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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-34036

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) prisoners and (b) people who are being detained in Scotland for any other reason will be included in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in accordance with the priorities set for the population as a whole.

Question reference: S5W-33406

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 21 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the adult care homes visiting guidance will next be updated.

Question reference: S5W-32986

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest time it has taken for an ambulance call out to arrive at an incident in each month since January 2020, broken down by Scottish Ambulance Service Regional Operational Division, also broken down by what proportion of the calls each month this represented.

Question reference: S5W-34023

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 11 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26441 by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2019, when it expects to make a formal announcement on the continuation of the Air Discount Scheme post-December 2020.

The Air Discount Scheme will continue at the current 50% discount rate until 31 March 2021 in order to continue to make travel for residents of the Highlands and Islands more affordable. It is our intention to continue the scheme beyond 31 March 2021, however that is subject to the 2021-22 Budget process. I will provide a further update following the completion of Parliament’s consideration of the 2021-22 Budget.

Question reference: S5W-33797

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 04 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-31753 and S5W-32327 by Fergus Ewing on 16 September and 30 October 2020 respectively, whether it will provide an update on its work towards the publication of the final report of the Farming and Food Production Future Policy Group since the last group meeting in October 2020; in light of Ministers having a draft report in September 2020, for what reason it has not yet been published, and whether the report, which was due to be published in August 2020, will be published by the end of 2020.

Question reference: S5T-02591

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 December 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Auditor General's report stating that policing in Scotland is not financially sustainable.

Question reference: S5W-33431

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30438 by Michael Matheson on 27 July 2020, on what dates ministers have met Heathrow Airport since 21 June 2018, which cabinet secretary is currently attending the meetings at six-monthly intervals, and whether it will place copies of the minutes of these meetings and correspondence since 21 June 2018 in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Question reference: S5W-33439

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S5W-30433 and S5W-30434 by Michael Matheson on 27 July 2020, whether its policy on the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport has been the subject of a specific review, and, if so, whether it will provide the information requested regarding when this (a) began and (b) concluded.

The decision to support Heathrow airport’s expansion was taken by the UK Government and UK Parliament.

The Scottish Government remain committed to the memorandum of understanding with Heathrow and I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30436 on 27 July 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-33379

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how the COVID-19 testing process for students will be run.

Universities began the asymptomatic testing of students on 30 November. Testing is being offered on a voluntary basis to all university and college students who are changing households or returning home at the end of term and is being administered by individual institutions. Two tests will be necessary, 3 days apart, with PCR confirmation for positive results.

We have published guidance and an FAQ document for students, which sets out more detail on the testing programme. We are committed to working with universities to offer testing on a similar basis to students on their staggered arrival for the start of next term and will provide further detail on the testing arrangements in due course.

Question reference: S5W-33407

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects LumiraDx Platform instruments that can carry out 12-minute tests for COVID-19 to be made available for island NHS boards.

NHS Scotland Virology experts recommend that the LumiraDX SARS-CoV2 Antigen Test is used for symptomatic individuals showing clinical signs or symptoms compatible with COVID-19 on admission to hospital.

This will help ensure symptomatic patients are tested quickly and results returned rapidly, preventing unintended consequences relating to patient flow and reduce the risk of backlogs in our emergency departments.

Adoption of the LumiraDx Test for testing symptomatic patients on admission will remain a decision of the local Health Board in the context of their infrastructure, local systems, processes, pathways and workflows.

Plans for the expansion of testing – including patient testing on admission to hospital – were set out in Parliament on 25th November 2020