Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 2580 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-34014

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 11 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether adult personal assistants who are employed by local authorities are eligible for the £500 "thank you" bonus for health and social care workers.

Question reference: S5O-04942

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Police Scotland's enforcement of the current COVID-19 restrictions.

Question reference: S5W-34254

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether driving to have an MOT carried out is classed as essential travel under the COVID-19 travel rules.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 do not require the closure of premises offering car repair and MOT services. Where an area is under a level 3 or level 4 protection it is reasonable excuse to leave that area to fulfil a legal obligation. Given the prevalence of the virus, however, we would urge people to avoid any unnecessary and use local services wherever they can.

Question reference: S5W-34196

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it compiles the exemption list for travellers entering Scotland who would normally be expected to quarantine on entry.

Individuals entering Scotland from outside the Common Travel Area must self-isolate for 10 full days unless they are covered under a country or sectoral exemption. Scottish Ministers take decisions about exemptions for travellers to Scotland on the basis of a risk assessment from the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) and advice from the Chief Medical Officer. The JBC monitor information from over 250 countries, territories and islands daily to inform a public health based risk assessment. Information on the assessment methodology is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-risk-assessment
-methodology-for-inbound-international-travel and focuses on weekly incidence rates; test positivity levels; trends in incidence rates; numbers of imported cases and qualitative information on the reliability of reported data. This risk assessment is considered by Ministers on a weekly basis, although immediate action will be taken if the evidence suggests that this is necessary.

Question reference: S5W-33965

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether outdoor exercise classes are included in the COVID-19 travel exemption that allows people to travel up to five miles outside their local area to carry out informal outdoor exercise.

The exemption to travel up to 5 miles from the boundary of a level 3 or 4 area under the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, relates to informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf, or running, following the rules around meeting other households. In level 4 areas up to 2 people from 2 separate households can meet outdoors for informal sport or exercise (children under 12 do not count towards households or numbers when meeting outside). Informal exercise refers to exercise that is not organised and therefore does not include club activity or exercise classes.

There is also an exemption provided for those under 18 to travel for organised activities and sport, which includes exercise classes, from level 3 local authorities areas (but not level 4).

Question reference: S5W-33750

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason churchgoers must wear face coverings throughout the duration of their act of worship, in light of people in hospitality settings not being required to do so while they are seated.

There is scientific evidence that face coverings are effective in reducing the transmission of Covid-19 and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the use of face coverings as a non-pharmaceutical intervention. It is widely agreed by the scientific and medical community that face coverings provide a barrier to protect against transmission for those around the wearer should the wearer be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. We also understand that aerosol transmission is more significant than we first thought and that face coverings can provide some protection to the wearer.

In hospitality settings, people are allowed to remove their face covering when they are seated to eat and drink in these settings, because it would be impractical to mandate otherwise. However, there are other settings where we ask people to wear face coverings while seated, such as in places of worship, and this is because it is a measure (when used alongside physical distancing and good hand hygiene) shown to be effective in reducing transmission.

To support faith communities to reopen in line with ongoing restrictions, the Scottish Government has worked closely with them to produce guidance on the safe use of places of worship, available on the Scottish Government website . This includes an exemption for those who are leading an act of worship, leading a funeral service, marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration, provided they can maintain a distance of at least 2 metres from others and/or remain behind a protective screen or barrier. Where this distance cannot be maintained, or they cannot remain behind a screen or barrier, they must also wear a face covering.

Our guidance provides permission, where essential to the act of worship, to briefly removing a face covering to consume food or drink.

The Scottish Government will continue to be guided by the latest Public Health Scotland and Clinical advice and to work closely with faith group representatives from across Scotland on the provision of appropriate guidance, on restrictions necessary for safe worship and the scope for removing or alleviating such restrictions as soon it is considered safe to do so.

Question reference: S5W-33976

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider expanding the annual flu vaccination programme to include the routine vaccination of teachers.

The Seasonal Flu Immunisation Programme helps to protect the most vulnerable and alleviate pressure on the NHS. This is more important than ever this year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those most at risk from the seasonal flu, who are already eligible to receive the vaccine are:

Those aged 65 and over,
Those who have an underlying health condition,
Pregnant women,
Health care workers,
Young and unpaid carers,
children aged 2-5 (not yet at school), and
primary school pupils.

This year the Scottish Government expanded free eligibility for the seasonal flu vaccine to include:

social care workers who provide direct personal care;
household members of individuals who are shielding; and
all those aged 60-64 (who are not already eligible) and with the intention to further expand to 59-55.

With the expansion some occupations, such as health and social care workers, are entitled to the free seasonal flu vaccine. This is because they come into contact with a higher proportion of people who are vulnerable to the seasonal flu. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, there is pressure on the global supply of seasonal flu vaccine and those at the greatest clinical risk must continue to be prioritised. Therefore teachers who are at higher risk from flu will already be eligible to receive their flu vaccination and will be contacted by their Health Board letting them know where they will receive the vaccine and how to book their appointment.

Question reference: S5W-33740

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether people living with someone who is on the COVID-19 shielding list will be included in the second wave of vaccine administration along with those who are shielding.

Question reference: S5W-34131

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its expectations are of teachers in relation to contact tracing over the winter holidays if a positive case of COVID-19 is confirmed in their school.

Question reference: S5W-33992

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 22 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33680 by Kevin Stewart on 9 December 2020, whether the interlinking of alarms can be done wirelessly, or whether hardwiring will be required.