was spending that much on operations, it would be running a bit more smoothly, or at least the hando...

John Swinney SNP

I am grateful to Mr Balfour for giving way, because he is advancing an entirely contradictory argument. On the one hand, he is telling Parliament that the Sc...

Jeremy Balfour Con

I am always happy to try to help Mr Swinney. We have higher and higher costs of administration of the same benefits. We are spending more money on doing the ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Cabinet secretary, we need to hear the member who has the floor, which is Jeremy Balfour. Please continue, Mr Balfour.

Jeremy Balfour Con

I am grateful. Up to this point, Social Security Scotland has moved across fewer than 5,000 people per month on average. To meet the new target, the Governme...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Jeremy Balfour Con

I will finish this point. I would appreciate it if the cabinet secretary, now or in closing, explained why it will take so long for the report’s findings to ...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

The independent review will decide its own timelines, but I suggest that, if Mr Balfour wants any changes to eligibility, it would be useful if the Scottish ...

Jeremy Balfour Con

I ask the cabinet secretary to reflect in closing that the August 2025 date came from her press release. That is the date that the Government has set. I am ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Paul O’Kane joins us remotely to speak to and move amendment S6M-12079.1. 15:19

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

This is at least the third debate that we have had on social security in the past 12 months. As always, I will begin with a note of consensus. As in previous...

Kate Forbes SNP

I wonder whether Paul O’Kane could identify specific welfare policies that Labour would reverse that the Tories have introduced.

Paul O’Kane Lab

I believe that Ms Forbes has participated in a number of social security debates in which we have had this interaction before. I am very clear that Labour wa...

Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD

John Swinney will recall how we got here. It was as a result of the Smith commission. I know that John Swinney was not wholly satisfied with the process, but...

Jeremy Balfour Con

Will Willie Rennie give way?

Willie Rennie LD

Not just now. Although it is right to reflect on the decline of child poverty levels, we have not dealt with the root causes of why we have such high levels ...