Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:30 pm on 2 October 2025.
Craig Hoy
Conservative
2:30,
2 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how to manage any growing funding gap created by higher spending on devolved benefits. (S6O-05018)
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Scottish National Party
I met the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and the Minister for Public Finance in April to discuss the fiscal sustainability delivery plan and public service reform strategy, and more recently, in September, for a review of portfolio spending as part of the budget and spending review process. Discussions will continue between ministers as we work through the budget and spending review process during the coming months.
Craig Hoy
Conservative
The Minister might be holding meetings, but the meetings are not solving the problem, because the minister’s complacency about the benefits black hole that she is creating is staggering and fiscally irresponsible.
We should not be surprised because, whether through the soaring number of highly paid public sector workers or the ballooning cost of benefits, this Government is surely and stealthily building a client state for electoral advantage. Is it not the case that it will be ordinary hard-working Scots who are already struggling to pay their Bills who will pay for that reckless welfare spending through higher tax and poorer public services?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Scottish National Party
I wonder how Craig Hoy’s statement would have gone down with the parents of disabled children and young people whom I met this morning. They talked about the fact that the support that they get from the Scottish Government through social security is an important part of the support that a society should be providing for people.
As Craig Hoy goes through his pre-written comments, I wonder whether there is another paragraph that tells us whether he is going to take money away from disabled people, people on low incomes, carers and the children and young people whom I met this morning.
That is where the disappointment comes, and it is where Craig Hoy and the Scottish Conservatives’ true colours are shown. They have absolutely no sympathy for the fact that there are people in our society who are struggling. They have absolutely no compassion for disabled people, their carers or those on low incomes. That is telling to members in the chamber and to people throughout the country.
Willie Rennie
Liberal Democrat
Is the Cabinet secretary in discussion with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care about the creation of a neurodevelopmental pathway for adults? Many of them are economically inactive and are desperate to get the services that have been denied to them so far. That would not only help them to get back to work and reduce the dependency on benefits but ensure that we have economic growth where we desperately need it.
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Scottish National Party
I am very happy to carry on the discussions about neurodevelopmental pathways for children, young people and adults. Mr Rennie is probably already aware of the fact that, very recently, I announced an employment and employability support programme for disabled people, which will be available across the country.
When I launched that service, I spoke to an autistic young person who had benefited from it. The importance of that service is revealed by what it gave them—with support, they were able to move from economic inactivity into a job in which they are thriving and in which the company is benefiting greatly from their skills. I am happy to pick up with the health secretary the issues that Mr Rennie mentions.
Rona Mackay
Scottish National Party
The Scottish Conservatives keep raising the topic of expenditure on benefits, but they continue to shy away from the question of whose benefits they would see cut.
I am proud that the Scottish National Party Government—unlike successive Westminster Governments—continues to prioritise the most vulnerable people in our society through higher social security spending. Will the Cabinet secretary outline the impacts that that prioritisation is having on child poverty in Scotland?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Scottish National Party
Rona Mackay again gets to the nub of the issue. I can only presume—and Craig Hoy can feel free to continue to shout from a sedentary position if I am wrong—that part of the cuts that Mr Hoy wants would be to the Scottish child payment, which is forecast to keep 40,000 children out of relative poverty this year. Perhaps he would like us to keep the two-child benefit cap, rather than mitigating that, which is estimated to result in 20,000 fewer children living in poverty. We take very seriously our requirements to provide a robust system for social security, but I am also exceptionally proud of the support that we continue to give, particularly to young people.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The Conservatives are a centre-right political party in the UK, founded in the 1830s. They are also known as the Tory party.
With a lower-case ‘c’, ‘conservative’ is an adjective which implies a dislike of change, and a preference for traditional values.
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.
In the process of debate, members of parliament need to stand up in order to be recognised and given a turn to speak, and then they formally make a speech in the debate. "From a sedentary position" is Commons code for "heckling".
