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-02617

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02153 by Keith Brown on 26 August 2021, for what reason there is a gap of around three years between the acquisition of the site and the commencement of construction work on the new HMP Glasgow.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Whilst a site for HMP Glasgow has been acquired, SPS still need to finalise the future operational requirements for the establishment and undertake a procurement exercise to appoint a suitable contractor who will develop the design of the new prison. There are also obligations to secure further statutory approvals for the site which will include satisfying any planning conditions, before construction work can begin.

Question reference: S6F-00189

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to tackle public displays of anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic prejudice.

Question reference: S6W-02153

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported longstanding calls for a modern prison to replace HM Prison Barlinnie, for what reason such a replacement will reportedly not be ready until 2026.

Prison infrastructure projects are large and complex. The timing of the HMP Glasgow, which will replace HMP Barlinnie, has been impacted by challenges in identifying and securing a suitable site as well as market conditions. An extensive search was required to identify a suitable site within the Glasgow City boundary and the acquisition of the site near Provanmill was completed in December 2020. Procurement activity is now underway and construction work is currently scheduled to commence in 2023.

Question reference: S6O-00080

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to provide to Glasgow City Council to implement the recommendations in the report by the Connectivity Commission, including funding for the proposed metro system.

Question reference: S6W-01408

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government by what date all 16- and 17-year-olds can expect to receive their (a) first and (b) second COVID-19 vaccination, and what procedures are in place to allow for an acceleration in vaccinations among this age group in virus hotspot areas.

The Scottish Government remains committed to offering Covid vaccination to everyone who is eligible. We continue to do so in line with clinical advice.

Following the JCVI’s latest advice on the vaccination of younger people we are now inviting all 16 and 17 year olds to come forward for first dose.

Sixteen or 17 years olds have been able to self-register for an appointment at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/vaccineregistration since 6 August and have been able to attend mainland drop in vaccination clinics from 10 August. They can only be able to attend clinics offering Pfizer, as this is the only vaccine currently licenced for use in the under-18 age group.

Question reference: S6W-01954

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the option of undertaking COVID-19 testing will be retained as a substitute for vaccination status certification, for the purpose of international travel, for people who cannot receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available.

Since May 2021 we have a system in place through NHS Inform to provide people with a record of their vaccination status if they need this for international travel. Scottish residents who want to demonstrate their vaccination status can request a certificate through NHS Inform before they travel. This can take up to 14 days, but current turnaround is typically 2-3 days.

It remains the case that if people are returning from an amber list country and are not fully vaccinated in accordance with the exemption, they must self-isolate for 10 days at their accommodation in Scotland and must book a day 2 and day 8 testing package , prior to departure. Details of this can be found at the link below.

It also remains the case that if people they are returning from a red list country they should follow the managed isolation guidance as set out on:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and managed isolation (quarantine) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

People need to be aware that countries may move between the red, amber or green list country at short notice. They are advised that they should not assume that a country on the green, amber or red list now will remain on the same list over the weeks and months ahead.

Question reference: S6W-01492

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake in deprived areas.

It is vital for the current COVID-19 vaccination programme to reach everyone and that no one is left behind, both for individual health and our collective community wellbeing.

In order to achieve this, we have embedded inclusion as a key aspect of our national programme, working alongside Health Boards and other partners to encourage uptake, remove barriers and respond to evidence of low uptake in certain communities, including those from more deprived areas.

We have worked with Health Boards to map the locations of our vaccination clinics, ensuring that they are accessible for those in more deprived areas, and local partnerships with transport providers has supported people with free travel to appointments, if required.

Health Boards have also adapted their delivery models to ensure they are reaching communities with lower uptake. For example, mobile outreach units have been provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and some Health Boards have partnered with local transport providers to use their vehicles to take out into community settings. Pop-up and drop-in clinics are now being used across the country for those who are unable or unwilling to access the mass vaccination clinics. Health Boards plan the locations of these to suit the needs of their populations, and respond to evidence of lower uptake in certain areas.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19): vaccine deployment plan provides further information on our approach to delivering the vaccine to everyone in our society.

Question reference: S6W-01816

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 20 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a minimum capacity that secure accommodation must be kept at, and whether this contributes to children having to be held in prison when these units are full.

Question reference: S6W-01283

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the future costs of COVID-19-related health problems.

It is not possible to accurately quantify the future associated with COVID-19 related health problems at this time, as we are still in the midst of the pandemic. Some of these impacts may not be tangible immediately but are likely to become more evident over time.

We need a better understanding of the frequency, nature and impact of health complications caused by COVID before an assessment can be made of future costs. This includes the cost of providing support for people with long COVID.

The Scottish Government has invested £2.5 million funding for nine Scottish-led research projects relating to the long-term effects of COVID-19. We continue to engage with NHS Boards to identify their support needs in relation to delivering care and support to people with long COVID.

Question reference: S6W-01306

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its Budget has been allocated to projects designed to help alleviate the climate emergency.

Government budgets contribute to alleviating the climate emergency through a range of investments, including spend that reduces greenhouse gas emissions towards net zero, spend that delivers emissions reductions through a fair and just transition, and spend focussed on adapting to the effects of climate change.

The 2021-22 Budget increased low carbon capital investment across government to over £1.9 billion, comprising 36% of overall capital spend. This proportion has risen from 29% in 2018-19, when reporting began. In March, following budget negotiations, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance committed to a further £40 million in capital investment for active travel and energy efficiency initiatives that align with our green recovery and net zero ambitions. These figures that we track on low carbon capital investment, as mentioned above, provide only a partial picture of the wide range of investments across all government spend that contributes towards alleviating the climate emergency.

Some of our key commitments on climate change in this budget include increasing our Heat in Buildings investment by £30 million to £213.4 million; increasing forestry investment by £26.9 million to £121.2 million; committing £40 million for our Agricultural Transformation Fund to assist the sector in reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and committing the first £165 million of our £2 billion Low Carbon Fund, including: £14 million for the Green Jobs Fund, £25 million for bus priority infrastructure and £15 million for zero emissions buses.