Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 2
First Report - Cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland
Published 24 Jan 2024
Paragraph 15
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Whilst accepting the UK Government were keen to get support out to assist people as quickly as possible, the UK Government should carry out a review to assess the effectiveness and value for money of cost-of-living support provided by the UK Government during winter 2022/23. This review should evaluate: a) How effectively this support met the needs of Scottish rural households; b) How the UK Government could have better targeted the support; and c) Whether all levels of Government have sufficient data and administrative systems to deliver more effective, targeted cost of living support in the future, if required The UK Government should write to us with the findings of this review once completed.
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, First Report - Cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland (HC 153), paragraph 15, 24 January 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 April 2024.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government notes the Committee's recommendations on defining rural Scotland and on transport, states that it "does not agree" with the call for a new review of cost of living support, and describes housing and transport policy as devolved matters for the Scottish Government.
- On the proposed review of winter 2022/23 support, the government says reviews by individual departments are already under way and "will address much of this recommendation", and it "does not agree" with conducting a new one.
- It says a further UK final impact and value-for-money evaluation of the energy support schemes is being commissioned to run until summer 2025, with findings to be shared with the Committee and published.
- On tailoring support to rural areas, the government says it "understands" the Committee's view that support could have been more tailored, but states that this "would have required these novel schemes to be adapted and further complicated" and delayed payments.
- On transport, the government "notes" the recommendations, says ferry, bus and active travel services are devolved, and says it will "where possible and appropriate" support the Scottish Government, including through the Islands Connectivity Task & Finish Group.