Questions and answers

Question reference: S5O-04906

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Barnett consequentials announced for 2020-21 it has formally allocated.

Question reference: S5W-34000

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on 9 December 2020 (Official Report, c.13), whether it will confirm the amount that is being allocated to (a) the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and (b) Police Scotland to cover the "pandemic-related income shortfalls" that were referred to by the cabinet secretary, and from which budget stream this money is being sourced.

In her statement to Parliament on 9 December 2020, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance announced additional funding to cover pandemic-related income shortfalls. This included:

(a) £8.4 million for the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Services; and

(b) £8.2 million for the Scottish Police Authority to cover a reduction in Police Scotland’s external income.

This funding has been provided through consequential funding generated by UK Government spending.

The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Services to monitor and manage the financial impacts of COVID-19 on their budgets.

Question reference: S5W-33141

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 21 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what appears to be a contradiction between the level 3 COVID-19 guidance under the heading "meeting others indoors (socialising)", which states that “children under the age of 12…do not count towards the total number of people counted in a gathering” and under the heading "hospitality", which states that “children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people meeting outdoors only.”

We can confirm that children under 12 count towards the maximum of two households permitted to meet indoors in a public place. However they do not count towards the total number people permitted to gather indoors. For example a children’s party with ten children from ten separate households would not be allowable under these restrictions, but six adults and four children from two households could meet.

The guidance is kept under constant review to ensure it is clear and consistent and up to date, and we are grateful for the Member for raising this matter. We acknowledge that further clarity was required on this issue and we have updated the guidance accordingly.

Question reference: S5W-33440

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified a COVID-19 testing system for visitors to care homes and, if so, whether it is currently being tested at any care homes in Scotland.

As outlined to Parliament on 25 November, lateral flow devices will be used to offer testing to designated care home visitors on the day of their visit. This will be rolled out to up to 12 early adopter care homes across four Local Authorities by 7 December, and to all care homes from 14 December. Training and support will be provided and where a care home cannot initially use Lateral Flow devices, PCR Tests will be provided to support visiting.

Testing is only one measure of protection against COVID-19, alongside a strong emphasis on robust infection prevention and control measures, including the use of PPE, the extended use of face masks, physical distancing and good hygiene.

Question reference: S5W-33646

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects Restitution Orders for attacks on police officers to be in force.

Question reference: S5W-33441

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when COVID-19 testing of visitors to care homes will be available in Scotland, in light of the UK Government currently trialling this in England with the aim to have it functioning by Christmas.

As outlined to Parliament on 25 November, lateral flow devices will be used to offer testing to designated care home visitors on the day of their visit. This will be rolled out to up to 12 early adopter care homes across four Local Authorities by 7 December with full roll-out across all care homes completed as soon as possible thereafter, and from 14th December to all care homes with PCR as the interim backup where needed.

Twice weekly testing using lateral flow devices will be rolled out to healthcare professionals who visit care homes from the beginning of December, as part of a wider extension of routine testing including all patient-facing NHS Staff in hospitals, in the Scottish Ambulance Service and in COVID assessment centres. From 11 January this will be extended to non-NHS staff including independent contractors or statutory body staff who attend care homes or provide care at home at least twice per week and have to be within 1 metre of residents, clients or patients.

Testing is only one measure of protection against COVID-19, alongside a strong emphasis on robust infection prevention and control measures, including the use of PPE, the extended use of face masks, physical distancing and good hygiene.

Question reference: S5W-33342

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards have been put in place following the trial of giving police officers Naloxene kits, in light of safety concerns highlighted by the Scottish Police Federation.

Maximising the availability of naloxone, particularly amongst emergency responders, has been a key aspect of the work of Scottish Government and the Drug Death Taskforce in our effort to tackle drug deaths, as such I welcome that Police Scotland have approved this initiative.

The trial is being led by Police Scotland and it would be for Police Scotland to provide any specific details around safeguards that they plan to put in place. While I acknowledge the Scottish Police Federation’s view, it is important to emphasise that there is an extremely robust evidence base to support the use of naloxone. Naloxone is not a new medication, it has been available and in use for over 50 years and will have been used to save countless lives not just in Scotland, or the UK, but across the globe. At this current time I am not aware of any significant concerns that exist among experts, stakeholders or medical professionals as to its safety. The trial will undoubtedly be closely monitored and appropriately evaluated by Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-33359

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will clarify the methodology of the daily and weekly update statistics published by the Scottish Prison Service regarding prisoners who either have COVID-19 or are self-isolating, in light of the daily update on 17 November 2020 stating that 38 people were self-isolating and the weekly update published on 13 November 2020 stating that 591 people were self-isolating.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS currently publishes a daily update on our website which includes:

The number of people who are self-isolating in our prisons;
The number of prisons that this total is held across; and
The number of people in our care who have tested positive for COVID-19.

SPS also publishes a weekly update of this data. This is published on a Monday, and details the position of the previous Friday. This data is broken down to establishment level. Information on the impact of COVID on staffing levels is also provided as part of this weekly update.

The reason for the difference in the figures is because a large number of people were self-isolating as a precautionary measure at HMP Barlinnie on Friday 13 November came out of isolation over the weekend and therefore the number on Monday 17 November was significantly reduced.

Question reference: S5W-33343

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33096 by Humza Yousaf on 16 November 2020, whether it considers that the response from the Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service answered the question asked regarding when the Throughcare programme in prisons, which was suspended in July 2019, will recommence; for what reason this information was not provided, and whether it will provide an indicative date or timescale for when the Throughcare programme will recommence.

The decision by the SPS to suspend their Throughcare Support Service (TSS) is an operational matter, and rightly a decision for SPS management to make – and not for Scottish Ministers to direct. The response from the Interim Chief Executive of the SPS in the answer to S5W-33096 indicates that the SPS will keep the issue of throughcare support under consideration as part of recovery from COVID, but has not set a timescale.

Whilst the SPS do not have Throughcare Support Officers in place, work to support individuals in preparing for their release does continue, whether that be through Personal Officers, Link Centres, facilitating access by a range of partners, data sharing, and effective release management. SPS have established weekly reports to each local authority in Scotland detailing new entrants and scheduled releases from prison, to help local services plan activities to support to prison leavers.

This Government has maintained substantial annual funding to third sector throughcare services across Scotland, and increased investment in these services to £3.7m in 2020-21, which has supported the expansion of the offer of New Routes throughcare service to eligible male prisoners of all ages. These services are continuing to work in partnership with the SPS to offer prisoners voluntary throughcare support, and are working flexibly to continue to offer support to individuals in the community despite COVID.

Furthermore, prisoners released from long sentences or with specific post-release orders are placed under supervision of Criminal Justice Social Work, and all short sentence prisoners are entitled to request voluntary throughcare support from their local authority up to 12 months after their release.

Question reference: S5W-33398

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) victims’ right to review annual report for 2019-20 will be published.

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