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: S5W-27884

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 25 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what reassurance it can provide on maintaining the supply of essential items in shops as a result of the coronavirus, COVID-19, in order to avoid panic buying leading to scarcity of products.

The Scottish Government is liaising closely with supermarkets, shops and suppliers to help ensure the continued supply of key products. Our retail sector is committed to ensuring supplies continue to reach all areas of the country, including rural and island communities. We have arranged with local authorities that restrictions on delivery hours and opening times should be relaxed to help supermarkets and shops remain stocked and to allow shoppers to have access to all the goods they need whenever they shop.

We echo the call from retailers for people to shop sensibly and with consideration for everyone needing to access key goods and products, and in particular for the staff in supermarkets who are key to keeping stores and shops open.

Question reference: S5W-27882

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it provides on the precautions that people living with a person who does not exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus, COVID-19, but who is self-isolating, should take.

Question reference: S5W-27881

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its latest advice is to older people and people who live with underlying health conditions who are not exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus, COVID-19, but who live with someone who has been advised to self-isolate.

The main source of medical advice remains the NHS Inform website. The website contains a range of measures people should take to minimise the spread of the virus. These include but are not limited to, staying at least 2 metres (about 3 steps) away from other people in your home whenever possible , sleeping alone if possible and to plan ahead and ask others for help to make sure you can stay at home successfully.

Question reference: S5W-27886

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it is giving to sporting bodies, such as the Scottish Football Association, regarding the safety of public gatherings, in light of sports fans from countries where gatherings have been banned still being able to travel to attend events in Scotland.

Following the First Minister's recent statements on restricting mass gatherings and a need to minimise social contact, the Scottish Government issued detailed guidance to Scottish sporting bodies to aid decision making during this difficult time. Our sporting governing bodies have been pro-active in circulating guidance to members and many have already postponed events.

Many governing bodies, including football and rugby, have postponed all activity from elite to grassroots in an attempt to minimise the burden on emergency services and help contain the spread of the virus.

Postponing larger sporting events should discourage sports fans from travelling to Scotland, but, as there are no wider travel restrictions in place at present, we cannot stop people travelling should they wish to do so.

Question reference: S5W-27642

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 9 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how the NHS ensures that healthy options, including provision of fresh fruit, are made available for outpatients receiving care at NHS facilities.

Patients who attend outpatient clinics in NHSS Hospitals are offered the use of the staff and visitor dining facilities that will include a combination of restaurants, retail outlets, coffee shops and vending machines. Each of these facilities would typically include fresh fruit as an option and furthermore they would be expected to comply with the following Food-related Policies and Initiatives:

- Healthy living award plus is a national award for the food service sector which aims to assure the principles of a healthy balanced diet and in keeping with Scottish dietary targets. Hospitals are required to achieve the healthy living award plus for staff and visitor catering.

- Supporting Healthy Choices voluntary framework sets out the action required to shape and better support healthier diets in Scotland including supporting healthier catering.

- The Healthcare Retail Standards (HRS) aims to increase the amount of healthier food and drink available to staff, patients and visitors in the shops in hospitals and other NHS buildings in Scotland. All shops selling food and drink in NHS facilities in Scotland are required to comply with this standard.

Question reference: S5W-27643

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 9 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is in place to support the provision by NHS boards of healthy options, including fresh fruit, to patients in hospital wards.

NHS Scotland Hospitals are required to comply with 'Food in Hospitals: National Catering and Nutrition Specification for Food and Fluid Provision in Hospitals in Scotland'. This policy provides information on standards for nutritional care, nutrient and food provision for patients within hospital.

The Food in Hospitals definition of a Healthier Eating Diet is “a diet that follows the principles for a healthy balanced diet, including five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, reduced total and saturated fats, reduced free sugar and reduced salt content.”

Question reference: S5W-27644

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring systems are in place for the maintenance of the Healthy Living Award on sites catered by the NHS.

All NHS catered sites for staff and visitors (including outpatients) are expected to achieve the Healthyliving Award plus . Once achieved, the site retains the award for two years. During this period, unannounced quality assurance visits take place annually to ensure standards are being maintained. This is done by a Healthyliving Award team member. The visit can result in a range of outcomes: from a failure to meet the standard, to confirmation of the appropriate standard. Any criteria not being met must be addressed within a two week period.

After the two year period the site is required to renew their commitment to the award.

If a complaint or concern is raised at any time by a member of staff or visitor, an unannounced Quality Assurance visit will take place within one working week of notification. Feedback is provided to the site in question and the individual who raised the concern. Any issues identified must be addressed by the site immediately.

Question reference: S5O-04195

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what equality monitoring of staff employed by MSPs it undertakes, and what steps it is taking to address any under-representation from any section of society.

Question reference: S5W-27327

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to promote the use of sunflower lanyards to help identify passengers with hidden disabilities on public transport.

Alongside providing funding and support to refresh and expand Scotland’s own Thistle Assistance Card scheme, we continue to promote the Sunflower Lanyard, and associated staff training, with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations, and transport providers, as an excellent customer service tool.

We have been very pleased to see the lanyard adopted in many more places, including the Highlands and Islands Airports, which we were proud to promote through the Scottish Government-funded national Accessible Travel Hub [1] .

[1] http://accessibletravel.scot/hidden-disabilities-lanyard-scheme-launched-at-inverness-airport/ .

Question reference: S5W-27326

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of customer-facing ScotRail staff have been trained in awareness of the sunflower lanyard, hidden disability assistance scheme.