- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove all COVID-19 restrictions following the completed roll-out of the vaccination programme, or whether it will pursue a "COVID-Zero" policy.
Answer
Reflecting on the success of the vaccination programme, our revised strategic intent is to work “to suppress the virus to a level consistent with alleviating its harms while we recover and rebuild for a better future.” Deciding when to remove COVID-19 restrictions will be informed by conditions based on clinical advice. These conditions will ensure that the virus remains sufficiently under control in Scotland and that enough people are protected by two doses of the vaccination. At present, our current analysis of the state of the epidemic indicates that the lifting of Level 0 restrictions should not happen until at least all adults over 40 years of age have been protected by two doses of the vaccine. We expect this to happen by 9 August. However, in order to maintain the progress we have made in returning to more normality, it will be important that people continue to stick to a set of baseline measures to stop the virus resurging and to protect those who do not have protection from vaccination.
I want us to get to a position where we do not have to think about Covid in our day-to-day lives in any respect. However, if we want to continue our progression towards that time, we might all have to accept baseline protective measures for a longer period, and we will work with stakeholders on what these should be.
But ultimately, we are dealing with an unpredictable virus, and we have to respond to what the data is telling us at the time.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the support that businesses will need in the next 6 to 12 months, should physical interactions move towards pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Answer
As we continue to move out of lockdown, with the safety of Scotland’s workforce a priority, we are also focused on supporting the recovery of Scotland’s businesses.
We are in close and regular dialogue with business leaders on a range of priority issues, including economic recovery and business support. As we face the challenges of EU exit and Covid, we have an opportunity to design an economic recovery that works for all of Scotland’s people.
We are living in more hopeful times. With the success of the vaccination programme we can now see a route to a more normal way of life.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the number of female prisoners on remand, following reports that one-in-four women in custody are awaiting trial.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2021
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it chose not to follow the procedures used in the rest of the UK for recent large test events when planning for similar events, such as those that will take place during Euro 2020.
Answer
Scotland is not part of the UK Government’s Events Research Programme and our events therefore do not fall within its remit or procedures. We have, however, engaged with the UK Government throughout the Programme and we await the final report of Phase 1 and will consider the evidence contained in it, including the success of the procedures tested, to help inform our route ahead.
Meantime, we have adopted our own approach to supporting flagship events, putting in place a ‘Gateway process’ to ensure that selected events of international importance can take place over summer and autumn with limited numbers of attendees, outwith the Levels or any equivalent framework, subject to epidemiological conditions. Euro 2020 is the first of these flagship events, with the process enabling up to 12,000 spectators to attend games at Hampden as well as a Fan Zone accommodating up to 3000 per session.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has held regarding the possible introduction of the insecticide, imidacloprid, on fish farms, and what less toxic treatments have been considered as an alternative.
Answer
Scottish Government, along with the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), met with Benchmark in 2019 and 2020 to describe the regulatory requirements for any proposal which may come forward to use or release imidacloprid based treatments in the marine environment. No applications have subsequently been made for imidacloprid use or release.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 15 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what charges will be removed from dental services, and when they will be removed.
Answer
The removal of all dental charges for NHS dental treatment is a Scottish Government manifesto commitment and will take place in the lifetime of this parliament.
As part of the 100 Days Commitment the Scottish Government, young people with care experience are to be exempted from NHS dental charges. This commitment has now been widened to include all young people between 18 and 25 years of age (inclusive).
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many people did not attend their vaccine appointment in the last 10 weeks, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) age group.
Answer
Public Health Scotland plans to publish these data by the end of June 2021, in relation to people who did not attend appointments. The data will be available from Public Health Scotland on the above date.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what is done with vaccine supplies that are unused due to non-attendance at appointments.
Answer
The current wastage of vaccines remains very low in Scotland, across Health Boards.
Health Boards currently over appoint to buffer any DNA’s (Did Not Attends) and they also administer opportunistic and drops-in vaccinations depending on their local circumstance – therefore this is not counted as wastage. Vaccine supply can also be carried forward to the next day, further reducing wastage.
As a precautionary approach for worst-case scenarios, a planning assumption of 5% vaccine wastage is used. Actual wastage is well below the 5% planning assumption.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 May 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of evidence from the Events Research Programme, which suggests that there is a relatively low risk of COVID-19 infection from outdoor events, including live music events, what plans it has to bring to an end physical distancing in live music settings, creating parity with England.
Answer
The Scottish Government has engaged with the UK Government throughout the Events Research Programme. We await the final report of Phase 1 of the Programme and will consider the evidence contained in it to help inform our route ahead, including for live music settings.
Meantime, the Scottish Government is reviewing physical distancing and an announcement of the outcome of this review is due shortly.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 May 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government by what date the second round of the Cultural Organisations and Venue Recovery Fund (COVRF 2), which was announced in March 2021, will be open for applications; when the £40 million allocated to it will be distributed, and what support it will offer to companies and venues that have experienced financial difficulties as a result of any delay.
Answer
The Scottish Government is continuing to work with Creative Scotland to ensure that further rounds of the Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund and the Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund can launch as soon as possible and that awards are made swiftly. The schemes launched on 10 June, with the first payments being made in early July. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy announced on 2 June that the budget for these funds will be £25 million.
No decisions have yet been made on the allocation of the remainder of the expected £40 million culture consequentials, because this funding has not yet been confirmed fully by the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government is continuing to engage with businesses within the Creative Industries and wider cultural sector, meeting regularly with stakeholders from all parts of the culture sector, to understand their challenges with a view to ensuring that further funding is as effective as possible.
The creative industries, culture and arts sectors have been among some of the hardest hit by the pandemic and will continue to face difficult issues as restrictions ease. The Scottish Government has provided more than £140 million of additional funding for culture and heritage since the start of the pandemic and we are absolutely committed to working with the sector to ensure we deliver a cultural recovery.
