Chamber and committees

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: S5O-04783

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for businesses impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions.

Question reference: S5W-32668

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether any pay increase or enhancement has been agreed for any grade of employee since the commencement of the Abellio ScotRail Emergency Measures Agreement (EMA), and, if so, for which grades.

Question reference: S5W-32906

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32210 by Michael Matheson on 29 October 2020, whether it will provide further details of what this means in practice, and whether this precludes private operators from running rail services.

It is our view that greater integration on Scotland’s railway will improve services to rail users through swifter, joined up decision making across the whole of the Scottish rail industry.

It is also our view that public sector control, alongside greater integration, will ensure that all parts of the railway in Scotland are directly accountable to the Scottish Government for the delivery of rail services, including Network Rail.

The simplest way to achieve these aims and to enable the Scottish Government to consider all options for the future structure of Scotland’s railway, is to fully devolve rail powers. We have made these points strongly and repeatedly to the UK Government, including through its UK Rail Review, which has still to report.

Meantime, any decisions on rail matters taken by the Scottish Ministers must be within the boundaries of the current UK rail legislation.

Question reference: S5W-32926

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to taxi drivers whose businesses have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions but who (a) do not have business bank accounts and (b) are not registered for non-domestic rates.

Taxi drivers are eligible for financial support through either the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme or the Job Retention Scheme depending on their employment status. Both of these financial support schemes are available to those who do not have a business bank account and do not operate their businesses from premises that pay Non-Domestic Rates. Notwithstanding the unnecessary uncertainty caused by delays in announcing this support, we welcome the UK Government’s decision to extend both the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Job Retention Scheme which now gives taxi drivers, amongst others, greater certainty that they will receive financial support that recognises the ongoing challenges they face.

Question reference: S5W-32631

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 13 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gives to the particular needs of residents with dementia when determining guidance for care home visits.

The Scottish Government has included guidance and resources to help meet the particular needs of residents with dementia as part of the national clinical care homes guidance. In addition, the national dementia in care homes group has met and the minutes of those meetings have been submitted to The Clinical and Professional Advisory Group (CPAG) to help inform their on-going consideration of national guidance. To build on this, we have established an expert dementia working group to provide further advice to CPAG.

CPAG is made up of a multidisciplinary team of stakeholders, healthcare, social work and dementia specialists to develop ongoing guidance that takes into account the specific needs of people living with dementia in care settings. CPAG also has a workstream on developing visiting guidance that is family facing. Family carers, including those of people living with dementia, are being consulted through the development of this guidance The guidance will support people to stay connected to their family and reinforce our commitment to family carers being recognised as equal partners in care.

Question reference: S5W-32630

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 13 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what processes it has in place to consult with (a) people with dementia and (b) carers and family members of people with dementia when developing guidance for care home visits, and whether it plans to amend these to allow more formal consultation.

The Clinical and Professional Advisory Group (CPAG) which oversees the clinical care homes guidance has a workstream on engaging families including developing guidance that is family facing, to help family carers and visitors with family members with dementia in care homes. Family carers of people living with dementia have been consulted through the development of this guidance which has been amended as a result of their valued insights and contributions. The guidance will support people to stay connected to their family and reinforce our commitment to family carers being recognised as equal partners in care.

The Scottish Government has also established an expert dementia working group to help advise CPAG on its regular review of the national clinical guidance.

Question reference: S5W-32834

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is to (a) CalMac Ferries Ltd and (b) Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd of dry docking maintenance and overhaul contracts tendered under the Project Torridon procurement process.

Question reference: S5W-32832

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government who the successful bidders were for Lot (a) 1 and (b) 2 of the Project Torridon procurement process, and on what date the contract starts.

Question reference: S5W-32835

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK will be supported by the Project Torridon procurement process.

Question reference: S5W-32831

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25863 by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019, what it considers to be "genuine workforce engagement" in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement with the trade unions recognised under the contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

There is an ongoing collective dialogue and engagement with RMT and Nautilus International, under the Terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in place with both Trade Unions, for those employed by Serco Limited or its subsidiary companies working across the NorthLink Ferries operation. During the Covid-19 pandemic this engagement has been maintained on a regular basis through the effective use of remote digital communication tools.