SCoSS Board Meeting
Date: 30 May 2024
Time: 14:00
Venue: Microsoft Teams
Minutes
Present—
- Dr Mark Simpson (Interim Co-Chair)
- Judith Paterson (Interim Co-Chair)
- Dr Marilyn Howard (Member)
- Dr Jackie Gulland (Member)
Apologies: None
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
- Lisa Kinnear, Governance and Engagement Officer
1. Welcome and declarations of interest
Interim Co-Chair, Judith Paterson, welcomed the Commissioners to the fifth meeting of the Board in 2024.
Jackie Gulland declared that she lives in the same household as a person who is eligible to receive the DWP Winter Fuel payment and also has power of attorney in relation to a different person who is entitled to the DWP Winter Fuel Payment. Both of those people would be eligible for the Scottish Winter Heating Assistance under the proposed regulations.
Marilyn Howard declared that she is a recipient of the Winter Fuel Payment.
2. Minutes of the previous meeting
The Minutes of the April Board meeting were considered and, following amendment, agreed.
3. Draft Funeral Expense Assistance (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2024.
The Board considered, in detail, a draft report on the draft regulations. It was agreed that comments on a revised version of the report would be provided via correspondence in order to finalise the report prior to publication on 11 June.
4. Draft Disability Assistance (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 2024.
Andrew Strong updated the Board on the content of responses that had been received from external stakeholders in response to the call for evidence on the draft regulations. The Board then considered, in detail, the draft report. It was agreed that comments on a revised version of the report would be provided via correspondence in order to finalise the report prior to publication on 10 June. It was also agreed that the Secretariat should seek to ascertain whether it would be possible to obtain a short extension to the deadline for publication of the report.
5. Draft Winter Heating Assistance (Pension Age) (Scotland) Regulations 2024.
The Board considered the outcome from the recent Scottish Government consultation on the draft regulations and began initial scrutiny by considering the draft regulations from the perspective of compatibility with the social security principles. Following on from this discussion, questions for Scottish Government officials were agreed on the content of the draft regulations in order to inform the scrutiny report.
It was agreed that Commissioners would provide any further detailed commentary on the content of the draft regulations via correspondence prior to consideration of a draft report at the Board meeting in June.
6. Risk register
The Board noted that the risk register was reviewed by the Audit Sub-Committee on 9 May which had recommended to the Board that no further changes to the register were required at present.
The Board agreed that no change was required to the current version of risk register.
7. Audit Sub-Committee update
The Secretary to the Board provided an update on issues considered at the recent Audit Sub-Committee meeting on 9 May 2024. These included the approach agreed to implementation of the Audit Adviser’s legacy report recommendations and ‘lessons learned’ from Charter research engagement events which would be reviewed by the Charter Sub-Committee in due course.
The Board noted the update.
8. Any other business
Andrew Strong provided the Board with an update on future draft regulations that are expected to be referred to the Commission. The Board also noted that two members of the Secretariat will be attending the CPAG welfare rights conference on 7 June 2024.
Dr Marilyn Howard provided an update on her recent attendance, on 9 May 2024, at the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on the Disability Assistance for Older People (Scotland) Regulations 2024.
Meeting closed at 17:20
Date of next meeting: Thursday 27 June