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I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40219 on 19 September 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government is committed to recovering benefit overpayments wherever it is considered economic and reasonable to do so in line with the principles set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

The Scottish Government do not currently provide means-tested benefits, although certain benefits, notably 5-family payments, are targeted to those in receipt of relevant qualifying reserved benefits, and Carer Support Payment is available to eligible unpaid carers with an income below a threshold of £196 per week. Over 80% of devolved benefits expenditure is currently provided to disabled people to help them meet the costs for their disabilities.

Social Security Scotland does not hold information on whether its clients are subject to active employment support requirements, as there is no eligibility need to collect or retain this data.

Details of defence programme contractual arrangements, including associated apprenticeships, are a matter for individual companies. Information on contracts awarded through the UK Government Ministry of Defence are published and publicly available.

Scottish Enterprise recently provided a £7.4 million Research and Development grant and a £1.8 million Training Aid grant to BAE Systems to help them maximise skills development and support the establishment of a collegiate training facility which will provide access to the broader industry through the Applied Shipbuilding Academy, which is overseen by BAE Systems as custodians of the Glasgow shipyards.

Details of defence programme contractual arrangements, including associated jobs, are a matter for individual companies. Information on contracts awarded through the UK Government Ministry of Defence are published and publicly available.

Social Security Scotland has a statutory responsibility under the Scottish Public Finance Manual to ensure public resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively. The agency has developed a Debt Management Strategy to guide its approach to recovering overpaid benefits, with respect for clients’ dignity at its core.

The shipbuilding sector plays a vital role in supporting jobs and driving economic growth across Scotland. We are committed to promoting manufacturing and innovation, and Ministers continue to engage with businesses in the sector as part of that commitment.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) published its most recent independent forecasts on 25 June 2025, which sets out its latest five-year economic and fiscal forecasts to 2030-31.

The publication can be found on the SFC’s website: .

Based on those forecasts and Scottish Government’s estimates of Young Carer Grant and Job Start Payment, expenditure on the range of Social Security Assistance provided by the Scottish Government is forecast to increase from £6.8 billion this year, to £9.3 billion by 2030-31, as shown in the following table.