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-31452

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact of the NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme on reserved social security benefit entitlement.

The Scottish Government is clear that the £60,000 lump sum made available through the NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020, should not be taxed or treated as capital for the purpose of determining reserved benefit entitlement. This is precisely because the objective of this benefit is to provide financial security for the dependents and next of kin at a time of need.

The Scottish Government has been engaging extensively with HM Revenue and Customs in respect of its position that the £60,000 Death in Service payment should not be taxable for the purpose of determining reserved benefit entitlement and is awaiting a response. We expect to hear from HM Revenue and Customs by the end of September, by which time we will provide further guidance.

The Scottish Government have also approached the Department for Work and Pensions to discuss capital disregard being applied to compensation payments under NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020. We are yet to receive a response to this request.

Question reference: S5W-31453

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has called on the UK Government to exempt the NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme from the capital rules for reserved social security benefit entitlement.

Question reference: S5T-02368

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases to a level not seen since May 2020.

Question reference: S5W-30743

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of required staff working with cancer patients were tested in the first week of COVID-19 testing, which commenced on 8 July 2020.

Question reference: S5W-30742

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff working with cancer patients have been tested for COVID-19 since 8 July 2020, broken down by NHS board.

Health Boards have commenced routine testing of healthcare workers in key areas (oncology, long stay elderly care and mental health wards where the length of stay is over three months). This includes staff working on Specialist Cancer Wards and Treatment Areas.

The Scottish Government has been working closely with Health Boards to develop key data on the testing of NHS staff to ensure robust and reliable information. We are working to resolve a number of technical and data management issues before we can be assured the data is robust and able to be published.

Question reference: S5W-31193

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when indoor youth activities such as dance classes will be able to resume and what scientific advice underpins any ongoing restrictions.

As the First Minister outlined in her statement on 20 August 2020 the date for the reopening of indoor sport and leisure facilities is 31 August with physical distancing and enhanced hygiene measures in place. This will allow children under 12 to take part in all dancing activity with people older than 12 being able to take part in non-contact dance activity. The indicative date for contact dancing for all ages is 14 September.

Question reference: S5W-31189

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the scientific basis is for maintaining the restrictions on access to mobile complementary therapies that were imposed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and by what date it expects these services will be able to resume.

The clinical Professional Advisory Group advised that where close contact services are provided in a fixed premises it is possible for the service provider to maintain control of the environment, ensuring appropriate cleaning and other measures are in place to protect both workers and their customers. Work performed in customers’ homes carries additional risks that must be appropriately considered before mobile Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) services can resume. Further guidance is being developed to ensure that these services can recommence as soon as it is safe to do so.

Question reference: S5F-04304

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 August 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-04279

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-30664

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will put in place to prevent further mass culling of mountain hares when the mountain hare closed season ends on 1 August 2020.

The Scottish Government has always been clear that any large-scale culling that threatens the conservation status of mountain hares is not acceptable.

However, as I stated during the stage 3 debate in Parliament there are a number of issues that must be fully considered ahead of the introduction of a licensing regime. I am now giving careful thought as to how that regime will work and when the protection will come into force and I will be discussing that in detail with stakeholders over the coming months.

We will be following the situation carefully for any indication of attempts to carry out excessive culls and will take steps to address this if necessary.