Employment Injury Assistance Steering Group minutes: December 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Co-chair: Tressa Burke, CEO, Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA)
• Co-chair: Elma Murray CBE, Chair, Young Scot
• Rachel Gallagher, Strategy and Development Manager, Clydebank Asbestos Group
• Phyllis Craig, Director, Action on Asbestos
• Anna Ritchie-Allan, Executive Director, Close the Gap
• Ian Tasker, CEO, Scottish Hazards
• Ian MacCorquodale, Welfare Rights Manager, Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA)
• Sholen Macpherson, Policy and Research Officer, Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER)
• Dr David Haldane, Consultant Occupational Physician, Faculty of Occupational Medicine Scotland
• Rachel Thomson, Equality Officer, Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC)
• Moira Escreet, Welfare Rights Officer, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG)

Guest Speaker

• Professor Gillian Leng, Chair, Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC)

Apologies

• Fiona McKee, Founder, The HR Practice
• Professor Ewan Macdonald OBE, Consultant Occupational Physician

Scottish Government Officials

• Shelley Smith, Social Security Policy
• Mimi Nicholls, Social Security Policy
• Daniel Rennie, Social Security Policy

Items and actions

Welcome and Introductions

Co-Chairs welcomed members to the fifth meeting of the Employment Injury Assistance Steering Group.

Moira Escreet, Welfare Rights Officer from CPAG was formally welcomed by the Co-Chairs to the group.

Approval of minutes from last meeting and update of work by Co-Chairs and officials to date

Members approved the minutes from the previous meeting and agreed to their publication on the Scottish Government web page for the group.

Officials thanked Co-Chairs for issues summary paper.

Officials agreed to send an email to members asking for volunteers to take forward case studies on international comparisons.

Officials advised that a letter to the trade unions is drafted and ready to send. 

The Co-Chairs talked through the action log and issues register. Members agreed to close specific actions.

The Co-Chairs advised members that they are meeting with the Cabinet Secretary to provide an update on the work of the group. They shared the intention for the Cabinet Secretary to attend the meeting in February subject to Parliamentary business. 

The Co-Chairs spoke about the Hazards Magazine article written by Professor Andrew Watterson from the University of Stirling, which was sent out prior to the meeting. 

Following on from previous discussions, members are interested in inviting a panel of solicitors who specialise in industrial injuries benefits to the next meeting, or holding an ad-hoc meeting if agenda and timings do not allow. Members suggested various employment injury firms and will use their networks to provide contact information to officials.

Professor Gillian Leng, Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC)

Co-Chairs welcomed Professor Gillian Leng, Chair of IIAC to the meeting.

Professor Leng gave a presentation on IIAC, providing an overview of how it operates, including current membership and the challenges the Council faces.

Co-Chairs invited members to ask Professor Leng questions regarding IIAC.

Co-Chairs and members thanked Professor Leng for her presentation and for attending the meeting.

IIAC wash up

Co-Chairs and members discussed points from Professor Leng’s presentation including an alternative to ‘doubling of the risk’ and looking at international comparisons again, including New Zealand.

There was further discussion around lack of research and data available to IIAC. The group discussed ways a Scottish replacement advisory body might seek to overcome this , including making use of PhD students.

Review of issues register

The Co-Chairs provided a summary paper in advance of issues the group has considered to date. This was discussed by the group and it was agreed that the issues register would be updated to reflect this discussion.

AOB and agree the next meeting

Co-Chairs advised next meeting will be held on 10 February 2026. Location and timings will be confirmed as soon as possible to allow for travel arrangements.

Officials will organise invitations and papers will be sent out in advance of the next meeting.

Co-Chairs welcomed any further agenda items for the next meeting. It is hoped that the Cabinet Secretary will be able to attend and this will be confirmed shortly.

Actions

• Update action log and issues register
• Share Professor Gillian Leng presentation on IIAC with members
• Officials to contact members seeking volunteers to take forward International comparisons case studies
• Officials to send letter to trade unions
• Officials to take forward planning for lived experience sessions
• Contact networks and provide officials with any contacts for engaging with lived experience including employment injury firms
• Consider how research can be used for international comparisons and how PhD students could facilitate this