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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-33752

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government who will be responsible for identifying and contacting school pupils and staff should COVID-19 cases come to light immediately prior to or during the Christmas break, and what guidance has been issued to headteachers, school staff and trade unions on this.

We recognise the need to minimise school staff being required to support contact tracing activities over the holiday period. Public Health Scotland are working with local Health Protection teams and Directors of Education to put in place arrangements for each local authority. This will ensure that, in the event of a case within a school, the relevant individuals are in place to identify and get in touch with close contacts. Details of these arrangements will be shared as appropriate.

Question reference: S5W-33574

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance will be issued to (a) home carers, (b) district nurses and (c) emergency workers required to enter private homes when the COVID-19 restrictions are eased over the festive period.

Consideration is being given on whether additional guidance is needed for home carers, district nurses and emergency workers required to enter private homes when the COVID-19 restrictions are eased over the festive period. This consideration will take account of existing mitigating measures put in place to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace such as appropriate use of PPE.

People in households meeting over the festive period are also expected to follow infection and protection control public health advice such as letting in as much fresh air possible both during and after a visit, keeping two metres away from people not in their usual household, washing hands frequently and cleaning door handles and surfaces regularly.

Question reference: S5T-02588

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 December 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the NRS publication, Drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2019, in order to prevent further drug-related deaths.

Question reference: S5W-33801

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 14 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to engage with issues that specifically or disproportionately affect Black and Minority Ethnic women when developing its Women's Health Plan.

Question reference: S5W-33802

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 14 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to engage with Black and Minority Ethnic women regarding their lived experience of health outcomes and healthcare when developing its Women's Health Plan.

Engagement with women is central to the development of the Women’s Health Plan, particularly engagement with women with lived experience of health inequalities.

A series of lived experience online engagement events are scheduled to take place in early 2021 to inform development of the Women’s Health Plan. A specific focus of these sessions is engagement with those with protected characteristics, including minority ethnic women.

Question reference: S5W-33803

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 14 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether its Women's Health Plan takes into account digital participation and inclusion, particularly in relation to accessing remote and online healthcare in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-33253

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide routine COVID-19 testing for NHS (a) dentists and (b) frontline dental practice staff.

Question reference: S5W-33373

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local health protection teams in Lanarkshire on their guidance on self-isolation for entire households and its impact, and whether the teams plan to change this during the Level 4 restrictions.

Prior to the introduction of additional measures to request whole household isolation of close contacts, NHS Lanarkshire was involved in discussions on these proposed measures with Scottish Government, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Public Health Scotland. At these meetings it was agreed that those residing in the same household as close contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19 would have to self-isolate for the same period as close contacts. This measure was withdrawn on 29 September after review.

Since these measures were withdrawn, NHS Lanarkshire’s Test and Protect service has operated on the same basis as all other Test and Protect teams in Scotland. At this time, NHS Lanarkshire has no plans to change this approach.

Question reference: S5W-33314

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it has provided to (a) NHS boards and (b) integration joint boards to support the roll-out of virtual pulmonary rehabilitation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government has confirmed additional funding of £1.1 billion to support the health and social care sector in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding announcement provides support for the additional costs reported by Boards in responding to COVID-19, including additional staffing and equipment costs included in Local Mobilisation Plans. Detail on how this funding has been used to specifically support virtual pulmonary rehabilitation services, and to supplement existing baseline spend on respiratory services, would require to be requested from NHS Boards.

Detail on funding for each NHS Board area is set out in response to question S5W-32107 on 29 September 2020. Further funding will be made available in the coming months following our ongoing reviews of financial implications across the sector . 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-33302

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many obstetrics and gynaecology staff were redeployed to other areas of care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic; whether this is happening in the second wave, and what steps it is taking to ensure that services continue as much as possible.

Scottish Ministers’ expectation remains that care for pregnant and postnatal women continues to be an essential service, and it is right that Health Boards should plan for these services to continue alongside other essential services during this unprecedented time. Their expectation is also that midwives, obstetricians and the wider maternity and neonatal workforce should not normally be redeployed out with these settings for the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Any decisions taken about the deployment of obstetrics and gynaecology staff within NHS Scotland services are the responsibility of relevant Health Boards.