Ministerial Engagements
Ministerial Engagements
Again this year, despite the challenges being faced by Scottish Government Ministers on a range of issues, including recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, we were able to undertake a series of Ministerial engagements. These included committee-wide discussions with:
- Ministers for Transport, Graeme Dey, MSP and Jenny Gilruth, MSP
- Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants Rights, Patrick Harvie, MSP
- Minister for Social Security, Ben McPherson MSP
- Minister for Equalities and Older People, Christina McKelvie MSP
- Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Authorities, Shona Robison, MSP.
The key areas of discussion included:
- the need to involve disabled and older people in the design in their local communities to enable walking and wheeling, working towards the aspirations of the 20-Minute Neighbourhood concept.
- the Fair Fares Review and the need to include the concessionary travel scheme.
- ensuring our islands have lifeline services to allow people to access health and other essential services and appointments and the need for better pavement infrastructure for walking and wheeling.
- ensuring disabled people feel, and can be more involved, in active travel programmes.
- using the active travel budget to improve Scotland's inaccessible pavements and public spaces.
- Motability value for money, reviewing of its grants scheme and the new Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme (AVES).
The agreed actions were:
The then Minister for Transport, Graeme Dey, asked the Committee to share their thoughts on the top-slicing of budgets. This was about using existing funds in a different way.
The Minister for Social Security and Local Government suggested that MACS may wish to engage with the Minister for Disabled People in the UK Government and that they should also consider writing to the Scottish Parliament's Social Security and Justice Committee.
The Minister for Social Security and Social Justice also stated that he has regular catch-ups with Motability where he would raise MACS concerns in relation to the Grants Scheme and the Rebate Scheme.
In relation to EqIAs MACS raised the issue that the quality of them can diminish when work is tendered out. The Minister for Equalities and Older People said that she would ask her officials to further explore the procurement tender process and EqIAs, although it was covered in the PSED review.
The Minister for Equalities and Older People also said that she would ask her officials to provide a written update to MACS in relation to the Equality Data Improvement Project (EDIP).
At the meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Authorities, MACS raised awareness of their work around 20-Minute Neighbourhoods and their hopes from the review of the Public Sector Equality Duty and discussed the Cabinet Secretary's views on both these issues.