Date: 10 August 2023

Time: 13:30

Venue: Microsoft Teams

Present—

• Judith Paterson (Interim Co-Chair)
• Dr Mark Simpson (Interim Co-Chair)
• Marilyn Howard (Member)
• Jackie Gulland (Member)

In Attendance (SCoSS Secretariat)—

• Stephen Herbert, Secretary
• Andrew Strong, Head of Policy and Scrutiny
• Andrzej Hagger, Analysis and Participation Officer
• Christopher Galloway, Analysis and Participation Support Officer
• Dorothy Warren, Governance and Engagement Officer
• Lisa Kinnear, Service Support Administrator

The Interim Co-Chair, Mark Simpson, welcomed the Board to the meeting, including Dr Jackie Gulland who was recently appointed to the Board.

Members did not have any relevant interests to declare.

The Minutes of the June Board meeting were considered and agreed.

In attendance—

• Peter Bell, Policy Manager, Disability Benefits Policy Unit; and
• Meg Sydney, Disability Benefits Policy Team Leader

The Board discussed the scope and purpose of the draft regulations with the Scottish Government officials.  Scottish Government officials agreed to provide further information with regard to a number of the issues raised.

The Board scrutinised the draft regulations, on a ‘line by line’ basis, and tasked the Secretariat to follow-up on a range of issues, with Scottish Government officials and relevant external stakeholders, once the issues had been signed off by Dr Mark Simpson.  It was noted that the Board would hold an informal round-table meeting, to discuss the draft regulations with relevant stakeholders, on Wednesday 16 August.  The Board also agreed to hold an ‘ad-hoc’ Board meeting on Monday 4 September at which draft recommendations on the regulations would be considered.

Dr Mark Simpson proposed potential approaches that could be undertaken with regard to scrutiny of the Social Security Charter in 2023-24 and in the longer-term.  In particular, the Board considered options which would not duplicate research being undertaken as part of the Scottish Government’s current review of the Social Security Charter.

Based on the preceding discussion, the Board tasked Dr Mark Simpson and the Secretariat with providing a paper, for the September Board meeting, to detail options for focussed Charter research to be undertaken in 2023-24.

The Board considered the discussion earlier in the meeting, regarding the Disability Assistance for Older People (Scotland) Regulations 2024, at agenda item 3.  Based on this discussion, it was agreed that the Secretariat would provide a draft set of questions for consideration by the Board via correspondence.  Once agreed, these questions would be provided to the Scottish Government officials, in attendance for agenda item 3, to inform the Board’s scrutiny report.  The Board also agreed that views would be sought from experts in welfare rights with regard to issues relating to the draft regulations and the incorporation of ‘case law’.

The Board considered a range business as follows—

• The Board considered the Scottish Government response to the scrutiny report on Child Disability Payment-Adult Disability Payment.
• The Board noted that the Secretariat would be proposing dates for future Board meetings, in the first half of 2024, via correspondence.
• The Secretary to the Commission provided an update on the payment of fees to Members in August.

Meeting closed at – 16:57

Date of Next Meeting: Tuesday 12 September