Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-15428

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14366 by Derek Mackay on 20 February 2018, how much of the net benefit of the starter rate of income tax will an individual (a) receive and (b) lose due to the complex interaction between Scottish income tax policy and entitlement to universal credit.

Question reference: S5W-15588

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14564 by Jeane Freeman on 6 March 2018, which other DWP technology platforms and systems the Social Security Programme Board has (a) considered and (b) approved the re-use of.

Question reference: S5W-15421

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the net benefit of its starter rate of income tax will have on an eligible claims for council tax reduction.

All applicants to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme have their circumstances and income assessed in line with the Regulations setting out the scheme. Those who are receiving specified benefits receive a full reduction in their council tax liability, and pay no council tax. Those who are not receiving specified benefits will continue to have their income assessed against their household circumstances. If their income is beyond that assessed as necessary for their household under the current Regulations they are required to contribute 20% of any excess income towards paying their council tax. The Scottish Government will continue to proactively amend the Council Tax Reduction scheme where evidence indicates any element of its impact or operation is unsatisfactory.

Question reference: S5W-15420

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the net benefit of its starter rate of income tax will be treated as additional income for the purposes of council tax reduction.

All applicants to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme have their circumstances and income assessed in line with the Regulations setting out the scheme. Those who are receiving specified benefits receive a full reduction in their council tax liability, and pay no council tax. Those who are not receiving specified benefits will continue to have their income assessed against their household circumstances. If their income is beyond that assessed as necessary for their household under the current Regulations they are required to contribute 20% of any excess income towards paying their council tax. The Scottish Government will continue to proactively amend the Council Tax Reduction scheme where evidence indicates any element of its impact or operation is unsatisfactory.

Question reference: S5W-15279

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 29 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13733 by Aileen Campbell on 18 January 2018, how much funding has been made available for a welfare advice service facilitator in 2018-19.

Question reference: S5W-15278

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 28 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13733 by Aileen Campbell on 18 January 2018, when it will publish the findings of the welfare advice service facilitator.

The report 'Forecast Social Return on Investment Analysis on the Co-location of Advice Workers with Consensual Access to Individual Medical Records in Medical Practices' was published in 2017 and is available on the Improvement Service website.

http://www.improvementservice.org.uk/documents/money_advice/SROI-co-location-advice-workers.pdf

The Scottish Government do not have any plans for further reporting at this time.

Question reference: S5W-15181

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 28 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it will undertake of the impact of the recent severe weather as part of its cold-spell heating assistance regulations policy design.

Question reference: S5W-15249

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 27 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S5O-01734 by Jeane Freeman on 31 January 2018 (Official Report, c. 7), regarding the minister's comments on the tax status of the carers allowance supplement, whether she has since seen the letter from the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group; whether she has responded, and what the status of the supplement is.

We responded to the letter from the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group on the tax status of the Carer’s Allowance Supplement on 19 February 2018. In response to the part of the question on the status of the supplement, I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14498 on 27 February 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S5W-15241

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 27 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14564 by Jeane Freeman on 6 March 2018, whether the cost of the Scottish Social Security Programme Board's decision to use the Department for Work and Pensions' Central Payment System for a period of up to three to five years was included as part of the Outline Business Case for the Agency for Social Security in Scotland, in particular, section 5.2 of that publication.

Question reference: S5W-15282

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 27 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13766 by Jeane Freeman on 25 January 2018, when its position statement on the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) will be published.

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