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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: S6W-06132

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it can provide regarding how patients can raise timely complaints against privately-run GP practices, in light of reports that there is often no formal online complaints procedure, and what action it can take to introduce a central complaints body for patients to raise complaints against privately-run GP practices.

GP practices which are run by independent contractors must have arrangements in place which operate in accordance with section 15 of the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011. Patients should raise their concerns in the first instance by phoning, writing to or emailing the practice manager.

If patients are not satisfied with their GP practice's response, they can then raise their concern with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. Any complains about a GP or GP practice that are upheld by the Ombudsman are directed to their contracting Health Board and are followed up by the Ombudsman's office to ensure that the actions and recommendations are implemented.

Question reference: S6W-05955

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the removal of fireplaces in properties in rural communities in order to meet new housing standards, in light of the potential impact that this could have during events such as Storm Arwen, and whether it will consider allowing fireplaces to be kept as a back-up heating source.

Social landlords are responsible for ensuring their housing stock complies with housing standards including the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH). Decisions on how the energy efficiency ratings required by EESSH are met, is an operational matter for individual social landlords and not something in which the Scottish Government can intervene. EESSH does not require the removal of fireplaces. Any decisions to remove fireplaces in social housing in rural communities lies solely with the social landlord who owns the housing stock.

Compliance with EESSH is reported to the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) and social landlords can claim exemptions where there are significant obstacles relating to cost, technology and necessary consent.

Question reference: S6W-05983

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities, emergency services, and energy and connectivity suppliers will be permitted to share vulnerable people's contact information to facilitate the provision of support to those people in times of emergencies, such as during the response to Storm Arwen.

Question reference: S6W-05954

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the PAS 2035 standard.

We already require projects funded as part of our fuel poverty schemes including Local Authority Area Based Schemes, Warmer Homes Scotland and the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund to comply with all relevant building regulations, retrofit standards and guarantee requirements. The PAS 2035 standard has applied since July 2021 and retrofit installers must now work to this specification.

This was further developed in our Heat in Buildings Strategy where we announced our intention to adopt PAS 2035 for all our domestic schemes.

Question reference: S6W-05952

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether Unique Property Reference Numbers were used during Storm Arwen to locate people who are identified on the vulnerable persons list, and, if not, for what reason.

Question reference: S6W-05826

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has asked under-22s who are eligible for the new free bus travel scheme not to apply to the scheme at this time or travel by bus, except for those for whom bus travel is essential, in light of there being no such restrictions on travel for other adults.

We initially asked that only those with an essential need to travel by bus should apply due to the high rates of COVID-19 cases. This was intended to help minimise pressure on local councils, also impacted by the current situation with the pandemic, which are responsible for processing applications and responding to enquiries. With restrictions now easing, we are now in a position to encourage all young people to apply.

Question reference: S6W-05853

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects COVID-19 restrictions to be eased to allow pregnant mothers to take their young children with them when attending midwife appointments, in order to alleviate the need to find alternative childcare.

Scottish Government guidance ‘Visiting in Maternity and Neonatal Settings During COVID 19 Pandemic’ is intended to support maternity and neonatal units in developing local guidance for visiting. It sets out that, as a minimum, women may have one supportive person accompanying them to all antenatal appointments, and one additional visitor (adult or child) may also attend subject to local risk assessments and physical distancing. In the event of an active outbreak management scenario, Boards may restrict visiting to essential visits only, which would allowone supportive person to accompany a pregnant mother to the booking scan, 20 week scan and any emergency appointments. These additional restrictions should be time-limited during management of an active outbreak.

The Scottish Government would encourage pregnant mothers to discuss any individual requirements with their midwife who will be able to advise further on local policy.

Question reference: S6W-05953

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what resilience planning is required by Scottish Water for events such as Storm Arwen to ensure that there are generators for pumping stations.

As part of Scottish Water’s emergency contingency planning, many of its Water Treatment Works already have permanent standby generators in place to ensure supplies can be maintained in the event of loss of power. During these recent storms, those permanent generators protected the water supply for the majority of the 1.5 million customers being supplied in the areas affected by the storm.

In addition to this, Scottish Water holds a stock of emergency response generators that can be deployed when needed for pumping stations, and it has a framework supplier who provides additional hire generators as required. Due to storage in the water network systems, the water supply is not immediately lost in the event of power loss, hence the reason for the different approaches to Scottish Water’s current generator back up strategy between treatment works and pumping stations. This event, which had more widespread and lengthy power outages than Scottish Water has experienced before, challenged its plans for deployment of portable generators to small pumping stations, affecting a small number of customers. During Storm Arwen Scottish Water also deployed tankers to pump water into its networks and also deployed bottled water to assist customers.

In view of the extended power outage experienced by this storm, Scottish Water will review its emergency generator contingency plans, particularly in relation to pumping stations. This work is underway to determine where improvements to the provision of both permanent and emergency generation capability is needed and establish the right level of investment required to protect customers in the future.

Question reference: S6W-05951

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Centre for Resilience will undertake a review of Storm Arwen.

Question reference: S6O-00726

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support NHS and social care recruitment in rural areas.