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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.

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Question reference: S5W-34302

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to people who are required to self-isolate but who are not eligible for the Self-Isolation Support Grant or Scottish Welfare Fund grants.

The Scottish Government introduced the £500 Self-Isolation Support Grant on 12 October 2020, to enable low income workers to self-isolate, when required to do so by Test and Protect. This helps to ensure they can self-isolate without suffering a financial loss.

The eligibility criteria were further extended on 7 December to include to people who are eligible for benefits but not currently in receipt of them, and to parents and carers of children who have been told to self-isolate.

Those who are ineligible for the SISG may however be eligible for an emergency grant from their local authority. Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grants are available to all people regardless of their current benefit eligibility. They are specifically designed to provide a safety net when an emergency situation occurs and there is no other way to cover costs.

In addition, support can provided via the Local Self-Isolation Support Service which is a proactive outbound call service operated by local authorities. The service calls people who are self-isolating, and who are happy to pass on their details. This service helps with support to access food, medication, and other essentials, whilst also signposting to further advice services.

Help can also be provided by contacting The National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000 which anyone can contact, and operates between 09.00 to 17.00 every weekday.

Question reference: S5W-34233

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 December 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Heat in Buildings Strategy.

The Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy was due to be published earlier this year but was delayed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It will now be published in January 2021. The draft strategy will follow on from the update to the Climate Change Plan, setting out in more detail our vision and the steps we will take to reduce emissions from heating our homes and buildings, and how we will remove poor energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty.

Question reference: S5W-33257

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with supermarkets regarding implementing current COVID-19 health and safety measures to protect staff.

The Scottish Government has had regular dialogue with retailers on a range of issues throughout the COVID19 pandemic which has included both official and ministerial discussions. Dialogue has been a mixture of one to one and sector-wide discussions. Food Standards Scotland has produced guidance for all food businesses, including retailers, that supports risk assessment and risk management to help retailers comply with COVID19 safety measures.

Question reference: S5W-33179

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information has been provided by the COVID-19 Test and Protect system regarding the reported rise in positive cases and test positivity in Inverclyde.

Question reference: S5W-33180

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the COVID-19 Test and Protect system has indicated hotspots or types of settings that people in Inverclyde have visited prior to testing positive for the virus.

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: S5F-04627

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2020

To ask the First Minister how many people have been cautioned by Police Scotland for travelling between areas with higher and lower COVID-19 restriction levels since the current legislation was passed.

Question reference: S5W-33258

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 26 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether tighter COVID-19 measures will be put in place for the busier Christmas shopping period to ensure that supermarkets can protect their staff.

There are well-established measures in place for supermarkets with many now standard operating practice. These include ensuring there is a two metre distance between customers; limiting the numbers of customers in stores at any one time; managing customer movement within stores through using one way systems; mandatory face coverings for customers and staff, including for staff communal areas; barriers and screens at checkouts; and enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures. All of these measures are contained in the Scottish Government’s Retail Sector Guidance which was co-developed in consultation with industry and trades unions.

As the Christmas shopping period stores will be markedly busier it is vitally important to ensure the safety of both staff and customers that existing measures are followed and customer compliance is encouraged through the Scottish Government’s FACTS campaign.

Question reference: S5O-04786

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide to students in Inverclyde that their exam results will be reflective of the work that they do in this academic year.

Question reference: S5W-32626

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider allowing background music to be played in hospitality venues indoors when they reopen, but specifying a decibel level that should not be exceeded.

Question reference: S5W-33224

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Russell on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the coronavirus legislation in place.

Amendments to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 have been laid before the Scottish Parliament today. These amendments come into force at 6 am on Friday 13 November to change the current allocation of levels to different areas of Scotland. Fife, Angus and Perth & Kinross local government areas will be moved from Level 2 to Level 3 as a result of the most recent data. No other changes will be made to the allocation of levels. The amendments will also adjust the social gathering rules in respect of the Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Na h-Eileanan Siar, to permit in-home socialising, subject to the general rule of no more than 6 people from 2 households. For Level 0 areas, the number of people aged under 18 who are permitted to gather in an outdoor public place will be reduced from 15 to 8. Further amendments are made to put aspects of the levels-based approach into law, rather than relying on guidance alone, and to create a new exemption and requirements in relation to the wearing of a face covering. A change is also made to prohibit the sale of alcohol in hotels in level 3 areas, unless this is provided as room service. Finally, miscellaneous amendments are made to correct errors and to ensure consistency. As with previous regulations, the Scottish Ministers will keep the necessity and proportionality of these measures under regular review and will keep Parliament updated.