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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-31533

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 15 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments regarding care staff by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport during the ministerial statement on care homes on 1 September 2020 (Official Report, c. 64), what its position is on the level of pay across the social care sector, and whether it will abolish the registration fee that must be paid by those working in the sector in order to practice.

Since 2016 we have had a joint policy with COSLA to ensure that all adult social care workers are paid at least the real living wage in the context of a system that is currently delivered by private, third sector and public employers. We also have a long-standing commitment to the principles of Fair Work and are currently working with stakeholders to further embed fair work principles and achieve better terms and conditions and more rewarding roles for the social care workforce. The independent review of adult social care, announced in our Programme for Government, will include the consideration of a range of national approaches to adult social care. The review will take a human-rights based approach taking into consideration fair work and pay of the workforce, funding, governance, administration and delivery.

We have no plans to abolish registration fees for registered workers in social care. Workers who are required to register with a professional regulator, such as SSSC, are required to pay an annual registration fee and that remains the legal position. Through emergency legislation, we have taken action to address the payment of registration fees for social care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak by extending the period of time a new or returning worker is required to pay their fees, from 6 months to 12 months. SSSC will not remove workers from the Register who are unable to pay the annual fee on time but will contact them at a later date if the fee remains due.

By offering an extended period of time in which to register we hope to encourage workers to return to the register during this emergency.

The emergency legislation will remain in place during the current pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-31018

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish guidance regarding restarting day care services and support for older people who have been isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-30865

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish details of the work that it is doing to support research into (a) a vaccine for and (b) the treatment and management of COVID-19.

Details about the research projects funded from the rapid research in COVID-19 call issued by the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO), which include a project relating to COVID-19 vaccine development and projects relating to the treatment and management of COVID-19, are available at: https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/rapid-research-in-covid-19-programme/

Details about the COVID-19-related clinical research projects that are being supported by the Scottish Government’s investment, through CSO, in NHS Research Scotland (NRS) are available at: http://www.nhsresearchscotland.org.uk/coronavirus/covid-19-research . NRS is also supporting the participation of the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow with NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde in the UK trial of the Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine.

CSO and NRS are also working with the National Institute for Health Research and NHS Digital and partners in Wales and Northern Ireland on the UK-wide NHS COVID-19 vaccine research register to support COVID-19 vaccine trials. Details about this are available at: https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/vaccine-studies/

Question reference: S5O-04535

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to empower local authorities to make decisions that will strengthen their communities as they move on following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5F-04297

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 August 2020

To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government is providing for the arts sector, in light of reported concerns regarding the impact of the lockdown on the sector and loss of jobs.

Question reference: S5W-31038

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what methods it is using to monitor nutritional standards in the provision of holiday meals for children.

The Scottish Government has given local authorities the flexibility to co-ordinate food provision to families eligible for free school meals, during the school summer holidays, in any manner which they feel best meets the local needs and circumstances of all eligible families within their respective areas. Local authorities have made provision through a variety of methods including providing eligible families with direct cash payments; supermarket or shop vouchers; delivering food items directly to the homes of eligible families; and providing food at local hubs for collection.

The provisions set out in The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008 apply only to food which is served in schools, however we would encourage that healthy and nutritious meal options continue to be provided to eligible families during the school summer holidays where local authorities are providing food items directly to eligible families.

Question reference: S5W-31039

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the results of any nutritional monitoring that it has carried out of food packages given to children during the summer holidays.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31038 on 13 August 2020. The Scottish Government has given local authorities the flexibility to co-ordinate food provision to families eligible for free school meals, during the school summer holidays, in any manner which they feel best meets the local needs and circumstances of all eligible families within their respective areas.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5O-04488

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what conditions it has set through its financial support for bus operators to keep services viable through the pandemic and as Scotland comes out of lockdown.

Question reference: S5W-31040

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the nutritional guidelines for food served in care homes.

The Care Inspectorate have produced Eating and Drinking Well in Care: good practice guidance for older people, published 2018. This collaborative resource provides information on older peoples dietary needs and related food and fluid requirements, referring to a food first approach and key messages to highlight the importance of a creative approach when encouraging people to eat and drink.

The Care Inspectorate has also worked with the Royal College of Speech and Language therapists and Scottish Care to co-produce guidance for people with eating, drinking and swallowing needs which includes examples of good practice. This guidance was published in 2020.

Both of these documents help inspectors to assess the quality of care being provided but also support care home providers to better understand and implement good quality care.

Question reference: S5W-31037

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the results of any monitoring of nutritional requirements at care homes.

The Care Inspectorate is responsible for the inspection and regulation of care homes in Scotland. In 2018 and 2019, the Care Inspectorate published quality frameworks for care homes for older people and care homes for adults. The provision of food and drink that meets residents’ needs and wishes is considered during the inspection of care homes and is a key focus of Quality Indicator 1.3: People’s health benefits for their care and support.

The Care Inspectorate publishes all inspection reports on its website.