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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-29338

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a four-day working week for its employees, including on a pilot basis.

Question reference: S5W-28992

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many COVID-19-related deaths in each NHS board area have been reported to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences regulations.

The Scottish Government does not have access to this information as it held by the Health and Safety Executive which is reserved.

The total number of deaths in each health board where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate is published weekly by the National Records of Scotland https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/covid19stats

Where a death is attributable to the workplace (within the terms set out by the HSE) it is RIDDOR reportable and HSE are the body responsible for carrying out any such investigation. Not all deaths of workers reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be attributable to workplace contracted Covid-19.

Where a death is RIDDOR reportable (and if the employer chose to investigate at its discretion), we would expect any local investigation to take place in line with usual policies and procedures and for the employer to comply with any other investigation i.e. the HSE investigation or an Fatal Accident Enquiry if it were announced.

Question reference: S5W-28975

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of the (i) NHS and (ii) social care workforce belong to BAME groups.

Question reference: S5W-28531

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many people in Scotland with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have access to the app, MyCOPD; what action it is taking to extend its availability, and how it supports older people in accessing it.

MyCOPD is currently being assessed for potential usefulness to patients and services in Scotland as part of a managed service. It is part of the MymHealth apps and is commercially available to all UK citizens living with COPD Long Term Conditions provided they have access to Google and Apple stores.

Another MymHealth service MyHeart is also being assessed for potential usefulness to patients and services in Scotland.

While we are supportive of the public accessing certified apps for self-monitoring, patient to healthcare professional remote monitoring from home also remains a priority. As such, our remote monitoring service Florence is being utilised in areas across Scotland to support people with a variety of conditions such as COPD. This service is provided via simple SMS technology therefore is more accessible to those who do not have a smart phone, and its availability is based on local clinical priorities.

We have recently procured a new remote monitoring solution to support people who are diagnosed with COVID19. The InHealthCare solution, which will take the form of an app or be accessed via text or a website, will allow access to a suite of remote and self management materials to support people to manage their condition from home or from a homely setting as well as being able to provide regular updates on their condition.

The third sector also provide a crucial role in supporting people living with long-term respiratory conditions. Organisations such as the British Lung Foundation and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland provide online resources tailored specifically for those living with or caring for someone with a long-term lung condition such as COPD. Further information can be found at British Lung Foundation: https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland: https://www.chss.org.uk/chest-information-and-support/ .

Question reference: S5W-29116

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many unpaid carers it estimates will not receive the recently announced additional Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment of £230.10, and for what reason they are not eligible.

According to the latest estimate around 690,000 people in Scotland are providing regular unpaid care to family members, friends, neighbours or others, for one or more hours a week, and on a range of incomes. The Coronavirus Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be paid automatically alongside the June Carer’s Allowance Supplement to unpaid carers living in Scotland and receiving Carer’s Allowance on the qualifying date of 13 April 2020. Carers who have applications for Carer’s Allowance backdated to include the qualifying date of 13 April 2020 will also be eligible.

By investing £19.2 million, the Scottish Government will ensure that around 83,000 unpaid carers will receive the payment. We are taking receipt of Carer’s Allowance as a proxy for those carers who have the most intensive caring roles and who have some of the lowest incomes. The majority of Carer’s Allowance recipients will not benefit from the UK Government’s increase to Universal Credit.

We considered a range of mechanisms to provide additional support for unpaid carers. An additional payment of Carer’s Allowance Supplement was the only feasible option to deliver extra money to carers quickly. Creating a brand new benefit for carers or extending eligibility for Carer’s Allowance Supplement would take several months as a minimum. It would require significant resources from Social Security Scotland, and Social Security staff within Scottish Government, to develop new processes and build new systems. It would also need to be supported by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Department for Work and Pensions and Social Security Scotland are prioritising frontline delivery of existing benefits to support people on low incomes at this time. Adding an additional benefit would place strain on these operations when they are needed most and we could not guarantee support would be available from the Department of Work and Pensions when we needed it.

Question reference: S5W-28990

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many mental health patients have died in hospital from COVID-19.

Question reference: S5O-04374

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what specific funding the finance secretary is providing to ensure that dental practices remain viable during the COVID-19 pandemic and are able to meet any increase in demand when the outbreak is over.

Question reference: S5W-28968

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 27 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of referrals to mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic have been identified as needing prioritised assessment.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS Boards are prioritising referrals to mental health services in line with local continuity plans. The Scottish Government does not hold data centrally regarding (a) how many and (b) what proportion of referrals to mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic have been identified as needing prioritised assessment.

Waiting times data on CAMHS and psychological therapies is published by Public Health Scotland each quarter and the September 2020 publication will report on April to June referrals.

Question reference: S5T-02212

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have died after contracting COVID-19 in a hospital and what action has been taken to investigate outbreaks in NHS settings.

Question reference: S5W-28971

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 26 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources have been made available to NHS boards to help them support the mental health of vulnerable people who are shielding or self-isolating in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In order to maximise the reach of services for people who are isolating, the Scottish Government is investing a total of £6 million of additional funding to support the population’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes £3.8 million to increase the capacity of NHS 24’s telephone and online services, and to extend digital therapies, and £1 million to roll out the Distress Brief Intervention programme on a national basis.

In addition, NHS Boards and Integration Authorities are submitting COVID-19 local mobilisation plans to the Scottish Government, setting out their additional resource needs, including for supporting people who are shielding, and other vulnerable groups who are being asked to self-isolate.