Shirley-Anne Somerville
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Laura Moodie: Does the cabinet secretary recognise the distress that is being caused to constituents, including a disabled veteran in my region, by the continued uncertainty around the scheme?”
“The Scottish Government has been working closely with Motability since March, and its notification of changes from 1 July in England, Wales and Northern Ireland—the 1 July commencement—is not set to apply in Scotland.”
“The Scottish Government is committed to working with East Lothian Council and private partners to unlock investment and growth at the strategic site at Blindwells, and we are providing £2.4 million of funding flexibility to support the development of the outline business case.”
“What reassurances can investors be given that the Scottish Government will work with them to deliver the project? Shirley-Anne Somerville: As I mentioned in my original answer, my ministerial colleagues and I recognise the strategic importance of Blindwells not just to housing but to the East Lothian economy.”
“Motability will continue to work with the Scottish Government to see what can be done, because it also recognises the distress and inconvenience that the situation is causing.”
“She said that she did not want to call out only Reform. Will she call out Alex Cole-Hamilton for mentioning the Third Reich or Daniel Johnson for making insinuations about fascism?”
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“The fund will provide a deposit contribution of up to £10,000 towards a home with a property value of up to £300,000 to support individuals and families to take their first step on to the property ladder. The first round of the fund will open to applications by the end of June and, depending on demand, it is expected to support up to 2,000 households within our first 100 days in government. The fund is a direct response to the experience of people across Scotland. We have listened, and we are taking fast and decisive action. Often, the single biggest hurdle that first-time buyers face is not their ability to repay a mortgage; it is the difficulty in saving for the initial deposit— the up-front cost that prevents their even entering the market.”
“We are hearing the same story in communities the length and breadth of our nation: people are saving what they can, but they are finding that the cost of a deposit is simply too great a barrier. Rising living costs, high rents and broader economic pressures have made it difficult for households to put money aside month after month. Indeed, many are now spending more on rent than they would on a mortgage, yet they remain locked out of ownership because they cannot raise a deposit. That is the context in which the Government will act. I can confirm today that the Scottish Government will introduce the first homes fund, a demand-led scheme designed to support up to 50,000 first-time buyers over the course of this parliamentary session.”
“I want a housing system that works for Scotland—one that balances affordability, availability, quality, sustainability and fairness. I am focused on our target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70 per cent of them being for social rent and 10 per cent of them being in rural and island areas. More than 32,000 affordable homes have been delivered as of 31 December 2025, 77 per cent of which are homes for social rent. It is crucial that there is affordability across all tenures, which will include social rent and affordable mid-market rent, private rented sector rent controls where appropriate, and opportunities for private ownership for those who want it. For too many people across Scotland, particularly younger people and first-time buyers, home ownership has felt increasingly out of reach.”
“Our housing emergency action plan is operational across the country and is delivering a set of focused actions to relieve the most acute pressures, to support local authorities and to accelerate delivery of the homes that people need. We have delivered substantial progress in responding to the housing emergency, with 75 per cent of the actions having been delivered in the first six months. Crucially, we are making £926 million available this year for the affordable housing supply programme, which is a 21 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Our record investment of up to £4.9 billion over the next four years—£4.1 billion of which is Scottish Government investment—will support the delivery of 36,000 affordable homes, which, it is estimated, will provide homes for up to 24,000 children.”
“I welcome the opportunity to set out to Parliament, in these early days of the new session, the Government’s commitment to tackling one of the defining challenges that our country faces today: access to safe, secure and affordable homes. Housing remains a central priority for the Government. Bringing it together with social justice, I will be ensuring that the Government delivers a joined-up and strategic approach to tackling poverty, homelessness and the housing emergency while recognising the sector’s importance to the Scottish economy. Since declaring a national housing emergency last year, we have stood up a co-ordinated national response.”
“I, Shirley-Anne Somerville, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.”
“Shirley-Anne Somerville: I am sure that, as a practising GP, Dr Gulhane is aware that fit notes are not used in relation to adult disability payment; that is an entirely different part of the social security system. The part that Social Security Scotland uses, which was built with the clients in mind, was developed with contributions from the NHS and doctors. We will continue to consider what other changes can be made. However, I urge caution, because mixing up the reserved and devolved benefits systems does not do anyone any favours— particularly the clients who get those payments and require us to have a good knowledge of how the system works.”
“Sandesh Gulhane: I declare an interest as a practising national health service general practitioner. The adult disability payment case load is growing at an astounding rate, with 750,000 Scots expected to be in receipt of the benefit by 2030. The increase is being driven by a rising number of people claiming for mental disorders, including 60,000 people claiming for anxiety. Recent surveys have shown that GPs simply do not have the time to appropriately assess fit notes, which undermines the entire system on which those notes rely. Will the cabinet secretary commit to introducing a robust assessment system that does not include GPs, who are under immense strain and pressure?”
“I am proud that the Government is delivering for disabled people by continuing to invest in helping them with the cost of everyday tasks. The causes of increased demand for disability benefits were analysed in a report that was published in January by the Government’s chief social policy adviser. The report found that the main contributors of increased demand are rising ill health and the United Kingdom Government’s raising of the state pension age, which, combined with an ageing population, means that more people can get adult disability payments for longer. I am sure that Dr Gulhane will be aware that statistics that were published by Social Security Scotland on 17 March confirm that the proportion of adult disability payment awards that relate to mental and behavioural conditions has remained stable over the past two years.”
“That is why we have a commitment to affordable housing in the delivery plan. We have also emphasised and doubled the money to address voids and acquisitions, to ensure that we are taking action where some of the greatest pressures are, which includes Edinburgh and the”
“Foysol Choudhury: As this is the last time that I will speak in the Parliament, I thank all my colleagues for all the help and support that they have given me in the past five years. It was an honour to serve as an MSP. Given that the City of Edinburgh Council housed 42 per cent of Scotland’s children who live in temporary accommodation in 2025 and given that rough sleeping has doubled in three years, what action is being taken urgently to eradicate child homelessness and poverty in Lothian and nationwide? Shirley-Anne Somerville: Between the work that is outlined in the tackling child poverty delivery plan and the work that my colleague Ms McAllan has been doing on the housing emergency, it is critical that we work together across the Government to support children in Edinburgh, the Lothians and across Scotland.”
“The tackling child poverty delivery plan, which was published earlier this month, commits to concrete action for the year ahead. That includes helping parents to increase their earnings, with £55 million in funding for a new package of skills support and help with transport and childcare. There will also be further action to tackle the cost of living, including investing £9 million to mitigate the effect of the United Kingdom Government’s local housing allowance freeze and putting more money in the pockets of families by increasing our Scottish child payment to £40 in 2027-28 for children under the age of one. It is estimated that the actions that are in the plan will keep 100,000 children out of relative poverty next year.”
“By taking forward the plan, which was laid in Parliament today, we can bring hope to families across Scotland and build futures that are free from the scourge of poverty. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes, after which we will move on to the next item of business.”
“If returned after the Scottish elections, this Government commits to working with partners across Scotland to drive forward the change that is needed—strengthening the role of our vital third sector, engaging business through our investment and working hand in hand with Scotland’s local authorities and our national health service. Only by eradicating child poverty can we unlock Scotland’s full potential. Scottish Government policies are estimated to keep 100,000 children, or one in every 10, out of relative poverty next year. That is the scale of the difference that we have made together in Scotland and the impact that our action can have against the strongest of headwinds.”
“Beyond that, Social Security Scotland will play a key role by continuing its important work to share data, by strengthening how it proactively signposts clients to relevant support and advice services, and by building referral pathways with partners in the longer term. I said at the beginning of my statement that eradicating child poverty is a national mission that belongs to us all. Ending child poverty cannot be achieved by Government alone—it requires all of Scotland to play its part, and the plan acts as a catalyst to accelerate progress ahead of 2030.”
“That has the potential to be truly transformational, enabling our vital third sector to scale up what we know works and providing a helping hand for families that connects them to the wider services that they need to thrive. I am pleased to announce two further steps to strengthen support for families. First, we will invest an additional £2.2 million to double the coverage of whole family support in general practice in Glasgow, delivering targeted preventative support for 500 families. Secondly, we will invest up to £5 million in activity that seeks to make the best use of data to enable all families to receive the services and support that they need to thrive.”
“Providing support in a way that is joined up, easy to navigate and responsive to need is essential. I saw exactly that earlier this week, when the First Minister and I visited CentreStage, which brings to life what is possible when we work together across organisations and sectors. Building on such approaches, as well as the £50 million of whole family wellbeing funding that has already been committed, the budget includes a £20 million whole family support third sector delivery fund. The fund, which was launched today, will help to scale up support that wraps around families and their communities, with funding available to partners who can work nationally or across multiple local authority areas to deliver an integrated, person-centred approach.”
“As a result, we will make further targeted investment, providing up to £275,000 to One Parent Families Scotland and Fife Gingerbread to help more separated families to secure regular and reliable child maintenance payments. “Bringing Hope, Building Futures” reinforces our commitment to supporting children and families to thrive. That includes our continued investment in our Scottish attainment challenge and free school meals. Today, I confirm two further steps. First, we will expand the reach of the family nurse partnership programme, so that up to an additional 500 young parents can benefit from that trusted support next year. Secondly, we will invest a further £1 million to expand the successful MCR Pathways school-based mentoring programme, so that up to 5,500 care-experienced and disadvantaged young people can benefit across Scotland.”
“We have already committed to going further by introducing a targeted Scottish child payment premium for children under the age of one, increasing the total payment to £40 per week during 2027-28, benefiting an estimated 12,000 children and providing enhanced support in the first crucial year of a child’s life. We have also committed to investing more than £27 million in welfare, income maximisation and debt advice services over the next two years, which is expected to support at least 80,000 households annually. Although we encouraged more ambitious reform to the child maintenance system, the UK Government has failed to act.”
“That investment is homelessness prevention in action and will support up to an estimated 18,000 families to meet rent costs and maintain their tenancies. As a result, we have committed a total of £159 million next year to the mitigation of UK Government policies, including the bedroom tax and the cruel benefit cap. Investment through social security remains the most direct way to increase family incomes and keep children out of poverty. From April, all Scottish benefits will increase in line with inflation. That means that our unique Scottish child payment will be worth £28.20 per child per week, keeping an estimated 50,000 children out of relative poverty next year.”
“We also set out plans in the budget to help tackle the cost of living for families. They include investing a record £4.1 billion over the next four years to support the delivery of 36,000 affordable homes; providing a further £1 million in our islands cost crisis emergency fund; and continued investment in our energy efficiency programmes, including warmer homes Scotland. Building on our record commitment to invest £106 million in discretionary housing payments next year, we will go even further. The UK Government’s decision to freeze local housing allowance rates is wrong and is making it harder for families to make ends meet. That is why I am confirming our intention to invest up to a further £9 million in discretionary housing payments to support those impacted.”
“Secondly, we will invest up to £4.2 million to deliver 200 paid work placements in our national health service for parents at risk of poverty—helping more parents into good-quality NHS jobs. Thirdly, we will invest an additional £15 million to support low-income families to access the childcare that they need to enter and stay in employment. Fourthly, we will invest up to £19 million to develop a new transport to employment offer for low-income parents—helping parents with travel costs and increasing the travel options available. Finally, we will invest £10 million in a new flexible workforce development fund to help incentivise employers to support upskilling and progression opportunities for parents and implement fair work policies—investing in support that is good for families and for economic growth.”
“Those plans include investing £90 million a year in our devolved employability services; delivering a national breakfast club offer for all primary school children, which is backed by more than £100 million across the next three years; and providing up to £9 million through a new raising income through skills and education— RISE—initiative for colleges, to help parents access the skills and education that they need. Today, I confirm our plans to go further still to strengthen in-work support for parents and remove barriers relating to skills, childcare and transport. First, in partnership with Scotland’s colleges, we will invest £2 million in a new training access fund to provide training opportunities for parents in low- paid work.”
“It also retains our focus on the families who are at greatest risk of poverty and recognises that women’s poverty is children’s poverty. Underpinning that is our commitment to enabling whole family support and realising a transformative shift towards support that is more joined-up, easier to navigate and shaped around what families really need. I turn to how we will drive progress on those priorities during the coming year. Through the Scottish budget and spending review, we set out plans that will help more parents to increase their earned incomes.”
“With the Scottish parliamentary elections due to take place in May, the plan that has been published today sets out a robust and enduring framework that will enable the next Government to meet the statutory child poverty targets. Focusing on action during the first year, the plan is backed by considerable investment, including every penny of funding that was previously committed to our two-child limit payment, and it provides foundations on which any incoming Administration can build and reflect its own policy priorities and plans for accelerating progress. “Bringing Hope, Building Futures” retains our focus on the drivers of poverty reduction and outlines four key themes: increasing earned incomes; reducing the cost of living; maximising incomes from social security and benefits in kind; and supporting children and families to thrive.”
“I also thank parliamentary committees for their responses and Scotland’s Poverty and Inequality Commission for the advice and challenge that it has given. Those views have helped to inform our approach and the actions that I will set out today. The actions in the plan build on eight years of progress. That progress has been made despite years of austerity from successive United Kingdom Governments, and despite external shocks that include Brexit, the Covid pandemic, Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the on- going cost of living crisis. We are making a real difference. In 2023-24, rates of relative child poverty fell to the lowest level in almost a decade—standing 9 percentage points below the UK average—with rates rising in England and Wales. That progress matters, but we must continue to go further.”
“Eradicating child poverty is the Government’s top priority and a national mission that belongs to all of us. Today, I am pleased to publish the Scottish Government’s third and final tackling child poverty delivery plan. “Bringing Hope, Building Futures” is much more than a statutory milestone; it reaffirms our commitment to eradicating child poverty and transforming the lives of children, families and communities across Scotland. That commitment is shared collectively by all my ministerial colleagues, who have been critical to the plan’s development. I put on record my significant thanks to all the children, young people, parents and stakeholders who have shared their views and experiences throughout our wide-ranging consultation.”
“Does the cabinet secretary agree that, if the United Kingdom Government is serious about tackling those issues, it must listen to the Child Poverty Action Group and finally scrap the benefit cap? Shirley-Anne Somerville: I very much agree with Jackie Dunbar. Analysis by Policy in Practice has found that, across the UK, as a result of the benefit cap, one in 10 children hit by the two-child limit would not benefit from it being abolished and a further one in 10 would benefit only partially. Keeping the benefit cap has been a conscious choice by the UK Labour Government and it is a disappointing one, to say the least. In the coming year, the Scottish Government will invest £15.5 million to help to mitigate the impact of the benefit cap, but I urge the UK Government to scrap it at source as soon as possible.”
“I was delighted two weeks ago to announce round 3 of the child poverty practice accelerator fund, which supports the national mission to eradicate child poverty. Over the next two years, we will make almost £1.9 million available to enable projects to test innovative ways to support that mission. That builds on the fund’s first two rounds, which have supported a range of work, including work to improve the uptake of income maximisation support. Local authorities and health boards are already undertaking transformative work to tackle child poverty, and the fund supports them to do just that. Jackie Dunbar: While the Labour Government continues to sit on its hands, it is encouraging to hear about the bold action that the Scottish National Party Government is taking to tackle child poverty and help families with the cost of living.”
“Their research reflects that reducing poverty and inequality is key to improving life expectancy. The changes to the UC element are one of a number of reductive policies that successive UK Governments have inflicted on the most vulnerable people in our society. Despite our repeated raising of the issues with the UK Government, it persists with those harmful policies. The member is correct that only with full powers of independence can Scotland realise its full potential.”
“Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK”. It shows that the UK Government’s austerity policies are the main driver behind a decline in life expectancy in the UK. The event heard that most of those austerity policies are still in place and that they will be added to as a result of the health element of universal credit for sick and disabled people being cut by 50 per cent next month. Does the cabinet secretary agree that those appalling findings should shame successive UK Governments? Is it not fundamentally clear that only with independence can we fully protect our constituents from harmful austerity? Shirley-Anne Somerville: I welcome the work of Professor McCartney and Dr Walsh on the adverse impacts of UK Government austerity on life expectancy.”
“We are investing somewhere in the region of £150 million a year to mitigate the impacts of UK Government welfare reforms. Any further reforms emerging from the Timms review of the personal independence payment or wider changes that are aimed at reducing the UK benefit bill could reduce our block grant. The strategic concern is that the UK Government’s chaotic approach to reform means continuing uncertainty for our funding settlement. Our approach to managing that risk is outlined across the fiscal sustainability delivery plan and the medium-term financial strategy, and is reflected in the balanced annual budget propositions. Marie McNair: A few weeks ago, I sponsored an event in the Parliament with Professor Gerry McCartney and Dr David Walsh from the University of Glasgow to present the findings of their book, “Social Murder?”
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“Our support will continue, because the urgency of the situation is plain to see—well, it is certainly plain to see from my perspective. The shameful truth, as colleagues have mentioned, is that too many women have already died waiting for these wrongs to be put right. That is an unacceptable position, yet it goes on. It has gone on for far too long, and the motion sets out clearly that the time for change is now, that WASPI women must be compensated, that justice must be done and that the WASPI women deserve nothing less. Meeting closed at 17:44. This is the final edition of the Official Report of this meeting. It is part of the Scottish Parliament Official Report archive and has been sent for legal deposit.”
“The women can now see what happens when Labour gets into power, and they will judge Labour accordingly. The Scottish Government has consistently supported the WASPI campaign, and we will continue to call on the UK Government to provide appropriate compensation to affected women. As Bill Kidd and Jamie Hepburn have said, women already face an unfair, unequal and uphill battle, whether with the gender pay gap or the inequality in pension savings, which other colleagues have mentioned. The last thing that any woman needs is a UK Government that adds to the challenges that they face. I have once again written to the Minister for Pensions to express my deep disappointment at last month’s decision. I urged him to reconsider the UK Government’s position, and I outlined the Scottish Government’s continued support for WASPI women.”
“However, we must recognise that the Scottish Labour leader does not stand for WASPI women and that he does not stand for Scotland. His lack of comment on the WASPI cause will be there for WASPI women to judge in the May elections. As we look forward to what can be done to help WASPI women, we must reflect on the fact that the WASPI campaign is based on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report. When the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced that the UK Government would, once again, look at the report, there was a small glimmer of hope. However, that hope faded once again, which is a genuine insult to the WASPI women, who have bravely campaigned for justice for so long. No doubt many Labour MPs, MSPs and candidates have had their pictures taken with WASPI women for many a year.”
“Shirley-Anne Somerville: There is an irony that the Scottish Government is often criticised for how much it spends on social security, yet some colleagues seem to be suggesting that, on this issue, we should spend more on social security. There is a lack of a joined-up argument. It is important to recognise that this is a very different situation, because we are talking about WASPI women of pensionable age. We really need to understand the devolution settlement, as well as the point about the UK Government fixing its own mistakes. As I look around the chamber, I see that, as always, my SNP colleagues are behind me in supporting the WASPI women. We have had one Labour contributor to the debate, there are no Labour Party spokespeople taking part and I have no idea what the position of the Scottish Labour leader is on WASPI women.”
“I am afraid that he demonstrates his lack of knowledge on reserved and devolved powers, as well as his lack of understanding of the WASPI cause. I am genuinely disappointed that Mercedes Villalba went down the same track with a lack of understanding about devolved issues, but I give her respect for being the one and only Labour contributor to the debate. I respect her position on the issue, which is a principled one. Maggie Chapman: Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is deeply problematic for some of our unionist colleagues to suggest that the Scottish Government should just pick up the bill for this matter, given that we have done so for other things? Where we have done that, it has been a policy choice. This is about maladministration. It is a very different situation and the UK Government should pay up.”
“As colleagues have mentioned, many hard-working women have been suffering utterly devastating emotional and financial distress at a time in their lives when they expected to enjoy their well-deserved retirement. From listening to his speech, I presume that Tim Eagle did not make it along to that event, which is unfortunate, because he might have learned something from it. He would have learned the basic lesson that this is not a debate about the equalisation of the pension age. That is a different debate, and it is not the injustice that the WASPI women’s campaign is fighting for. If he is looking for facts on the WASPI campaign, I very gently say to him that he should not rely on a Tory ex-DWP minister for suggestions as to where solutions might lie.”
“They find themselves short-changed and let down in the most unforgivable way. As Bill Kidd said, it is no wonder that frustration is turning to anger. I want to pick up on something that Beatrice Wishart mentioned in her remarks. If what has happened to the 3.6 million WASPI women across the UK who have been impacted by the UK Government’s decisions had happened to men, might the issue have been the subject of more scrutiny in the House of Commons or more commentary in the male-dominated UK media? That is a hypothetical question, but it is an important one to consider as we continue to discuss women’s place in our society. Recently, the First Minister and I took time to sit down with WASPI women who attended the Parliament, and I must say that their testimony was harrowing to hear.”
“I, too, thank Bill Kidd for bringing the debate to the chamber, because it is important that the Parliament has yet another debate on the betrayal of the WASPI women. I have been a member of this Parliament for some time now, and I have witnessed many poor decisions by successive UK Governments. However, I have rarely seen such an unforgivable on-going dereliction of a Government’s basic obligation to its citizens as I have seen in the betrayal of the WASPI women. Despite the very clear view that was previously expressed—across the chamber, pretty much—yet again, we are having to call on the UK Government to account for an issue that it refuses to address. We must reflect on the sheer magnitude of the injustice that has been meted out to the WASPI women, of whom there are more than 300,000 in Scotland.”
“I would also refer her to the recent hate crime statistics, which came out on 17 February and which point to hate crimes based on race, sexual orientation, disability, religion and being transgender and to the on-going challenges that we face due to misogyny. The Tories stoke up division, but I am proud that the Scottish Government continues to promote and protect equality and human rights throughout Scotland for everyone. Care Pathways (Postural Tachycardia Syndrome) 8.”
“Meanwhile, 10 months on, the Scottish National Party has still failed to ensure that its public bodies are fully following that judgment, leading to costly legal challenges at the taxpayer’s expense. Will the Scottish Government finally issue an apology to women and girls in Scotland for its failure to fully implement that judgment, and will the SNP Government finally ensure that any body or organisation that it funds is committed to providing single-sex spaces? Shirley-Anne Somerville: I reiterate that the Scottish Government accepts the Supreme Court judgment and is implementing it. I would point out that the schemes that Sharon Dowey refers to are helplines and befriending organisations and offer community engagement.”
“The equality, inclusion and human rights fund supports a range of civil society organisations that deliver work focused on tackling inequality and discrimination, furthering equality and advancing the realisation of human rights in Scotland. Those organisations must fulfil and meet their obligations under the grant requirements in place for that fund. Each organisation must deliver against its agreed obligations and those are monitored via biannual progress reports and quarterly finance reports on funded services. Sharon Dowey: Various organisations have recently sought to reverse the implementation of single-sex spaces, ignoring last year’s crystal- clear ruling by the Supreme Court and, in turn, the rule of law, but the Scottish Government still insists on funding them.”
“Shirley-Anne Somerville: The member is quite right to point to the fact that the baby box is but one part of the Scottish Government’s determination to ensure that every child has the best start in life. That includes the provision in the budget of £100 million over three years to support the delivery of a universal breakfast club offer for primary school- age children and the £50 million a year whole family support package, in addition to continuing to uprate the Scottish child payment and working to increase the payment to £40 for families with babies under one in 2027-28. Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism (Primary Care) 4.”
“I am very proud of Scotland’s universal baby box programme, which is the only one in the United Kingdom, and I am delighted that, since its inception in 2017, more than 367,000 baby boxes have been delivered, with 89 per cent of parents taking up the opportunity to receive a box. Scotland’s baby box is available to all parents of newborn babies, who are supported to apply by their midwife. All parents are informed about the baby box at the 12-week appointment. At around 25 weeks, they can register for a baby box by completing a freepost registration form with their midwife. Bill Kidd: Every child in Scotland deserves the best start in life. Can the cabinet secretary say more about how the draft Scottish budget is investing to ensure that we continue to support children and families throughout the early years and beyond?”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Apologies—my app would not connect. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Somerville. We will ensure that that is recorded.”
“I do not doubt his sincerity on the issue one iota, but he is part of a Scottish Conservative Party that wants to place parts of the inhumane Department for Work and Pensions system back into the Scottish social security system. I have heard directly from disabled people that that will increase stigma and their fear. In all honesty, I am quite happy to work with Brian Whittle to see what more can be done overall, but he must reflect on how his party is increasing stigma for disabled people across the country.”
“It is true that physical activity benefits physical and mental health, but to suggest that the national health service is the only service that can provide such advice is absurd. If the purpose of Social Security Scotland is to help people with disabilities to have a better quality of life, rather than just being a vehicle to put money into their pockets, surely its staff should be trained to do something as basic as supporting people to lead a healthier life. We need to assure those with a disability that being active will not impact their benefits. Shirley-Anne Somerville: I agree with Brian Whittle’s last point, which is that we need to encourage and support disabled people to be active.”
“Social Security Scotland staff training focuses on disability awareness, equality and trauma-informed practice, which helps staff to understand how conditions affect daily living. The training is kept under regular review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of disabled people and staff. Although Social Security Scotland is not a healthcare provider and therefore does not deliver physical activity training, the Scottish Government encourages disabled people to improve their wellbeing through suitable physical activity. To support that, Scottish Disability Sport has invested £750,000 to expand opportunities nationwide. Brian Whittle: As the cabinet secretary knows, I asked her a similar question in writing, and I was told that Social Security Scotland does not deliver such training because it is not a healthcare provider.”