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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: S6T-00044

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to increase Police Scotland's capacity to tackle online crime, in light of reports of a 6% year-on-year increase in online child sex abuse crimes.

Question reference: S6T-00043

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by the Scottish Children and Young People’s Commissioner, which suggests that some at-risk children might have been detained unlawfully in secure accommodation.

Question reference: S6W-00375

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out on the impact on public health, and children's health in particular, of the reduction in the number of dental checks carried out.

The Scottish Government does not carry out its own analysis on dental treatment patterns and the associated impact on oral health. Evidence to inform policy is derived from a range of sources with specific sectoral interest, including Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP), as commissioned by the Chief Dental Officer on behalf of The Scottish Government.

Similarly, for children’s oral health findings from primary research, including the National Dental Inspection Programme (NDIP) will be used along with evidence from recently published studies and systematic reviews from a range of sources to inform policy decisions as we move forward through remobilisation and system reform. Whilst infection control requirements have meant that practices are still working at considerably reduced capacity, oral health considerations for children are prioritised as part of the clinical triage process.

Question reference: S6W-00401

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when dental work under the NHS will be available again for all new mothers up to their child’s first birthday.

Throughout the pandemic NHS patients, including new mothers, have been able to receive care and treatment, including aerosol generating procedures (AGPs), through one of 75 urgent dental care centres in Scotland. We have taken a precautionary approach to the remobilisation of NHS dental services but work has been carried out at pace to improve our understanding and risk management of COVID-19 transmission in dental settings, and since 1 November 2020 dentists have been able to provide the full range of NHS care and treatment to patients.

Question reference: S6W-00376

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the scale of delays in waiting times for NHS dental check-ups.

The Scottish Government does not analyse statistics on waiting times for NHS dental examinations within General Dental Services (GDS) as this service is delivered across around 1100 dental practices, each with local differences in patterns of prescribing and service delivery.

Infection control requirements have meant that practices are still working at considerably reduced capacity, necessitating the triage of patients according to clinical need to some extent, including the availability to dental check-ups for individuals with historically poor oral health.

Question reference: S6W-00302

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Green Party’s manifesto commitment to “oppose public investment in carbon capture and storage”, and whether it will continue to provide investment and support to carbon capture utilisation and storage projects, regardless of any future deal negotiated with the Scottish Green Party.

The Scottish Government supports the development of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) as a common whole-system decarbonisation infrastructure with the flexibility to adapt over time to play a central role across the decarbonisation strategies of key sectors such as heat, industry and power. A proven technology, there are more than 50 CCUS facilities worldwide, with an estimated combined capture capacity of 96 million tonnes of CO2 per annum.

The Committee on Climate Change describes CCUS as a “necessity, not an option” to achieve net-zero emissions; indeed, the swift development of CCUS as a cornerstone of our energy transition is vital to achieving Scotland’s net zero emissions reduction targets.

Scotland is the most cost-effective place to begin CCUS in the UK, with existing oil and gas infrastructure available to repurpose for CO2 transport and storage. The development of CCUS could offer a range of transition opportunities for Scottish oil and gas firms and domestic supply chain companies.

We are already supporting efforts to deploy CCUS in Scotland, including through our Emerging Energy Technologies Fund, which will provide £80m over the next five years to support the development of CCUS and negative-emissions technologies. We have also provided funding and policy support to the Acorn CCS project in Aberdeenshire, considered the most advanced CCS project in the UK.

Question reference: S6W-00307

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government at which COVID-19 protection level (a) live music and (b) dancing will be permitted at weddings.

We continue to keep all measures under close review. Live background music is currently permitted at wedding receptions operating at 1 metre physical distancing from level 2, but full live band entertainment is only permitted in settings operating under performing arts or events guidance at 2 metre physical distancing from level 2 at this time. Dancing is not permitted at this time, except for the first dance by the marrying couple and the parents of the marrying couple where they reside in the same household. Physical distancing requirements are a key factor in determining when these activities can fully return to wedding receptions and as the First Minister confirmed in the statement to Parliament on 11 May, a review of this is currently underway and will report back shortly.

Question reference: S6W-00269

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it provides to local authorities regarding the number of meat-based options there should be on school-meal menus; what discussions it has with Dumfries and Galloway Council regarding that local authority's decision to have fewer such options for its schools; whether it is aware of reports that parents in Dumfries and Galloway have expressed concerns regarding this policy, and whether any parents have contacted it about the matter.

The Scottish Government expects all local authorities to comply with the school food and drink Regulations which are based on up to date scientific evidence and dietary advice about what energy and nutrients children and young people need in order to grow and develop healthily. The Regulations provide detailed specifications that must be met as food and drink is offered in schools and the accompanying guidance ‘Healthy Eating in Schools’ provides practical advice about how to meet the Regulations. The Regulations and guidance include specifications for and advice on meat provision in schools.

As long as the Regulations are being met, it is for local authorities to decide what meals to include on menus and as such the Scottish Government do not routinely monitor school menus. We have not been contacted by parents from Dumfries and Galloway about this matter. If parents do raise concerns about school menus we advise them to provide feedback to their local authority who can take this into account as they develop future menus.

Question reference: S6W-00093

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing COVID-19 vaccinations to UK seafarers, such as cruise ship employees, using Scottish ports while working in UK waters.

Currently there is no sectoral prioritisation of workers, other than frontline health and social care workers. We are inviting those of working age in all sectors for vaccination, in line with advice on clinical risk of severe disease and hospitalisation.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) priority lists represents 99% of the preventable mortality from COVID-19 and throughout the delivery of the vaccination programme. The JCVI advice is that an age-based approach is the best way to quickly protect those who have not yet had the vaccine but who are at increased risk due to occupation or other factors.

The Scottish Government has met its target to offer all of those in JCVI groups 1 to 9 an initial dose of COVID vaccine, with over 99 per cent of those aged over 50 having received their first dose. Those aged over 40 are now in the process of being invited for vaccination. Beyond that we will aim, supplies permitting, to have offered first doses to the entire adult population by end July, rather than September as previously anticipated.

Question reference: S6W-00111

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of vaccination doses (a) allocated to NHS Scotland, (b) delivered to NHS Scotland and (c) received by people in Scotland, and what the reasons are for the differences between these figures.

The Scottish Government greatly values the need for adhering to commercial sensitivity on this area of public policy.

All information on supply volumes – except data that is currently published – is commercially sensitive. There was agreement between Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy( BEIS) and the Scottish Government on specific pieces of information that could be published.

See Daily Data under Vaccinations:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-daily-data-for-scotland/

Total doses allocated and doses delivered are published once weekly. Received = administered data which is published daily.

The definitions of allocated and delivered are included under the published figures and should be included. A key reason for the difference between allocated and delivered volumes is that a proportion of stock is held centrally until it is required at Health Board level.