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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-29194

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what effect the initiative introduced in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Spaces for People, might have on bus routes, and what action it is taking to ensure that people with limited mobility who use these routes will still be able to access essential buildings, including shops and medical facilities.

Individual local authorities are best placed to engage with all relevant parties to make an assessment of the impact of their Spaces for People projects on bus routes, and to make plans to ensure access to essential shops and services for those with limited mobility. This engagement includes bus operators where appropriate.

To assist with this, Sustrans Scotland are offering support to local authorities on a range of areas such as design, engagement, equality impact assessment, monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland has written a guidance note on Temporary Street Measures during the Coronavirus Crisis , to help ensure the mobility needs of disabled people are fully considered.

Question reference: S5W-29191

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has given to local authorities to ensure that active travel infrastructure established under the initiative introduced in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Spaces for People, will be accessible to blind and partially-sighted people.

To ensure Spaces for People infrastructure will be accessible to blind and partially-sighted people, support is provided to local authorities through our delivery partner Sustrans Scotland. If required by local authorities, they will facilitate specialist advice, such as from the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS).

Additionally, MACS has written a guidance note on Temporary Street Measures during the Coronavirus Crisis , to help ensure the mobility needs of disabled people are fully considered.

Sustrans are offering support to local authorities on a range of areas such as design, engagement, equality impact assessment, monitoring and evaluation.

Question reference: S5W-29193

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has been carrying out with train operators regarding how passenger assist will be adapted as the COVID-19 lockdown eases, and how this will ensure that disabled passengers can continue to be assisted with boarding and leaving trains.

The Transport Transition Plan was recently launched and guidance has been issued to public transport providers.

Further information can be found at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19
/transport-transition-plan/guidance-for-transport-operators/

This guidance confirms that those requiring assistance when travelling and would normally contact their transport operator ahead of time, should continue to do so, to enable the operator to prepare accordingly.

Passengers should also maintain a 2 metre distance from members of staff. If this is difficult to achieve, passengers should try to avoid physical contact, if possible, and keep the time they spend within 2 metres of staff as short as necessary.

Question reference: S5W-29562

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed Abellio ScotRail’s proposals for changes to the redeveloped Glasgow Queen Street station Travel Shop in light of COVID-19 and the need for social distancing.

It is the responsibility of Abellio ScotRail to ensure the plans for the Travel Shop at the redeveloped Queen Street station take account of the recently published Transport Transition plan which contains comprehensive guidance relating to physical distancing for transport operators, staff and members of the public.

Abellio ScotRail has reviewed the design proposals for the new travel shop which will include, if necessary, the temporary installation of screens to support physical distancing for staff and customer welfare. Meantime, they have temporarily maintained the current travel shop location due to the impact Covid-19 has had on the project timescales.

Question reference: S5W-29192

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the review of Cycling by Design will be completed.

The review of Cycling by Design is being progressed, led by representatives of Transport Scotland, Sustrans and local authorities working in partnership. The programme for delivery of this work is currently under review due to uncertainties around reduced availability of partners and consultees caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Work on Cycling by Design is continuing where possible to ensure that it can be published as soon as practicable.

Question reference: S5O-04404

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create any new offences to enforce restrictions on travel distances for the purpose of exercise and leisure and group size for the purpose of meeting other households.

Question reference: S5W-29296

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government at what phase of the COVID-19 routemap disabled people who require mobility assistance will be able to receive it from people outwith their household, such as guiding for blind and partially-sighted people.

In order to minimise opportunities for the virus to transmit from one person to another, people should stay at home as much as possible. The route map sets out incremental progress, and allows for individuals should take into consideration their own circumstances and health in making decisions about going out and meeting others.

At all times it has been permitted for people to go out to help anyone at risk who needs support, this includes providing guide support. Furthermore, we would strongly advise that people who will be meeting up with someone from whom they will not be able to physically distance should stringently follow the guidance for unpaid carers which covers similar circumstances.

The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-unpaid-carers-providing-personal-care/pages/general-advice/

In the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Phase 1: staying at home and away from others (physical distancing) guidance it explicitly states that there are exceptions to the public gatherings rule for limited purposes. This includes if someone from one of those households requires a carer, from another household, to assist them for their health and wellbeing, that carer is also permitted to attend.

The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/pages/stopping-public-gatherings/ .

Question reference: S5O-04379

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

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the eligibility criteria for the Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund exclude those who have applied for Universal Credit.

Question reference: S5W-28697

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 21 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost to it of continuing business support schemes that are directly funded by the UK Government to businesses in Scotland.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme are run by the UK Government and have been an essential part of our collective response so far. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme is offered by banks across the UK with guarantees from the UK Government. We could not afford, and do not have powers to, create separate Scottish schemes to mirror these. The Scottish Government and its Ministers continue to work closely with the UK Government to ensure that the schemes take account of the different public health priorities that we need to manage compared to the rest of the UK. We intend to monitor uptake of the schemes in Scotland to ensure that our businesses are able to take advantage of them, and are working with HMRC to obtain relevant data.

Question reference: S5W-28836

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the COVID-19 outbreak has had on the (a) establishment and (b) governance arrangements of South of Scotland Enterprise.