Holyrood seeks views on proposed Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council

The Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council Bill, introduced by Mark Griffin MSP, will be scrutinised by Holyrood’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee in the autumn.

The Bill would establish an independent Advisory Council, which would be able to commission its own research in order to make recommendations on the development of support available to people who have suffered workplace injury or disease.

The Committee’s call for views will help MSPs in the Scottish Parliament decide on whether the proposed Council should be established.

Employment-related injuries have been in the headlines recently with a focus on football-related brain injuries. If the Bill is passed, the Council would consider this kind of issue in the future.

The timing of the Bill is a particular area the Committee wants feedback on. Industrial injuries benefits were among the powers devolved from the UK Government to the Scottish Government through the Scotland Act 2016. The legislation to introduce Employment Injury Assistance, however, is yet to be introduced.

The Committee also wants to hear views on the practical shape of the Council and the kinds of people who should be members.

Commenting on the launch of the call for views, Collette Stevenson MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee said:

“We want to understand whether the Council as outlined in this Bill should be established.

“Injuries suffered in the course of employment are a topical issue, as we have seen with the launch of a campaign to reclassify football brain injuries. We want to understand whether the Council as described in the Bill would be the best way to consider matters like these in the future.

“If you have thoughts on the Council as proposed by the Bill, and the role it could play, we’d be keen to hear from you.”

The consultation opens today, 3 July 2023, and will close on 11 September 2023.