Chamber and committees

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-06271

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to address the impact of various public health restrictions on the outbound travel industry in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware of the impact the necessary public health restrictions have had on businesses, including the outbound travel industry. Since the start of the pandemic, businesses have benefitted from more than £4.4bn in support from the Scottish Government. Eligible travel agents benefited from sectoral grants of up to £25,000 per premises in addition to other support including Strategic Framework Business Fund grants, Restart Grants, Non-Domestic Rates relief and furlough payments for staff.

We recently announced £3.5m for outbound travel agents as part of our support for businesses impacted by the measures introduced to control the spread of Omicron. Details of the eligibility, and how and when to apply will be published on the Scottish Government website and on the Find Business Support website as soon as they are available.

Question reference: S6W-06270

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is planning to build on its leadership role in the Under2 Coalition and progress the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration in the run-up to COP27 in Egypt.

Scotland will continue to play a leading role in the Under2 Coalition and we will use our position as co-chair to drive climate ambition and delivery from all non-party governments, states and regions towards net zero, which prioritises a just transition and a resilient future.

This includes playing a leadership role within the Coalition to increase support for the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration, which Scotland was the first government to commit to. We are also progressing its aim within Scotland ahead of COP27 through:

the Good Food Nation Bill introduced to Parliament in October 2021,
further development of our local food strategy following public consultation in late 2021, and
working with the Scotland Food and Drink Partnership to support progress towards the Scottish Food and Drink Sectors Industry Net Zero Commitment launched at COP26.

Question reference: S6W-06272

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support businesses in the outbound travel industry in rebuilding their customer base in the coming year.

The Scottish Government recognises the severe impact the necessary measures to protect public health during this pandemic has had on businesses, particularly those in the travel sector.

The easing of some international travel restrictions has renewed confidence in international travel and we continue to work with the industry on what further steps the Government can take to further support the recovery of the sector.

On 10 February 2022, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy announced £3.5 million for outbound travel agents as part of a package of further support for businesses impacted by the measures introduced to control the spread of Omicron.

Question reference: S6W-06312

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05473 by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2022, what the key findings were, as they apply to Scotland, of the Department of Health and Social Care-led rapid review on pulse oximeters; what the outcomes were of the roundtable that NHS Scotland participated in, and which recommendations have been, or will be, taken forward in Scotland.

Scottish Government officials met with officials from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on the 10 February 2022 to discuss the outcome of the roundtable meeting with experts in the clinical field, including from NHS Scotland, held on 19 January 2022 on the use of pulse oximeters.

The outcome is that after considering current available evidence, it is agreed that pulse oximetry continues to be a vital diagnostic device to support remote monitoring of oxygen saturations in the blood and is a useful part of an assessment and monitoring protocol in patients of all skin tones.

The scientific and clinical expert advice is that any loss of confidence in oximeters, leading to a reduced use of devices poses a significant health risk of subsequent harm from undetected deterioration in vulnerable ethnic groups and therefore the continued use of pulse oximeters should continue to be strongly endorsed to patients and clinicians.

Although it was noted that to date there has been no report of patient harm linked to measurement inaccuracies in the UK, it is recognised that further research is required and this is being conducted through an ongoing National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) commission on the diagnostic accuracy of pulse oximeters and how this varies with darker pigmentation and skin tones.

In Scotland, Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Scotland has adopted a conservative approach to the interpretation of pulse oximeter readings to take into account potential discrepancies when used on people with darker pigmentation and skin tones. The NHS Scotland COVID-19 Remote Monitoring Pathway, developed by clinicians and underpinned by digital support, continues to provides additional clinical guidance in the use of pulse oximeters in Scotland.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with the DHSC to ensure that medical devices are safe and effective for all and consider any recommendations coming out of this work that are relevant to the NHS in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-05474

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken by NHS Scotland to examine any variations in the effectiveness of medical devices such as oximeters on patients from different ethnic groups.

Question reference: S6W-06411

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-00740

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding how its international development programme can help to support less developed countries that are at the forefront of climate damage.

Question reference: S6W-05801

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to address any differential impact of COVID-19 on black and ethnic minority people.

We know minority ethnic groups have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In June 2020, the government established an Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity to provide recommendations on how we could better respond to the needs of minority ethnic people in Scotland. The implementation of these recommendations forms the core of our Immediate Priorities Plan for Race Equality in Scotland 2021-2023 with actions across health and social care, education, fair work, housing, and child poverty.

Through our Immediate Priorities Fund, we supported the development of the Ethnic Minority Resilience Network to support individuals, families, young people and organisations address immediate pandemic-related issues. We also provided emergency support funding, including over £312,000 to provide culturally appropriate food and support services.

Question reference: S6W-05473

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to the independent review into the health impact of potential bias in medical devices and the impact on patients from different ethnic groups, and whether it plans to take forward any of the review's recommendations where they may apply in Scotland and cover devolved matters.

The Scottish Government is in regular discussion with the UK Government about the Independent Review into the health impact of potential bias in medical devices, announced by the Department of Health and Social Care on 21 November 2021.

The primary purpose of the Independent Review is to make recommendations to tackle any health impact on patients due to their ethnic origin in relation to medical devices currently in use in the UK. The UK Government plans a further announcement about the Independent Review.

Ahead of the wider Independent Review, two DHSC led rapid reviews are underway to identify potential areas of immediate concern with medical devices currently on the market in the UK, and will conclude by the end of January – one is specifically on Pulse Oximeters, and one on other medical devices currently in use in the UK. The Pulse Oximeter review will involve a roundtable with representation from experts in the field from across the UK including NHS Scotland, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England. The rapid reviews will help inform priority areas of the Independent Review.

It is intended that the Independent Review and DHSC led rapid reviews will result in recommendations to ensure medical devices are safe and effective for all. The Scottish Government will consider recommendations relevant to the NHS in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00683

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions education ministers have had with ministerial colleagues regarding the development of a student housing strategy that includes rent controls and student tenancy rights for every student in Scotland.