Date: 31 October 2024

Time: 14:00

Venue: Microsoft Teams

Present—

• Ed Pybus (Chair)
• Dr Mark Simpson (Member)
• Judith Paterson (Member)
• Dr Marilyn Howard (Member)
• Adam Bennett (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

The Chair, Ed Pybus, welcomed the Commissioners to the ninth meeting of the Board in 2024.

Marilyn Howard declared that she is a former recipient of the DWP Winter Fuel Payment.  In relation to agenda item 5, Adam Bennett declared that he is a trustee of Young Scot.

The draft Minutes of the September Board meeting were agreed.

In attendance—

• Johanna MacIsaac, Senior Policy Lead, Residency and International Co-ordination; and
• Kyle Murray, Procedural and International Policy Team Leader.

Scottish Government officials detailed the likely content of a future set of draft regulations.  The Chair emphasised the need for a twelve week scrutiny period.  It was agreed that officials would consider this and liaise with the Secretariat with regard to the scrutiny timetable.

The Board considered and discussed the scrutiny process of the regulations in detail.  It was agreed to hold an ad-hoc Board meeting on 14 November to agree the main content of the Commission’s response to the revised regulations.

Andrew Strong provided an update on the recent progress of the Charter research process. This included an update on focus groups and structured interviews held in recent months and next steps in the development of a report based on the research undertaken.

The Board agreed the minutes of the two Charter Sub-Committee meetings held in October.

The Board agreed the revised 2024-25 budget allocation letter.

The Board had previously agreed to hold an in-person business planning session on the morning of Thursday 29 November, in Atlantic Quay in Glasgow, prior to a Board meeting on the same day. The Board considered and agreed a draft programme for the business planning session.

The Board previously agreed at the September Board meeting that the membership of the Audit Sub-Committee and Charter Sub-Committee would be increased to three members. The Board had also previously agreed that the Chair of SCoSS, Ed Pybus, would be the Chair of the Audit Sub-Committee.

The Board agreed that Adam Bennett would replace Dr Mark Simpson as a member of the Audit Sub-Committee.  It was also agreed that Ed Pybus would be a member of the Charter Sub-Committee.

The Chair provided the Board with an update on his recent meetings since the last Board meeting.  These were—

• Speaking role at the disability benefits policy team away day on 1 October; and
• Meeting with Stephen Kerr, Director of Social Security, and Louise Macdonald, Director-General Communities on 11 October.

The Chair also noted his forthcoming meetings—

• Meeting with Dr Stephen O’Brien, Chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee, during November;
• Meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice on 14 November; and
• Attending a Scottish Human Rights Commission roundtable discussion on ‘Engaging with the United Nations Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Human Rights in Scotland’ on 18 November.

Lisa Kinnear provided the Board with an update regarding fee claims.

The Board agreed to obtaining a digital subscription of the CPAG Welfare Rights handbook.  Judith Paterson recused herself from this discussion and decision.

Meeting closed at 16:50

Date of next meeting: Thursday 28 November