Social Security Scotland - Operational Reference Group: FOI release

Information requested

Request for Information 1: Information relating to Agency Operations Reference Group. I would like a full list of all the experts and practitioners and their area of expertise and experience.

Request for Information 2: I would also like a copy of the select committee consultation and the Scottish Ministers involved in the devolution of all Department of Work and Pensions Social Security benefits from England and Wales to the Scottish Social Security agency. Please include the minutes of each meeting.

Request for Information 3: Please include the accounts for public audit Scotland and public audit committee for each of the social security benefits involved in the devolution of all Department of Work and Pensions Social Security benefits from England and Wales to the Scottish social security agency.

Response

Response for Information 1:

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. names and contact details of individuals and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

The Operational Reference Group has evolved over the lifetime of Social Security Scotland and its original membership has now grown to include organisations who were involved in our original Equalities Group and latterly the addition of members from our Inclusive Communication Group.

The expertise each one brings to the table is that of their own organisation’s purpose and value which can contribute to the delivery of services for the people of Scotland that Social Security Scotland will serve.

The Reference Group is not a statutory body.

Members as at 2024:

• Aberlour
• Action on Asbestos
• Advocating Together
• Age Scotland
• Alzheimer’s Scotland
• BLESMA
• Carers Scotland
• Carers Trust Scotland
• CEMVO Scotland
• Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland
• Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) Scotland
• Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS)
• Coalition of Carers
• COSLA
• Deafblind Scotland
• Department For Work and Pensions
• Dyslexia Scotland
• Enable Scotland
• Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA)
• Inclusion Scotland
• Macmillan Cancer Support
• Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)
• MND Scotland
• MS Society
• National Deaf Children's Society
• One Parent Families Scotland
• Poverty Alliance
• Public Health Scotland (NHS)
• Rights Advice Scotland
• RNIB
• Scottish Autism
• Scottish Refugee Council
• SAMH; See Me Scotland
• Sense Scotland
• SFHA (Scottish Federation of Housing Associations)
• The ALLIANCE
• Versus Arthritis

Some of the information you have requested is published within the Governance and Groups section of the Social Security Scotland website available here

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Response for information 2:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

Select Committees are a function of UK Parliament. Therefore any requests for information in relation to Select Committee consultation should be requested from the UK Parliament.

Response for Information 3:

I have included a link below to our latest Annual Report and Account which includes Financial Statements from page 64.

Social Security Scotland - Social Security Scotland - Annual Report and Account 2023-2024

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.