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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-33176

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that many foodbanks do not provide baby milk formula because of UNICEF guidelines, and whether it will issue separate guidance to foodbanks regarding how they can help mothers who are unable to feed their babies naturally and cannot afford to buy milk formula.

Scottish Government advice has always been that where infant formula milk is needed, the preferred approach is a referral to a health worker who will be able to provide families with young infants longer term support which guarantees consistency, quality and access to wider services. This includes Best Start Foods which provides pregnant women and families with children under the age of three, on certain benefits, with a minimum of £4.25 a week to buy specific healthy foods. The Best Start Foods payment is doubled to £8.50 per week for the first year of the child’s life to help support nutrition for the breastfeeding mothers or the cost of providing first infant formula.

We will continue to encourage NHS Boards to work closely with their local partners to ensure that all parents of young infants who require additional support, are supported appropriately.

Question reference: S5W-33022

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified among students in (a) universities and (b) colleges.

Question reference: S5W-33020

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified as having been as a result of transmission on public transport.

Contacts are traced from information collected and made available to Test and Protect by Incident Management Teams. This allows Test and Protect to contact those who may have been exposed to the virus in a particular setting, and request them to take appropriate steps to prevent potential onward spread.

Public Health Scotland has produced a table of settings and events that index cases have attended over the previous 7 days. This is based on interviews conducted with cases identified in the Case Management System and involves cases recalling where they have been in the 7 days prior to symptom onset (or date of test if asymptomatic).

https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/covid-19-statistical-report/ .

However, Public Health Scotland cannot infer from the figures whether a specific setting or an event indicates where the COVID-19 transmission took place. This is because cases may have attended multiple settings or events within a short space of time, some of which may be low risk settings and events where it is highly improbable that transmission took place. In addition, it is possible that even though a case visited a few settings and events, transmission may have taken place within their home setting.

Question reference: S5W-33026

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified as having been as a result of transmission in a retail setting.

Question reference: S5W-33024

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified as having been as a result of transmission in (a) pubs and (b) restaurants.

Question reference: S5W-33023

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified among students in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Question reference: S5W-33021

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on where transmission of COVID-19 is taking place.

Question reference: S5F-04581

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2020

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report, Caught in a (Covid) Trap, by the Resolution Foundation, which says that almost a third of families who have experienced a reduction in income due to the pandemic are struggling to afford to heat their homes or buy fresh vegetables.

Question reference: S5W-32725

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the £11 million Coronavirus (COVID-19) Restrictions Fund will become available for applications.

On 27 October, we announced that a portion of the Contingency Fund would be used specifically to support nightclubs and soft play centres in recognition of the financial challenges they are experiencing having been closed since March. Nightclubs and soft play centres do not need to apply for this funding as eligible businesses will be contacted directly by local authorities.

We are continuing to consider where the remainder of the Contingency Fund would be most effectively deployed in supporting businesses impact by restrictions.

Question reference: S5O-04743

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it is taking to protect the eggs of the critically endangered flapper skate, which have recently been found off the northwest coast of Scotland.