Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman says the government has been clear that there will be a Scottish social security agency delivering the 11 devolved benefits by the end of this parliamentary term.

Image source, LUKASSEK

The UK government may continue to administer some benefits for several years after legislative control over them is passed to Holyrood.

Power over 11 benefits is being devolved, but the UK government could continue to oversee delivery of some until 2020 to "minimise risk".

Social Security Secretary Angela Constance said the transfer of powers would be complete in the current term.

However opposition parties claimed the SNP were "terrified" of responsibility.

The Scottish and UK governments are examining a "split competency" approach for the new devolved benefits, which are worth about £2.7bn. This would see Holyrood given legislative powers over a series benefits from June 2017, but not over delivery of some of them until April 2020.

The 11 benefits being devolved include carer's allowances, disability living allowances, personal independence payments, maternity grants and winter fuel payments, while the UK government will retain control over other areas such as Universal Credit.

SNP MSP Christina McKelvie asks the Scottish government when powers over social security benefits will be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Ms Frances Hume from Interfaith Scotland is delivering today's time for reflection.

Topical questions will feature queries about social security benefits, the local government review and income inequalities.

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The Scottish government will lead a debate on the single market and trade, their latest in a series of debates on the EU referendum. 

The member’s debate will be led by Labour MSP Jackie Baillie and will focus on supporting women-led business in Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Committee Convener Neil Findlay moves the Health Committee into private session.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton praises the fervour with which the petition has been presented to the parliament.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone agrees and says the petition should be kept open. 

Mr Findlay says all of the committee has had correspondence on this issue.

He says the committee agrees to keep the petition open. 

Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay asks for any comments on the petition

Scottish Conservative MSP Donald Cameron says the petition should be kept open and says the committee should write to the Scottish Health Council.

Scotland's largest health board is to consult the public on controversial proposals to close or cut down on some in-patient and maternity services.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde needs to save about £69m in the coming year.

Options include closing Lightburn Hospital and the birthing unit at Vale of Leven. Consultation begins next month with a decision due in December.

Scottish ministers have said they would not approve any plans that "do not properly reflect" local concerns.

The board has claimed that the proposals are motivated by the clinical need for change and would not in themselves save £69m.

Other proposals which will be part of the consultation are ending in-patient care at the Centre for Integrative Care at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

PE1568 by Catherine Hughes , external

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to ensure that Scotland-wide access to the NHS Centre of Integrative Care (NHS CIC) is restored by providing national funding for a specialist national resource for chronic conditions, to uphold NHS patient choice and cease the current postcode lottery by removing barriers to patient access and prevent institutional discrimination by helping to promote the benefits of this care pathway for patients with long-term conditions.

Image source, Science Photo Library

The Health Committee will now consider PE1568, external by Catherine Hughes on funding, access and promotion of the NHS Centre for Integrative Care.

The Centre for Integrative Care on the Gartnavel Hospital campus is part of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

It was previously known as the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital.

The NHS Centre for Integrative Care, on the Gartnavel Hospitals site, offers people with long term conditions a wide range of opportunities to enhance their health and quality of life. 

Most patients referred to the Centre are experiencing chronic pain, chronic low energy, and/or chronic low mood or anxiety. However, any patient with a long term condition may benefit from the care provided here. 

Sir Harry Burns says part of the improvement process is to allow frontline staff to try things.

The chair of the Targets and Indicators Review warns against the use of punitive measures.

Sir Harry Burns, chair of the Targets and Indicators Review, says he realises there will be public expectation and his priority is to make the health service better for the people of Scotland.

"We can never say there is a gold standard set of targets," he says.

Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay asks if government were encouraged to go down the route of gathering certain targets. 

Geoff Huggins from the Scottish government says he cannot say who made the final decision to set the particular targets.

Mr Huggins says people have different views on figures and see different ways they can be used.

He says the idea now is to produce figures quicker, so that recent patient experience can be reviewed and not the patient experience from eighteen months ago. 

Sir Harry says run charts on the wall help motivate frontline staff.

He says annual reports are not enough and there needs to be a closer review of the figures and staff need to be more engaged with the numbers. 

Last month Nicola Sturgeon defended her government's record on the NHS after a report highlighted the "significant financial challenges" facing it.

The Audit Scotland report said health boards would have to make "unprecedented" savings this year.

And it said NHS Scotland had failed to meet seven of its eight key waiting times targets.

Image source, Thinkstock

Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said the report made it clear that the Scottish NHS was in crisis.

The Audit Scotland report dominated First Minister's Questions at Holyrood, with Ms Davidson claiming the Scottish government's management of the NHS was a "scandal".

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale described the report as a "grim diagnosis" of the challenges facing the health service.

• Read the full Audit Scotland report here, external
• Some NHS boards 'may not balance books'

Sir Harry says health inequalities "will not be fixed simply through healthcare".

He says it is also a housing issue and helping people into better housing would also have an impact on health.

The chair of the Targets and Indicators Review says the frontline should be empowered as when they are they just come up with solutions.   

Image source, bbc

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton cites the Audit Scotland report on the NHS and points out only one out of eight targets were met.

Sir Harry Burns says the Republic of Irleand, New Zealand and Australia have far laxer targets.

The former chief medical officer says: "We have set ourselves pretty challenging targets."

Scottish Conservative MSP Donald Cameron asks if there is logic or sense in enshrining targets in statute.

Sir Harry says he would like targets to be used for improvements and if you enshrine the targets in law then there is no need to go any further once the target has been met. 

He says enshrining things in law is for MSPs to decide but he'd like to see the targets and statistics used to go further and creating a better service. 

Sir Harry says we need to take a step back and look at what the broader system is telling us.

He says A&E waiting times are a barometer for what is happening elsewhere in the hospital and outside in communities. 

The chair of the Targets and Indicators Review says people used to go into A&E initially and were moved to another department to be treated but now treatment begins in accident and emergency.