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-33515

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the significance of exercise, including group exercise, to the wellbeing of people during the COVID-19 pandemic and, in light of this, whether it will it consider relaxing the restrictions regarding such activity.

The Scottish Government fully recognise the importance of being physically active during COVID, both for physical and mental health. Group exercise is clearly part of this and we appreciate the social interaction which such classes provide. However, our priority is to ensure people can take part in group classes when it is safe to do so.

Decisions on what sectors and activities to re-open on our route out of lockdown are guided by the principles set out in our Framework for Decision Making. Proposals are technically assessed using the best available evidence and analysis of their potential benefits and harms to health, the economy, and broader society to minimise overall harm and ensure transmission of the virus continues to be suppressed. This assessment process includes oversight of the assessed health risks in different settings by the Chief Medical Officer and input from the other Chief Clinicians as appropriate.

Question reference: S5W-33176

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that many foodbanks do not provide baby milk formula because of UNICEF guidelines, and whether it will issue separate guidance to foodbanks regarding how they can help mothers who are unable to feed their babies naturally and cannot afford to buy milk formula.

Scottish Government advice has always been that where infant formula milk is needed, the preferred approach is a referral to a health worker who will be able to provide families with young infants longer term support which guarantees consistency, quality and access to wider services. This includes Best Start Foods which provides pregnant women and families with children under the age of three, on certain benefits, with a minimum of £4.25 a week to buy specific healthy foods. The Best Start Foods payment is doubled to £8.50 per week for the first year of the child’s life to help support nutrition for the breastfeeding mothers or the cost of providing first infant formula.

We will continue to encourage NHS Boards to work closely with their local partners to ensure that all parents of young infants who require additional support, are supported appropriately.

Question reference: S5W-33177

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason schools data is not kept in the records of COVID-19 transmission settings.

The test and protect content management system only records events/venues that the case tells the person conducting the interview they have been to. Attending a particular event/venue does not mean that an individual case acquired their infection in that setting. This is because the test and protect system is designed to identify contacts rather than to identify the source of transmission.

The data held currently contains information on those who under events/venues report “attending childcare, school, educational establishment” and other venues/settings. However, this does not mean that is where they acquired their infection.

Question reference: S5W-33023

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified among students in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Question reference: S5W-33022

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified among students in (a) universities and (b) colleges.

Question reference: S5W-33026

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified as having been as a result of transmission in a retail setting.

Question reference: S5W-33021

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on where transmission of COVID-19 is taking place.

Question reference: S5W-33020

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified as having been as a result of transmission on public transport.

Contacts are traced from information collected and made available to Test and Protect by Incident Management Teams. This allows Test and Protect to contact those who may have been exposed to the virus in a particular setting, and request them to take appropriate steps to prevent potential onward spread.

Public Health Scotland has produced a table of settings and events that index cases have attended over the previous 7 days. This is based on interviews conducted with cases identified in the Case Management System and involves cases recalling where they have been in the 7 days prior to symptom onset (or date of test if asymptomatic).

https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/covid-19-statistical-report/ .

However, Public Health Scotland cannot infer from the figures whether a specific setting or an event indicates where the COVID-19 transmission took place. This is because cases may have attended multiple settings or events within a short space of time, some of which may be low risk settings and events where it is highly improbable that transmission took place. In addition, it is possible that even though a case visited a few settings and events, transmission may have taken place within their home setting.

Question reference: S5W-33024

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified as having been as a result of transmission in (a) pubs and (b) restaurants.

Question reference: S5F-04581

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2020

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report, Caught in a (Covid) Trap, by the Resolution Foundation, which says that almost a third of families who have experienced a reduction in income due to the pandemic are struggling to afford to heat their homes or buy fresh vegetables.