- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 27 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether, under current COVID-19 guidance, indoor facilities such as changing rooms and toilets are accessible to people undertaking outdoor activities.
Answer
The use of changing rooms and showering facilities should be avoided where possible, although from the 31 August 2020 they may be made available for participants with disabilities or special needs or where required after an activity such as swimming.
Sports facility operators may open toilets for public use if they follow the guidelines outlined on the Scottish Government website Opening Public Toilets Guidelines .
For detailed facility guidance including a checklist that covers use of changing rooms, showers and toilets visit Scottish Government Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on the opening of indoor and outdoor sport and leisure facilities .
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason travellers from Estonia must submit to two weeks quarantine on entry to Scotland, in light of COVID-19 infection rates in that country reportedly being lower than in Scotland.
Answer
From the outset, we have adopted a public health focused approach to these border health measures. The data and evidence we receive to inform our decisions on these measures comes from the Public Health England and the Joint Biomedical Centre (JBC) via the UK Government. As this data is owned by the UK Government, we are not able to publish the analysis on specific countries and why countries are or are not the exemptions list. I have written to the UK Government asking them to make the data publicly available.
Whilst we formally review these measures on a 21 day basis in Scotland, and our next review point is Monday 31 August, we are continuously keeping countries under review and where there is clear evidence that it is safe to do so, we will add further countries to the exemption list. You will be aware that this happened in the case of Estonia, who were added to our list of exempt countries on Tuesday 28 July. Likewise, if the evidence suggests an exempt country may provide an increased risk, we will not hesitate to reinstate quarantine arrangements.
There is further guidance on the border health measures here; https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-public-health-checks-at-borders/pages/overview/ .
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) staff and (b) children of key workers tested positive for COVID-19 as a result of time spent in key worker childcare hubs during the lockdown.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Denham on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review legislation around dog behaviour in public places.
Answer
Between September 2019 and January 2020, the Scottish Government held a consultation on steps to improve the operational effectiveness of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010. This consultation asked for views on a range of measures designed to help local authorities and Police Scotland with their enforcement responsibilities in respect of out of control dogs. An analysis of the consultation responses was published in June 2020. Details can be found at: https://consult.gov.scot/criminal-law/effectiveness-control-of-dogs-scotland-act-2010/
Later this year the Scottish Government will publish a further review of dog control legislation with a particular focus on the operation of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. This will include discussion of the offence of a dog being dangerously out of control contained with the 1991 Act.
The Scottish Government will consider the responses received to both consultation exercises in determining next steps.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to move the 2021 school exam diet back by a month in light of students missing out on a month of tuition in their new subjects as a result of the lockdown.
Answer
We are taking action to prepare arrangements for national qualifications in 2021. The Scottish Qualifications Authority is consulting on the 2021 timetable and we will also look to ensure that any lessons learned identified in the review by Professor Priestley are taken into account.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether school and college exam candidates who were given estimated grades for the 2020 exam diet will have a note on their exam certificate explaining that these results were an estimate as a result of the exam diet not going ahead due to COVID-19.
Answer
Revised certificates will be issued to be with candidates on 8 September. The certificates will not include a note about estimates but will show the revised grades awarded under the direction to reissue awards based on teacher or lecturer judgement this year.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government when guidance on safe practice in relation to home economics lessons in schools will be published.
Answer
The guidelines are in production and will be presented to members of the Education Recovery Group within the next few weeks, subject to stakeholder consultation. As with all guidelines at the moment, there is a need to look at the overall scientific advice which is current and relevant. We are working closely with representatives of teachers and headteachers to ensure that any guidance is therefore, as up to date and helpful as possible.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a timescale for when UCAS will be updated with the new grades for students in Scotland who have had them changed.
Answer
The Scottish Qualifications Authority has supplied UCAS with the results and these were disseminated to universities and colleges on 20 August.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 restrictions, what plans it has to review the guidance regarding how long into pregnancy a woman can keep working in a health care setting.
Answer
The Scottish Government has created the risk assessment guidance and a supporting tool for staff across all industries. This remains under constant review and should be used by employers to support staff and by line managers to understand and carry out effective risk assessments for pregnant staff.
Existing legislation protecting pregnant women must be followed and there should be a risk assessment of each individual pregnant worker’s role and working environment. The Scottish Government endorses the guidance published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
The Scottish Government advice remains that people should continue to work from home if they can.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government how it will apply test and protect contact tracing for people who have unwittingly come into contact with someone who is infected with COVID-19 while "wild camping".
Answer
VisitScotland has advice on wild camping in Scotland on their website. They advise people to “avoid overcrowding by moving on to another location, if it’s already a busy spot”, and to follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. If this advice is followed the risk of transmission should be low.
Wild camping by definition does not involve a fee or common/shared services and in most circumstances does not require the permission of the landowner. If no fee is involved, there is no obligation on a landowner to take contact details. Contact tracing in this setting would therefore rely on digital solutions, such as our forthcoming proximity tracing application.