The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 541 contributions
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 29 September 2022
Emma Roddick
Thank you for that. It is clear from the fiscal announcement last week that the UK Government is going down—funnily enough—a very conservative path, in cutting tax for high earners and uncapping bankers’ bonuses. Peter Kelly from the Poverty Alliance told the committee that governing is about decisions. Does the Scottish Government have different priorities, and is it making different decisions?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 29 September 2022
Emma Roddick
My questions are for Danny Boyle. We heard earlier from the Deputy First Minister about issues with actions here very much depending on when and whether we get money from decisions that are made down south, and how much money that is. The UK fiscal announcement last week will, of course, have massive implications in many ways. What is your take on its human rights implications?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 29 September 2022
Emma Roddick
From a fundamental standpoint, should ensuring that people can afford to keep a roof over their heads be a greater priority than allowing landlords to increase their rents?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 22 September 2022
Emma Roddick
I want to quickly ask Ed Pybus about CPAG’s recommendations on spending. There are quite a few, and quite a few of them are related to mitigation. Have you come to a figure for mitigating the under-25s penalty?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 22 September 2022
Emma Roddick
That would be helpful. On mitigation, in general, Professor Philip Alston, the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said:
“mitigation comes at a price and is not sustainable”.
Given that the Scottish Government’s current mitigation bill is reported to already be more than £500 million, do you accept that that is the case?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 22 September 2022
Emma Roddick
That is really helpful.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 22 September 2022
Emma Roddick
My first question is for Paul Bradley, but either of the other witnesses might want to jump in as well. Across my region, quite a lot of commercial businesses have had to close their doors because of rising energy prices. How badly affected are third sector organisations?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 22 September 2022
Emma Roddick
I will dig a little deeper into the issues around energy policy. It is of course reserved, so a lot of action here is simply asking the UK Government to act. The Scottish Government has asked for a price cap freeze to be applied to businesses; do you support that?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 22 September 2022
Emma Roddick
My first question is for Dr Alison Hosie and is about the human rights approach to budgeting. What is your take on how the Scottish Government is directing support to Ukrainian refugees through access to housing and social security? Do you consider that to be a human rights approach?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 22 September 2022
Emma Roddick
In relation to alternatives within a fixed budget, we have just seen the new programme for government. Is there anything in there that you consider to be gratuitous, in the sense that the money should have gone towards tackling poverty?