Scottish Government Debate: Devolution of Employment Services

Jamie Hepburn S5M-01793 That the Parliament welcomes the devolution of employment support programmes under the Scotland Act 2016, with a transitional year of operation from April 2017 and a longer-term programme from 2018 that will reflect fair work and social and economic inclusion, ensure that people are at the heart of a service that treats people with fairness and respect and which will help deliver an inclusive, socially-just, equal and prosperous Scotland; regrets the funding reductions by the UK Government for these employability support services of almost 90% in the first year of devolved services in 2017-18, but notes that the Scottish Government is providing additional resources to ensure continuity of employment support for the most vulnerable in Scottish society, including disabled people, and welcomes voluntary access to Scottish devolved services that will support people into work, as opposed to mandatory participation and the threat of benefit sanctions by the Department for Work and Pensions. Adam Tomkins S5M-01793.1 As an amendment to motion S5M-01793 in the name of Jamie Hepburn (Devolution of Employment Services), leave out from “regrets” to end and insert “recognises that, for those who can, the best route out of poverty is work, and that one of the principal functions of social security is to smooth the journey from welfare to work; understands that the UK Government’s Work Programme has assisted more than 47,000 people in Scotland into the workplace and that there are now 2.7 million more people in work in the UK than there were in 2010, and calls on the Scottish Government to exercise its powers under the devolution of employment support programmes to address the dismal fact that Scotland has the lowest employment growth rate of any nation or region of the UK.” Pauline McNeill S5M-01793.3 As an amendment to motion S5M-01793 in the name of Jamie Hepburn (Devolution of Employment Services), insert at end “, believes that those who want to work but need extra support are given it and that support should be based on the principles of dignity and respect, not cuts and punitive sanctions; recognises that further action is needed in order to significantly reduce involuntary unemployment and move towards full employment, and calls on the Scottish Government to be bold and innovative in designing Scotland’s future employment services, including a review of the punitive and discredited content and delivery of assessments, as well as identifying the needs of local economies and the ability to tailor employment programmes to suit them.”