Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 21 February 2024.
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Labour
Despite that investment, many people in Glasgow—disabled people—are being asked to pay more for their social care. In some cases, they are being asked to pay 75 per cent more. I am particularly worried about that because of the impact that it is having on their poverty and their cost of living, but I am more concerned that it is happening without additional financial assessment. My constituents tell me that the increased costs are eating up around three quarters of their benefits during the cost of living crisis.
What action can the Cabinet secretary take to ensure that proper financial reassessments take place? Does his Government still believe in the policy of ending care charges? When does he think that those taxes on care will finally be ended?
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
