SCoD Bulletin mid December 2016

Scottish Council on Deafness Bulletin | Bi-Monthly Magazine for SCoD Members

SCoD “Connect & Capitalise*” Conference

The third SCoD Conference, ‘Connect & Capitalise’ will take place on Thursday 9th March 2017 in Glasgow Doubletree Hilton.

We can announce two keynote speakers - Martyn Evans from the Carnegie UK Trust - http://www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/ and Yvonne Strachan – for the Conference.

We can announce that the Scottish Government Assisted Communications Policy Team and National Co-ordination for the See Hear Strategy will be doing a workshop on the See Hear Strategy. We are in the process of putting together the workshop programme and will be in touch with people soon.

We hope to be able to announce the complete programme in the first bulletin of 2017.

Early bird tickets are now on sale at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scod-connect-capitalise-2017-tickets-29816166958

* This year’s conference title “Connect and Capitalise” means that we are building on the connections and partnerships that have been made over the last three years and at our last two conferences. We all benefit or capitalise on these connections as we grow the Deaf Sector. _________________________________________________________

LATEST NEWS FROM SCoD

We wish you a Merry Christmas…

SCoD Training

Human Rights training delivered by Carole Ewart will the first courses in SCoD’s new training programme for 2017. For more information on the courses and how to book a place, go to http://www.scod.org.uk/scod-training/

A Living Wage

SCoD, the first deaf organisation in Scotland to become a Living Wage Employer congratulates North East Sensory Services on its accreditation as a Living Wage Employer. See below for more information.

Membership

With more members, our conference and other events can be even better…Our members are drawn from the Public, Third and Private Sectors. We have organisational and individual options.

We have three categories of membership:

Full members. These are the organisations that make up the National Council and can put forward nominations to the SCoD Board.

Associate members - organisations. These are organisations who cannot be full members or do not want the responsibility of full membership.

Associate members - individuals. These are individuals, people who are deaf or have an interest in deafness and want to support our organisation.

If you want to know more about joining SCoD and being part of the Deaf Sector, please contact our membership worker, Kirsty, at kirsty@scod.org.uk or telephone 0141 248 2474.

If you are a BSL user, you can use contactSCOTLAND to contact us.

Best wishesJanis & the SCoD Team

GENERAL NEWS

DSP / BSL NAG Update

Everyone in the Deaf Sector Partnership would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Christmas and all the very best for the New Year. We look forward to working more closely with you in 2017 during the consultation on the very first Scottish BSL National Plan.

If you have any questions about the BSL NAG or the DSP, please get in touch with Derek Todd, DSP Coordinator by email at admin@deafsectorpartnership.net.

Police Scotland 2016 Festive Campaign

Police Scotland have created four BSL videos as part of their 2016 Festive Campaign.  The clips provide information on crime prevention, personal safety and drink driving. 

Shopping Safety (1) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ljOwCwdu-M

Party Safety (2)  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GevnkhMedT0

Home Safety (3)  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSNgVQoNddY

Drink Driving (4) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtSOVzgWO7Y

NESS has just been accredited as a Living Wage employer, one of only 17 organisations in Aberdeen. The real Living Wage is different from the government’s living wage – it’s over £1 more per hour and is a voluntary scheme.

Following the autumn statement from the government, NESS CEO Graham Findlay has encouraged more employers to join the real living wage campaign.

BDA Deaf Roots and Pride videos

Please click on the following websites to find out information from the DRP team to introduce the project:

https://www.bda.org.uk/drp-project-team-introduction-and-their-roleshttps://www.bda.org.uk/drp-team-charlene-dolanhttps://www.bda.org.uk/drp-team-toni-george

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Engaging with the UK Parliament

The UK Parliament has a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/ukparliament/ - where politicians have “Question and Answer” sessions, information is published and people can ask questions or give their opinions. The Parliament is encouraging people to use social media – Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Instagram – to engage with politicians and government. To link into other social media, go to https://www.parliament.uk/ and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

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HMRC and RAD promise to improve access for Deaf people

For a BSL version of this press release, go to: http://bit.ly/RADHMRCnov16

Following a successful pilot, HMRC and Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD) have signed an agreement to continue working together for the next three years, in an initiative aimed at making HMRC’s services more accessible to Deaf people.

Current services will continue, including the website www.royaldeaftax.org.uk where Deaf people can find information on tax and tax credits in British Sign Language (BSL).

RAD will continue to provide advice in BSL via webcam to clients throughout England and Wales. The project also includes a Video Interpreting service, enabling Deaf customers to contact HMRC using a BSL interpreter, again via webcam.Topics include: Working tax credits, Child tax credits, PAYE and Self-Assessment. RAD will also work with HMRC to promote important tax information to the Deaf community, such as Marriage Allowance.

Plans are under way to develop the service to give Deaf customers even more control. A new website and a user-friendly “choose and book” app for advice and interpreting appointments, is scheduled to be ready in the New Year.

Winter newsletter for Disabled People living in Midlothian

Please click here for “Preparing for Winter 2016” – a newsletter for Disabled People living in Midlothian.

This newsletter is produced by Forward Mid as a supportive communication particularly for Disabled People across Midlothian and professionals supporting Disabled People.

http://www.forwardmid.org.uk/newsletters2016_december.html

EVENTS

The Great British Bake Off

Applications are now open for our eighth series of the British Bake Off.

The Great British Bake Off 

Who is the best baker you know?

 We’re looking for the UK’s best home bakers to enter the tent. Visit: www.applyforbakeoff.co.uk

Applications close Sunday 8 January 2017

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The Scottish Sensory Awards 2017

Wednesday 15 February 2017Stirling Management Centre

Following the great success of the 2016 Scottish Sensory Awards, we are delighted to host the 2017 awards with SCOVI, our sister organisation in the Visual Loss Sector. For more information go to http://www.sensoryawardscotland.co.uk/

The Awards are for the following categories:

1. Promoting choice, control and person centred approaches for people with a

sensory loss

2. Personal and workforce development

3. Promoting inclusion and engaging people with a sensory loss across all our

communities and services

4. Unsung heroes

5. Innovative work with children and young people with a sensory loss

6. Partnership working across services and sectors for people with sensory loss

To nominate someone or an organisation for an award, go to http://www.sensoryawardscotland.co.uk/events-page to download the nomination form.

Closing Date for nominations: Tuesday 10 January 2017 

For more information about the Scottish Sensory Awards, please contact us at scottishsensoryawards@gmail.com.

We still have several sponsorship opportunities. For more information, please contact Janis McDonald here at SCoD on admin@scod.org.uk or John Paterson at SCOVI on john.paterson@scovi.org.uk

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Signed Burns Supper28 January 2017

The National Deaf Children’s Society is hosting a signed Burns Supper on the 28th of January 2017, 7pm till late at the Blythswood Hotel in Glasgow. To watch the promotional video – go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=lENl5wq7UNM&feature=youtu.be

You can also find the information on the NDCS, Scotland Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NDCSScotland

Hope you can come along to our Burns supper night and bring a few friends along.

TRAINING

Scottish Council on Deafness

with Carole Ewart

Making Human Rights Matter – A practical training session20th January 2017 at 1.00 pm – 4.45 pmGlasgow City Centre – venue to be confirmed 

For more information, go to http://www.scod.org.uk/making-human-rights-matter-a-practical-training-session/  

Public Procurement and Human RightsFriday 3rd February 2017 at 1.00 pm – 4.45 pmVenue – Glasgow City Centre – to be confirmed

For more information, go to http://www.scod.org.uk/public-procurement-and-human-rights-a-practical-training-session/  

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SSC Course 19: Understanding and Supporting Friendships Amongst Children with Additional Support Needs

Thursday, 26th January 2017

This course is suitable for all professionals working with children or young people with additional support needs, and their families.

How important are friendships for children’s development, mental health and quality of life?How can all children, including those with additional support needs, be supported to develop positive and reciprocal friendships?

We will explore recent psychological research into children’s friendships, with a particular focus on children with additional support needs. We will consider the role that children’s social, cognitive and language skills play in friendship development, but also discuss the influence of school environment and the wider community. Practical ideas on how to support the development of children’s friendships at different ages will also be explored.

Learning Objectives:

• to understand the characteristics and benefits of friendships for children at different ages.

• to consider the factors within school and the wider community that can influence the development of children’s friendships.

• to explore research into friendships for children with additional support needs such as autism, Down’s syndrome, visual and hearing impairment.

• to reflect on how the development of children’s friendships can best be supported from preschool through to adolescence, as well as the practical challenges involved.

Presenter: Dr Katie Cebula, Lecturer in Developmental Psychology, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh

Course Fee:  £110

Applications are available to download from the following link:

http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/courses/general/gjan17.html

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Academy of BSL

At the Academy of BSL in conjunction with Hands2sign, you will find a warm welcome and a professional delivery of all levels of BSL tuition. Our courses follow the BDA curriculum and learners will have access to Signworld's superb 24/7 on-line resourcesWe have two new iBSL certificated BSL Courses starting in January 2017 and we are already taking bookings so find the right course for you and secure your place.

British Sign Language (BSL) Studies Level 1Starting Monday 16th January 2017 Want to learn a new and transferable skill that will allow you to communicate with other BSL users or as part of a programme of study or professional development? If so, get your hands moving, because this Level 1 Award in British Sign Language (BSL) Studies is just right for you.

British Sign Language (BSL) Studies Level 6 Starting Tuesday 17th January 2017

Finished your iBSL Level 3 or NVQ 3/4 and thinking of a career in the Deaf Community? The iBSL Level 6 is the course you need.We are delighted to say we will be running the Level 6 course starting on the 17 th January and it is a must for anyone who intends becoming an Interpreter, CSW, or other position working with native BSL users.

For more information or to book your place, call on: 0141 248 8315Email: info@academyofbsl.co.ukWebsite: http://www.academyofbsl.co.uk

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2017 Deaf and Deafblind Awareness Training Dates

This 2-day course is a practical and nationally accredited course that will bring benefits to your clients and your organisation right from day one. This course will help you to have a better understanding of deaf people, their language and communication needs. It will show you can help break down the barriers for deaf people in practical ways which cost nothing, whilst making your service more accessible not only to deaf people, but anyone who has a communication difficulty or for whom English is a second language. Using DVD presentations, fun activities and

group interaction to reinforce the factual content, this course is of practical value to all agencies serving the public and an invaluable part of individual continuous professional development.

30th & 31th Jan 201727th & 28th Feb 201727th & 28th Mar 201724th & 25th Apr 201729th & 30th May 201726th & 27th June 201728th & 29th Aug 201725th &26th Sep 201723rd & 24th Oct 201720th & 21st Nov 201718th & 19th Dec 2017

Course Times:   9.30am – 4.30pm on both days

Location:    Tayside Deaf Hub, the Old Mill, Taymills, 23 Brown Street, Dundee, DD1 5EF. Please note there is no on-site parking, but ample parking is available across the road at The Brown Street Mosque for £4 per day.

Cost:   £135 per person inc. exam fee, lunches, refreshments

Course Content

Language choices and differing cultures of deaf people How common is deafness Over coming barriers, improving attitudes What does deafness mean and the correct terms to use Tinnitus and help available for Tinnitus Barriers to communication Communication tactics Hearing Aids and technology which helps Professional communication support for deaf people

Building on over 15 years’ experience of delivering training on deaf issues, since January 2015 we have trained over 300 people and a 100% pass rate has been attained by those sitting the assessment for the 2-day course. The courses have been extremely well received and below are some comments made by attendees:

Really useful, thanks! Good balance between information and interactive sessions.

Very interesting, fun & learnt a lot. Thanks. Excellent presentation and information given at a level to keep all attending

interested. This course has been fascinating – extremely beneficial for work and personal

life. Best training I have attended. Thank you very much. Very informative 2 days – everyone should go.

Very interesting. One of the most enjoyable CPD training sessions I have done.

For more information please contact Alana Harper from Deaf Links:

Tel: 01382 201077Text: 07711462385

CONSULTATIONS

Scottish Government Consultation on the New National Health and Social Care StandardsClosing date – 22nd January 2017.

For more information, go to the website http://www.scod.org.uk/information/consultation-responses/

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UK Government Consultation:

The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper

The deadline for responding to the consultation is Friday 17 February 2017.

The government has launched a consultation on its newly published green paper ‘Work, health and disability: improving lives’.

The green paper – which aims to achieve ‘a more personalised and integrated health and welfare system’ – proposes:

a review of statutory sick pay and GP fit notes to support workers back into their jobs faster, and for longer;

encouraging Jobcentre Plus work coaches to signpost claimants to therapy; reform of the work capability assessment with a view to ending the binary ‘can

work / can’t work’ groups; a new Personal Support Package;

encouraging employers to work with their employees with long-term health conditions to stop them from falling out of work; and

a wide-ranging debate about recognising the value of work as a health outcome

To read the green paper, go to http://192.168.1.1/login/login.html or go to the Scottish Government website http://www.gov.scot/ for more information about the consultation and for information in Easy Read, go to the website: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/work-health-and-disability-improving-lives%20

The BSL version of the consultation is available here https://www.youtube.com/oops

SCoD will be putting in a response. If you are a member of SCoD and would like your comments included in our response, please email Mandy at mandy@scod.org.uk before Wednesday 1st February 2016.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Voluntary Action Fund is launching a £16,000 Competition Fund to enable schools, parent councils, charities and community groups to run arts activities on the theme of “What my *mother means to me…” Each successful applicant can nominate their 2 favourite pieces to be judged at events in March with 6 prizes available.

Organisations, working in Scotland with children aged 10 – 11yrs, can apply for up to £400 to cover activity costs e.g. tutors, sessional workers, art materials, equipment or transport.  Children may choose to work individually, in pairs or small groups to produce their chosen art.  They can choose to: write a 500 word essay, write a poem, make a short film, use photography or produce a piece of artwork.

Applications for funding should be submitted by Monday 16 January 2017.

Please visit our website for further information about the fund and how to apply.

CINEMA/THEATRE

Subtitled/Captioned Accessible Cinema!2,000+ shows nationwide!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - 500+ subtitled shows:http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/rogueone.html

Moana, Sully, Edge Of Seventeen, Bleed for This, Fantastic Beasts, A United Kingdom, Allied, Bad Santa 2, Paterson, Arrival, Doctor Strange, A Street Cat Named Bob, Trolls & more:http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/films.html

Entertain AND Educate! Cheap subtitled kids shows: Pete's Dragon, Finding Dory, The Secret Life Of Pets and more:http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/kids.html

To make it easier to find what’s subtitled in cinemas near you, let us know the cinemas/areas you’d like listed and we’ll create a personal page, just for you! Bookmark it on your computer or phone and view it every Fri to see what’s on near you. Just email:subtitles@yourlocalcinema.com

Download the app! Automatically find all subtitled shows nearby. Apple & Android:http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/appdownload.html

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS, MOTIONS AND DEBATES

Social Care Charging S5M-02130

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani): 

The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S5M-02130, in the name of Johann Lamont, on the care tax in Scotland. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I call Johann Lamont to open the debate.

Motion debated,That the Parliament considers that disabled people and people with long-term conditions such as dementia and motor neurone disease in Glasgow and throughout Scotland are increasingly paying more for social care services; understands that campaign groups, including Scotland Against the Care Tax, and Frank’s Law, are concerned about the effects of this charging; considers that social care is essential to enabling them to enjoy their human rights; further considers that the current local authority charging regimes may be discriminatory in applying different rules to people of different ages without sufficient objective justification, and notes the calls to explore ways of making social care charging fairer with a view to ending the practice altogether.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow) (Lab): I thank everyone who signed the motion and who is here for the debate. I particularly note that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport will respond to the debate herself, acknowledging the significance of the issue for many people. I also acknowledge the work of the Scotland against the care tax and Frank’s law campaigns, the Coalition of Carers in Scotland and all the other tireless campaigners who have focused their attention on the significant issues that are faced by disabled people and those who need social care. I acknowledge the particular role of my former MSP colleague Siobhan McMahon, who, while she was here, pursued these issues with great passion and commitment. She insisted that I, for one, should ensure that they continue to be raised now that she is no longer in this place.

I do not pretend to be an expert on these important issues, so I am grateful to all the organisations that provided briefings for the debate. They highlight a wide range of concerns, including the lack of consistency across Scotland, the unmet needs of those with neurological conditions who are under 65, the danger of cost deterring the uptake of low-level preventative care measures and many more—too many for me to cover in the debate. At the heart of it, we must recognise that, behind every story that is told and every issue that is raised, there are human beings who are experiencing difficulties that have been caused not by them but by a system that does not properly acknowledge their needs.

I am pleased to say that many of those who understand and live with these issues are with us in the public gallery tonight and will be involved in a meeting following the debate in which we will continue the conversation. I hope that the cabinet secretary and other members will be able to attend that meeting with us.

In too many debates, there is a danger that we settle for identifying others to blame and sit back on what we are doing ourselves. In building a consensus, I think that there is a central role for the Scottish Government in refreshing its approach and in understanding and addressing the unintended consequences of some of its political choices. Local government must do that, too, in its actions in the area. What we cannot do is put the issue in a political “too hard” box and settle for telling people how much we care, without taking the action that matches that concern.

The motion highlights the fundamental injustice in the facts that disabled people and those with long-term conditions such as dementia and motor neurone disease are paying more for social care services; that, astoundingly, over the period 2009 to 2013, the amount of money that was collected from older and disabled people rose at approximately four times the rate of inflation; that the charges are, in effect, a tax that the rest of us do not have to pay; that disabled people contribute to mainstream services that they cannot access unless the social care that allows them to do so is funded; and that the cost of care—its availability and affordability—is seeing people priced out of using services, with a consequent cost to their wellbeing and with an impact on their unpaid carers, who pick up the slack.

We know that disabled people are more likely to be living in poverty and to be on the front line when it comes to facing the consequences of the austerity approach of the Tory Government, but we should not compound their problems by the choices that we make. We know that it makes no economic sense to ignore disability-related expenditure—the extra cost of heating, of transport and of simply living—and to deny disabled people who want to work the opportunity to fulfil their potential and to contribute through taxation. The fact that it costs them to work means that their loved ones have to live with greater stress and ill health. That approach increases costs, causes more crises and results in more emergency admissions to hospital. Instead of being in a position in which proper funding is provided for preventative spending, we are in one in which people can be supported only once they are in crisis.

As we look at our national health service, we know that the solution, in large part, is to invest in local government rather than targeting it disproportionately for cuts. That is a rational means of improving the health and wellbeing of all our citizens. Therefore, it is rational and a matter of logic and of justice to address the issue;

critically, it is also a matter of human rights. The issue is not about our being able to display how much we care, how much we empathise or how we can be a little kinder to disabled people and those with long-term conditions; no, it is about how we live up to our oft-repeated commitment to human rights and equality. It is not a “maybe”; it should be a “must”.

To the people who say, “I get that—there is an issue here, but it’s just too expensive; we can’t afford to eradicate care charges,” I say this: educating our young people is expensive, but we do not suggest that we should educate only our boys because we cannot afford to educate all our young people, so why can it be acceptable to deny disabled people the right to live independently and the right to access work and economic opportunities? Why can it be acceptable for the needs of two people with the same degenerative condition to be supported differently on the grounds of age or because of where they live?

We have a fundamental choice to make. We can increase the size of the resource cake to meet needs fairly, through taxation, or we can redistribute the existing resource cake fairly, but we cannot, in all conscience, shrug our shoulders at what is a manifest injustice and a denial of the human rights of all too many in our communities. I seek from the minister an acknowledgement of the problem and a commitment to act. It cannot be left till some distant point in the future when we will have solved the problem of spending more while taxing less. This is work that Parliament can do right now. We can support the Government in developing a proper strategy that focuses on the injustice of the problem of the imposition of a care tax on those who need support services in order to live their lives independently. We need a commitment to justice, and we must work with those who understand best what it is like to live with a disability without the means to achieve their potential.

This is an urgent matter. It is a matter of equality and of human rights, and I believe that it requires us all to show a little bit of courage. We must be willing to be bold and to say that the issue is a problem, that it is one on which we can act, that we will open up the debate about why taxation should benefit all in our communities and that a fair distribution of resources would mean that we could all achieve our potential. It is an area in which we can come together as a Parliament to confront issues that matter directly to far too many people across our communities.

I look forward to the debate, and I hope that it is just the start of a wider debate that will result in our making a difference and responding to the long-held campaigning convictions of those who deserve the right to equality and justice.

http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10673

Disability Awareness

S5O-00429 Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con): To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to support a national campaign to raise awareness of disability and reduce stigma, in light of the recent report by Disability Agenda Scotland.

The Minister for Social Security (Jeane Freeman): 

I welcome the publication of Disability Agenda Scotland’s report. Last week, we published “A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Our Delivery Plan to 2021 for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, in which we commit to delivering a one Scotland campaign in 2017 to reduce stigma. The focus of the awareness campaign will be on employment, which is also a key theme in Disability Agenda Scotland’s report.

Jeremy Balfour: In Scotland, only 43.8 per cent of individuals with disabilities are employed, compared with 72.3 per cent of the wider population. In recent years, employment rates have actually fallen among some disabled groups. The DAS report acknowledges that disabled people still do not feel equal, and although there are nice words and documents, the aim of improving matters further is simply not being achieved. That is not good enough. Will the minister confirm what the Scottish Government will do to get employers to treat disabled people as they treat the wider population?

Jeane Freeman: In the disability delivery plan that I mentioned, we make a commitment to reduce the employment gap in Scotland by half and to consult public agencies and local authorities on setting a target for public sector employment. I fully intend that we will do a great deal better than the United Kingdom Government. A recent report by the all-party parliamentary group for disability highlights that it will take the UK Government until 2065 to meet its target of halving the employment gap for disabled people if it goes at its current slow pace—a bit like for welfare benefits.

In addition, we will work specifically with employers in Scotland to ensure that they take advantage of the UK access to work fund and that disabled people seeking employment are aware of the fund and are assisted and advised on how to apply to it.

Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP): Does the Scottish Government agree with me that one way to reduce the stigma experienced by those with disabilities is for the Tory Westminster Government to treat people with dignity and respect, rather than threaten to reduce their incomes by slashing disability benefits, and to stop imposing draconian benefit sanctions on some of the most vulnerable in our society?

Jeane Freeman: I do, of course, agree. I find it very disappointing that our Conservative colleagues to my left—although clearly not politically—insist on groaning every time we mention exactly that damage that the UK Government is doing. Indeed, let me quote another report: the National Audit Office points out that the sanctions regime is costing £285 million while producing a saving of still only £132 million. It also points out that there is very weak evidence to support the DWP’s sanctions approach. Any notion that sanctions and reducing benefits encourage people into employment—as opposed to what we know for a fact, which is that they increase poverty among those individuals—is of course false. Our colleagues in the Scottish Tory party can continue to try to support and promote the UK Government’s policy, but it is being dismantled by the minute and the public is becoming very well aware of that.

http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10674

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Equalities and Human Rights Committee 1st December 2016

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2017-18

The Convener (Christina McKelvie): Good morning and welcome to the 10th meeting of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee. As usual, I ask everyone to ensure that mobile phones are in flight mode or switched to silent.

Agenda item 1 is our draft budget scrutiny for 2017-18. I remind everyone that Saturday 3 December is the United Nations international day of persons with disabilities, which promotes the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Today’s evidence session is therefore timely and topical, as we are focusing on access to university through the widening access agenda for people with disabilities and those who use British Sign Language. This morning, we have with us representatives of a number of student groups and organisations, some of whom will be using BSL.

I am delighted to welcome our panel: Mark McMillan, who is an employability adviser with Deaf Action; Dr Iain Hutchison, who is a member of the board of Disability History Scotland; Professor Graham Turner, who is director of the centre for translation and interpreting studies in Scotland, which is based at Heriot-Watt University; Lauren McDougall, who is students with disabilities officer with the Glasgow University Students Representative Council; Rebecca Scarlett, who is senior policy and information officer with Lead Scotland; and—last but not least—Christopher Wilde, who is widening access and participation officer with the University of St Andrews Students Association.

Good morning, everyone, and thank you for attending our meeting. I thank those of you who submitted written evidence, as we greatly appreciate getting as much information as possible for our inquiry. You all know the criteria for our inquiry: we are looking at the specific aspect of widening access within the Scottish Government’s budget, and we are taking evidence from students, academics and people from organisations that support students.

I note from the written evidence that some of you have sent us that there are aspects of the policy that you wish to explore further. Perhaps you can give us an insight into your experiences of representing individuals and students in universities. I am happy to open up the discussion if you are keen to put on record your thoughts and feelings in that respect. I see that Lauren McDougall is nodding, so I come to her first.

Lauren McDougall (University of Glasgow Students Representative Council):

I noticed from reading the evidence that was submitted in advance of the meeting that a lot of the issues are the same across the board. For example, pre-entry advice is a big issue. A lot of students struggle with being able to find out before they get to university what life as a disabled student will be like. That issue was highlighted in all

the written submissions. One thing that could help would be more advice through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service with links to organisations that can support students with their applications. That would definitely alleviate some of the pre-entry worries that students have.

Another universal issue that was raised in the submissions is the need for reasonable adjustments to be provided when people are at university. I would like to see more consistency. At present, there is a lot of luck involved in whether one student gets the same level of support as another student, depending on which higher education institution they attend. Perhaps there could be sector standards to provide at least a minimum requirement for reasonable adjustments so that students know that they are receiving the same level of support as other students at other institutions.

I am looking at some of the submissions just now to ensure that I highlight some of the key issues. One of the biggest issues, especially for students at Glasgow, is that someone cannot apply for disabled students allowance until they are registered and have accepted a place. That can create a lot of anxiety at the beginning of the semester when they do not have any support in place at all. That support can involve anything from assistive software to non-medical personal help. There are massive waiting lists, sometimes going into the second semester, to get that support in place.We at GUSRC see a lot of students who have been really struggling with the transition to university in the first place and are struggling even more because they do not yet have the reasonable adjustments in place. That is a massive issue for student confidence and student retention. A lot of students in their first semester at university are already a bit worried that they have made that leap. Without those reasonable adjustments in place, it can be very difficult to convince students that things will get better and that they need to stick it out.

We need more focus on getting applications for disabled students allowance in before the start of the semester. If there was a standard procedure across the sector, it would not matter which institution someone was attending once they had an offer, as they could apply for DSA before they got there. For me, that is a pretty massive issue. I will stop there, as I do not want to dominate the floor.

The Convener:

Thank you, Lauren—I see a lot of nodding heads. Dr Hutchison, in his written evidence, gave us some clear case studies that highlight the challenges that people face. I suspect that those are leading on from the application stage to the point at which students are attending university.

To read the full evidence session, go to http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10672

For the BSL version, go to http://www.scottishparliament.tv/Archive/Index/d26acd2c-29b0-43d4-8d20-60b40e1bf9a4?Area=&categoryId=9b1304a3-4cf9-4f3a-b140-5e5c1153c380&parentCategoryClicked=False&pageNumber=2&orderByField=ScheduledStart&queryOrder=DESC

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2017-18 – continued

The Convener (Christina McKelvie):

Good morning and welcome to the 11th meeting in 2016 of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee. I make the usual request that people switch their mobile phones to aeroplane mode or silent.

Item 1 is our draft budget scrutiny, and in today’s evidence we will hear from university equalities services and admission services about the issues that are faced by disabled people and people who use British Sign Language who attend Scottish universities. We will have BSL interpretation, so I make the usual appeal to members—mostly to myself—not to speak too fast, so that they can sign properly.

I welcome our panel. Dr Jane Balmforth is a conservatoire counsellor and disability adviser at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; Carol Baverstock is the head of admissions at the University of Aberdeen; Sheila Williams is the director of the student disability service at the University of Edinburgh; Ann Duncan is the disability services manager at the University of Strathclyde; and Kirsty Knox is the assistant head of recruitment, admissions and participation services at the University of the West of Scotland. We are grateful for your attendance and for any written submissions that you have given us thus far. We will go straight to questions, because we want to hear some of your ideas.

We have received a huge amount of written evidence from people who have either accessed your services as students or been members of staff, so we have a varied view of how people feel. Some of the submissions are very positive and some are not so positive. My first question is about where the challenges arise. Can you give me a bit of insight into where you think the challenges are and what actions your organisations are taking to address them?

We have with us the chairs of the admissions and disability services, and we may direct general questions about the whole of those services to them. However, we are also interested in what is happening in your individual institutions.

To read the rest of the evidence session, go to http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10684

For the BSL version, go to http://www.scottishparliament.tv/Archive/Index/708e3252-603b-4446-a41a-81f5f8601338?Area=&categoryId=9b1304a3-4cf9-4f3a-b140-5e5c1153c380&parentCategoryClicked=False&pageNumber=0&orderByField=PlayCount&queryOrder=ASC

S5M-02948 Disability Delivery Plan

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani):

The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-02948, in the name of Jeane Freeman, entitled “Creating a Fairer Scotland: Our Disability Delivery Plan”.Members might wish to note that British Sign Language interpreters are present in the chamber today, and will be signing this afternoon’s business.

The Minister for Social Security (Jeane Freeman):

I am pleased to open the debate on “A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Our Delivery Plan to 2021 for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, which was published last week to coincide with the UN international day of persons with disabilities. More than a million disabled people contribute their talent, energy, and ability to Scotland’s communities and add richness to our lives.This year, 2016, is the 20th anniversary of the United Kingdom Disability Discrimination Act 1995, but too many disabled people still have their ambitions, dreams and promise denied them because of the barriers that are in their way. Inaccessible communication, negative attitudes, low expectations, discrimination and inequality affect the lives and chances of disabled people every single day. Their disability is not the problem; the barriers that we allow to stand in their way are the problem. Removal of those barriers and the achievement of equality of opportunity is the transformational change that this Government wants for Scotland.Two months ago, we published the “Fairer Scotland Action Plan”, which sets out specific actions that we need to take in order to move Scotland towards where we need it to be, which is a fairer and more economically and socially just country. The “Fairer Scotland Action Plan” is there to work for everyone in Scotland, but not everyone starts from the same place. We need to tackle the particular barriers that disabled people face. Those barriers—barriers to living the independent life that every disabled person has a right to—are either put in their way or are allowed to stay unchallenged by those of us who are not disabled. Our homes, transport, workplaces, public services and local environments all too often operate, or are designed, in ways that exclude disabled people. We have to change that with a genuine transformational change in our attitude and our approach.

Disabled people and the organisations that represent them have worked incredibly hard with us to identify the critical actions that we need to take to secure that change across Government, across the public and third sectors, and in the private sector. Many of those who have contributed directly to the plan are here today in the gallery. I thank them all, and the hundreds more who took part in the consultation events, for their continuing help and support for us.

The plan outlines five clear long-term ambitions: support services that meet disabled people’s needs, decent incomes and fairer working lives, places that are accessible to everyone, protected rights, and active participation. Those are all achievable, but we know that the scale and extent of the change that is necessary for the experience and life chances of disabled people will take concerted action during this parliamentary session and beyond. Working with disabled people, we have set out the 93 specific concrete actions that need to be taken in order to make significant progress towards those ambitions by 2021.

We are not starting from scratch: we have made significant advances in important areas of policy and service delivery, including self-directed support, supported employment, strengthening building standards and our new accessible travel framework. I hope that the action that we have taken in response to the United Kingdom Government’s policy decisions—including welfare cuts—and the principles of respect and dignity that we will build into the establishment of our own social

security system in Scotland, show that we are serious about protecting disabled people’s human rights.

As members will know, this Saturday, 10 December, is human rights day, and this year the UN has drawn particular attention to the need to stand up for the rights of disabled people. The call to action that is the theme for human rights day 2016 challenges us all to do more. The Scottish Government will take on that challenge, and our delivery plan commits us to increasing the pace and depth of change.I will draw out some of the key commitments that we have made. We will work with disabled people, local authorities and providers to reform adult social care so that we shift its focus on to achievement of independent living. Next year, we will begin work to consult on the future of long-term care capacity. On self-directed support, we know that there is more to do to make the information about it and the rights that it brings more widely available and understood, and to improve access and reinforce the focus on the individual’s choice and control. With the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and disabled people, we will improve portability between local authorities of care and support packages.

We will promote independent advocacy so that people know about, and can claim, their rights in mental health. Through our new national framework for families with disabled children and the commitment that we have made to improve the transitions from education to training and employment, we will work together on the best possible provision and support so that all our young people can grow up to meet their full potential.http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10675

Benefit Claimants Sanctions (Required Assessment) Bill

Mhairi Black (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) (SNP)

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

Before I start to explain the Bill, I want to thank the people and organisations that have been incredibly helpful and supportive: the Child Poverty Action Group; the Scottish Association for Mental Health; Gingerbread; Citizens Advice Scotland; PCS; the House of Commons Library staff, who have done a power of work on this; and all the researchers in the SNP team. I also thank my colleagues for coming out to support me today. I give a particularly big thank you to Tanya, one of the researchers. She is an absolute belter of a person, and I really appreciate everything she has done.

To understand the logic behind the Bill, we need to appreciate that people feel anxious. They are terrified of the process that they will have to endure if they lose their job. We can debate whether that fear and anxiety is legitimate, but the reality is that people are scared.

We need to examine the current process that people have to endure. If a claimant is deemed to have failed to meet a condition of jobseeker’s allowance—failing to attend an interview, being unavailable for work or leaving a job voluntarily—they are subject to benefit sanctions, meaning that their benefits are stopped for period.

The final decision on whether to sanction is made not by Jobcentre Plus work coaches or Work programme providers, but by Department for Work and Pensions decision makers. If a work coach or adviser believes that the claimant has not fulfilled their requirement, a “doubt” can be raised and referred to a decision maker in a sanction referral. That mysterious decision maker is unknown to the claimant and uncontactable. Normally, if we have an issue or are dissatisfied, we phone a number or speak to a manager, but a claimant referred for a sanction has no number to phone the decision maker to explain why they failed to meet a requirement. There is no means of finding out who this person is who ultimately has their livelihood in their hands, which only adds to the unhealthy, insecure atmosphere that drives so much anxiety and pessimism. The decision maker should attempt to obtain evidence from the claimant, as well as from the work coach, and make a decision on whether to apply a sanction based on a “balance of probabilities”—whatever that means.

Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (Con)I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing this debate and getting a large number of people here on a Friday morning. I have had a careful look at her Bill. Is she advocating getting rid of conditions or sanctions entirely? That is the tone of her speech, which is in contrast to the detail of her Bill.

Mhairi BlackI am happy to give the hon. Gentleman my copy of the Bill, because he will see that that is not what I am trying to do. It is quite hard to pass a private Member’s Bill, so while my colleagues and I would want to get rid of the sanctions regime altogether because we disagree with it, I am trying to use this Bill to make a small, genuine change that the Government can hopefully get on board with. I am not trying to be controversial.

Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con)I join my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Michael Tomlinson) in congratulating the hon. Lady on securing an admirable turnout among her colleagues. She wrote in The National on 1 July:“If we must have a sanctions regime”.To be absolutely clear, is the hon. Lady’s position that she would prefer not to have a sanctions regime at all?

Mhairi BlackI cannot emphasise enough that if I had the power I would get rid of sanctions altogether, but I am not trying to do that right now. The Bill tries to amend sanctions.There are two major problems in the current system, the first of which are the guidelines. Under the current regime, a sanction may be imposed if a claimant has good reason. The JSA legislation was amended to provide that “good reason” was to be set out in guidance rather than in the regulations themselves. That is the problem—it is only guidance. The Government argued that not setting out particular circumstances or situations in legislation allows the decision maker

“to take into account all reasons considered relevant when determining good reason.”The decision maker’s guide on the guidelines explains:“Good reason is not defined in legislation.”It says:“DMs should take into account all the relevant information about the claimant’s circumstances”and their reasons for actions.

“Claimants will be given the opportunity…to explain why they have not complied with requirements and it will remain the responsibility of the claimant to show good reason for any failure and to provide information and evidence as appropriate to explain why they have not complied.”That sounds fair enough when we just read it, but how does a person provide hard concrete evidence that their bus was 10 minutes’ late, or that their train was delayed?

Let me set out where the whole idea behind this Bill came from. I am a member of the Work and Pensions Committee. We were looking into jobcentres, and we paid a visit to South Thanet, which is what I would describe as a leafy, prosperous, happy Conservative suburb with not many real hard issues. When we went to the jobcentre, I was desperate to pick holes in the sanctions regime—desperate to sit there and say, “It’s horrible, it doesn’t work, it’s horrendous and people endure horrible things.” I am glad to say that I could not do that. Within the jobcentre, the sanctions regime was working as best as it possibly could. There were hardly any sanctions, because time after time the staff were patient and understanding. They worked incredibly hard to make sure that nobody ended up in that position.

I appreciate the fact that this Conservative constituency, geographically, economically and socially, does not have anywhere near the same pressure and problems as many other constituencies throughout the UK, including mine. In my opinion, that jobcentre was just lucky—lucky because of the personalities and the attributes of its staff. That was why the sanctions were not as harsh as they were in constituencies such as my own.

Michael Gove (Surrey Heath) (Con)I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing the opportunity to introduce the Bill, but I must correct her: South Thanet is not a leafy suburb. It is one of the most deprived parts of south-east England, and the population there—[Interruption.] Members of the Scottish National party should not be selective in their championing of those suffering poverty. The truth is that South Thanet, which I shall visit later today, is a disadvantaged area that over the past 20 or 30 years has suffered as a result of the changes in the economic climate in this country, and it is mischaracterised by the hon. Lady.

To read the full debate, go to https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-02/debates/AFB4F711-3286-4F97-A40A-C44BA4029EBB/BenefitClaimantsSanctions(RequiredAssessment)Bill andhttps://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-02/debates/5948EE67-C803-44A7-9162-A7EC89FD6F82/BenefitClaimantsSanctions(RequiredAssessment)Bill

Human Rights Act

907684 John Nicolson (East Dunbartonshire) (SNP): What recent progress has been made on the Government’s plan to replace the Human Rights Act 1998.

The Minister for Courts and Justice (Sir Oliver Heald)As is well known, we shall set out our proposals for a Bill of Rights in due course, and we shall of course consult fully on those proposals.

John NicolsonIn the light of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities finding that cuts to benefits meet the threshold for human rights violations, instead of replacing the Human Rights Act, should not the Secretary of State focus on ensuring the protection of rights to which the Government are already committed?

Sir Oliver HealdThe UK Government and this country do not need lectures about our human rights record. Our country has a proud tradition that goes back 800 years of pioneering human rights and spreading our values around the world. We do not need any lessons.

Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury) (Con)Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that not only is it a good idea to make the change, but that we were members of the European convention on human rights for a whole generation before we put human rights legislation into British law, and that the clear understanding needs to be that British courts, informed by legislation from this Parliament, make the decisions?

Sir Oliver HealdOf course it was Winston Churchill in his famous speech in Place Kléber in Strasbourg who pointed out the importance of fundamental human rights after the Second World War, and British lawyers played a very important part in framing the European convention on human rights. Having said that, it is right to consider what that should be in the modern context, and whether we need a British jurisprudence over those rights. That is what we are doing.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-06/debates/30663364-EFA6-4001-8499-659CD50ED8DB/OralAnswersToQuestions

Rail Companies: Disabled Passengers

907757 Maria Caulfield (Lewes) (Con): What steps the Government are taking to ensure that rail companies provide on-board visual and auditory displays for disabled passengers.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Andrew Jones)The provision of an audio-visual passenger information system is mandatory for all new trains, and it has been since 1999. For older trains, operators have until 1 January 2020 to fit an AV passenger system. Currently, 70% of the fleet operated on

the main line has been either built compliant or upgraded to be compliant, and the rest of the fleet will be upgraded or replaced by 2020.

Maria CaulfieldHow can we encourage staff on our railways to make announcements on the trains to help visually impaired passengers when visual displays are either not fitted on the trains or, as is the case most of the time, not working?

Andrew JonesMy hon. Friend raises an important issue. It is a condition of an operator’s passenger licence that it must publish a disabled persons protection policy. That covers how the needs of visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing people are met with regard to AV systems, including in times of delay or disruption. DPPPs have to be approved by the Office of Rail and Road. Additionally, disability awareness training is mandatory for all customer-facing staff and managers in train operating companies.

Dr Lisa Cameron (East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow) (SNP)This week, the all-party parliamentary group for disability published an informative report on measures to close the disability employment gap. One of the issues raised by disabled people is the cutting of benefits, which reduces their independence and results in the removal of their Motability vehicles. When will the Government reverse this disabling policy?

Andrew JonesThe hon. Lady raises a very important question. I will have to look into this matter and reply to her in writing.

Mr SpeakerIt is a very important question, but, unfortunately, it is somewhat different from the question on the Order Paper. That may explain the Minister’s need to undertake some important research, the fruits of which I am sure we will witness in due course.

Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con)Having a disability-accessible train service is hugely important, but disabled people need to be able to get to the train station in the first place. What is the Minister doing to make sure that local authorities have a more consistent approach to making our built environment more disability-accessible, particularly in making sure that we have more consistency in shared space schemes?

Andrew JonesShared space schemes are a very controversial area, and their name does not help people. With shared space schemes, local authorities are trying to remove some of the visual clutter and improve the built environment, but that cannot be done at the expense of disabled people. In the Department, we have a work group that, with the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation, is looking at good practice in this area, and it will publish its report shortly.

Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)Making audio-visual information on public transport mandatory for buses is overdue. Will the Government confirm that they will accept the amendment to the Bus Services Bill, which is going through the Lords?

Andrew JonesThe Government tabled an amendment in the Lords to introduce AV displays on buses. The Bill has finished its passage through the Lords, and I think it will be introduced in this House in the New Year. We are very keen on the amendment, and we were very pleased to get it into the Bill.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-08/debates/F0CCAB5F-C642-4E81-9F86-6FCBD578759F/RailCompaniesDisabledPassengers

State Pension Age

907762 Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)If she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions the provision of further transitional support to women affected by the increase in the state pension age.

907769 Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith) (Lab)If she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions the provision of further transitional support to women affected by the increase in the state pension age.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Welfare Delivery (Caroline Nokes)The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is fully aware of the issue, which we debated in this Chamber just last week. He has clearly stated that the introduction of further transitional arrangements cannot be justified given the imperative need to focus public resources on helping those in most need. There are no plans to go beyond the £1.1 billion concession introduced when Parliament considered the changes.

Mrs Lewell-BuckI thank the Minister for that response, disappointingly predictable as it was. Will she tell me whether anyone in Government at all has done an analysis of how much it would cost to implement transitional measures in comparison with what it will cost the Government reputationally and financially when the Women Against State Pension Inequality take them to court and win?

Caroline NokesConsistent is how I would prefer to describe my answer. The Government have looked into a variety of different proposals that have come forward in many forms, both from the WASPI campaign and from Opposition parties. As I have very clearly stated, we will not make any further transitional arrangements.

Andy SlaughterThe Minister must know that the lack of transitional support is causing real hardship to women in her constituency, as it is in mine. In the interests of transparency, will she publish any proposals that have come up since the Pensions Act 2011? Will she publish them and the Government’s research, so we can see what they have done?

Caroline Nokes

As the hon. Gentleman will know, the welfare system provides a safety net for those experiencing hardship. We have made it very clear that we have already provided £1.1 billion in transitional concessions. The Government have published a great deal of figures on this subject. It is very difficult for the Government to publish further statistics on proposals that have come forward from both the WASPI campaign and Opposition parties when it is very unclear what provisions would be included around those transitional arrangements for women as well as men.

Angela Crawley (Lanark and Hamilton East) (SNP)With the effects of austerity being felt disproportionately by women, another Government policy affecting women is the 4% tax on child maintenance. Does the Minister accept that this places an additional tax on survivors of domestic violence, and will she ensure that that is addressed?

Caroline NokesI thank the hon. Lady for that question, although I am not sure how it relates to the WASPI campaign. As she will know, I answered questions on this very subject at the Select Committee yesterday. Interestingly, no mention was made about the charges to parents in the collect and pay system. We are determined to encourage as many families as possible to have family-based arrangements. Indeed, even in cases where there has been domestic violence, the child maintenance service can step in to make sure that bank details can be passed safely, including using bank accounts that do not have a geographic location—they have a centralised sort code—so that we protect women and have as few families as possible within the collect and pay arrangements.https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-08/debates/798BBF01-B3BA-4B57-AB0D-8789521C813E/StatePensionAge

Welfare Cap

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Welfare Delivery (Caroline Nokes)

I beg to move,

That pursuant to the Charter for Budget Responsibility: Autumn 2015 update, which was approved by this House on 14 October 2015, under Section 1 of the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011, this House agrees that the breach of the Welfare Cap in 2019-20 and 2020-21, due to higher forecast inflation and spend on disability benefits, is justified and that no further debate will be required in relation to this specific breach.

Today’s motion is about Government accountability for welfare spending before the House and, indeed, before the public. This debate is about the welfare cap. I hope right hon. and hon. Members on both sides of the House will agree that our welfare system is about more than just the numbers. We have a set of principles to build a welfare system that works for everyone. We need to look beyond just benefits, and to work with employers, health professionals and the voluntary sector. We need to ensure the system supports people to get into work, to stay in work and to progress in work. We must also offer care for the minority of people who cannot work, whether through sickness, disability or personal circumstances.

We introduced the welfare cap in 2013 to strengthen control of welfare spending and improve parliamentary accountability for that level of spending. The welfare cap is an important part of our fiscal framework, and it plays a crucial role in delivering our commitment to a sustainable and affordable welfare system. Our welfare reforms are creating a system that makes sure that work always pays and that is fair to those who receive welfare but also to those who pay for it.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility assessed performance against the welfare cap at autumn statement, and it is now forecast that the current cap will not be met in each year until 2020-21. A similar debate was held in the House on 16 December 2015 on the breach of the welfare cap in the years 2017-18 and 2018-19, resulting from the decision not to pursue the tax credits measure proposed at summer Budget 2015. The House agreed that the breach of the cap in the earlier years of the forecast period was justified and that no further debate would be required on that specific matter. Therefore, the motion we are putting before the House today seeks agreement on the justification of the breach of the cap in the later years of the forecast period—2019-20 and 2020-21.

I would now like to outline the reasons why the cap is forecast not to be met in those years. This is due to increased forecast inflation and spend on disability benefits, partly due to the decision not to pursue the personal independence payment measure proposed at Budget 2016. As with our decision not to pursue the tax credits measure, the Government have once more listened and responded to public concerns, and we have decided not to pursue the changes to the personal independence payment. Higher forecast inflation is another factor contributing to the cap not being met in 2019-20 and 2020-21. In view of the uncertainty facing the economy, inflation is now forecast to be higher than when the cap was set at summer Budget 2015.

I would like to reassure the House that the latest forecasts do not mean that welfare spending is out of control. As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced at autumn statement, we will deliver the welfare savings we have already announced and legislated for. I would also like to repeat that the Government have no plans for further welfare savings in this Parliament.

The Government believe that work is the best route out of poverty. That is why we want a welfare system that helps people who can work to get back into work, but that also supports those in most need. Our welfare reforms are working. Employment has risen by 2.8 million since 2010, and is now at a record high of 74.5%. Unemployment is at an 11-year low. Universal credit is revolutionising the welfare system, enshrining the principle that working more always pays more. Through the benefit cap, we are restoring fairness to the system, while ensuring there is a clear incentive to work.

There are now over 1 million fewer people on out-of-work benefits. Some 3.5 million disabled people are now in employment, and in the last three years, the number of disabled people in work has increased by nearly 600,000. We also want a welfare system that is a strong safety net for those who need it—

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-12/debates/55FA00BA-40AC-4484-ACE1-0BEE1F9CDDA1/WelfareCap

___________________________________________________________________

On behalf of everyone here at SCoD, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

We look forward to receiving news from all our members in 2017…

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