成人快手

Skip to main content
Loading…

Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

Filter your results Hide all filters

Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 15 August 2025
Select which types of business to include


Select level of detail in results

Displaying 2015 contributions

|

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Savings and Reductions 2022-23

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

I appreciate that the opportunities that are available to you are limited, particularly in year. Who did you speak to when considering which opportunities or options you had? Which organisations did you engage with? I appreciate that it happened in short order, but did you speak to any organisations or individuals to discuss the potential impacts of cuts to such services鈥攊ncluding, for example, those for disabled people, lone parents and women?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Savings and Reductions 2022-23

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

I appreciate that, and I appreciate the context in which the decisions have been taken. However, I have to say that I am not reassured that those decisions have fully taken into consideration a number of priority groups, such as those in the child poverty plan and people with protected characteristics. I do not think that I have had that reassurance today.

My next question is about the education maintenance allowance. It looks as if you are budgeting for failure of uptake of that. Should we not be encouraging people to take up the money and the benefits to which they are entitled? If uptake is higher than forecast鈥擨 know that it is a demand-led budget鈥攚hat are your plans to get money from elsewhere?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thank you for that, Graham.

Danny, are you also able to respond, in particular on the impact of the cost of living crisis on your organisation?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

My questions are about the effects of the flat-cash allocation to local authorities. In addition to the effects that you have already covered, what will the impact be of things such as the employability cuts? I appreciate the point about employability and the intersections with the people you represent, but I am keen to find out whether you think that there will be any implications in that regard. I am also keen to know what you would like the Government to do to engage your organisation. I am not asking about actions that you want the Government to take; I want to know how you would like the Government to work with you in future budgeting processes.

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Graham, do you have anything to add?

10:00  

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thank you. I have no further questions on that area.

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Savings and Reductions 2022-23

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thank you.

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Savings and Reductions 2022-23

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

In the interest of brevity, I will resist the temptation to discuss the constitutional settlement, which we have just touched on. We have spent considerable time on that.

One thing that I have taken from this morning鈥檚 evidence session, and which is really important, is that you have said that decisions should be fiscally responsible, but I take the view that cuts to employability for disabled people and others is not fiscally responsible, because it will have an impact on their fiscal status.

09:00  

Can you reassure us鈥擨 have not been reassured so far鈥攖hat you will involve organisations such as the Women鈥檚 Budget Group in in-year decisions as well as in longer-term budgeting processes? Will you make a commitment today that you will do that, so that they can help you and provide expertise, so that you can make fiscally responsible decisions that do not further entrench inequality?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thank you very much, Frank. As someone who uses social care, I cannot imagine what it must be like for people not to be able to rely on it. That is tragic.

The Scottish Government has said that it is doing everything that it can for disabled people to help them through the cost of living crisis. Do you agree with that? Is there anything more that it could be doing?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny

Meeting date: 29 September 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thank you for that really clear answer.

Gordon MacRae, I am hoping to hear a bit about the impacts of the cost of living crisis on your members, and also your thoughts on the impact of the rent freeze and what difference you think that it will make to people in Scotland.