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-34885

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 11 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the vetting procedures for Police Scotland's work with Sri Lanka, in light of the recent recommendation from the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights for all member states to "apply stringent vetting procedures to Sri Lankan police and military personnel identified for military exchanges and training programmes".

Question reference: S5W-34848

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether people should wear face coverings at all times when they leave their home in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Face coverings bring a benefit in reducing transmission of the virus but they are not a substitute for good hand hygiene and physical distancing.
We do not mean surgical or other medical masks, but a covering of the mouth, nose and chin that is made of cloth or other textiles and is 2, but preferably 3, layers thick.
Transmission is more likely to occur when people are in close proximity to each other, in crowded places and in poorly ventilated places, and while the primary sources of transmission are contact and droplet, aerosol transmission is more significant than we first thought.
As a result, and in line with the scientific advice, we have made the use of face coverings mandatory in a large range of indoor public places, including indoor communal workplaces, and on public transport where we know the risks are highest.
We have also advised the use of face coverings outdoors where two metre distancing is difficult to maintain, such as at entrances and exits and school gates.
However, the Scottish Government will continue to review what measures can be used, in line with the emerging scientific and clinical advice, to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

Question reference: S5O-05024

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 February 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to take Scotland's railways back into public ownership.

Question reference: S5W-34795

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what advice was sought from the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) at the design stage of the Queensferry Crossing about diverting traffic to the Forth Road Bridge when the Crossing is closed to traffic.

During the design stage of the Queensferry Crossing, no advice was sought from the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) about diverting traffic to the Forth Road Bridge when the Queensferry Crossing is closed to traffic.

During the design stage of the Queensferry Crossing, Transport Scotland discussed the possible use of the Forth Road Bridge as a diversion route with a number of parties, including the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA), and with City of Edinburgh Council and Fife Council, both of which were members of FETA.

Question reference: S5W-34781

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what current plans there are to divert traffic from the Queensferry Crossing to the Forth Road Bridge when the Crossing is closed, and what the (a) timetable and (b) cost is of implementing those plans.

In emergency situations, the Forth Road Bridge is available to provide additional resilience as a diversion route, should the Queensferry Crossing have to close.

The first full live traffic trial for use of the Forth Road Bridge as a diversion route was successfully implemented on Saturday 30 January 2021. A report on this trial will be provided to Transport Scotland in due course, which will include an indication of timetable and costs.

Question reference: S5W-34780

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how long the operator of the Queensferry Crossing takes to divert traffic to the Forth Road Bridge when the Crossing is closed to traffic.

Question reference: S5W-34779

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the option of diverting traffic to the Forth Road Bridge when the Queensferry Crossing is closed to traffic was considered at the design stage of the Crossing, and what the reasons were for its position on this matter.

The Forth Road Bridge was considered as a traffic diversion option during the design stage of the Queensferry Crossing and it was determined that the most appropriate use would be for it to become a dedicated public transport corridor. In that scenario, any other use would be to the detriment of public transport other than for emergency situations where it could be considered as an option.

The operational aspects of diverting the traffic involve significant traffic management measures on the approaches to the bridge. This takes several hours to complete. Consequently traffic must be temporarily diverted via the Kincardine Bridge.

Question reference: S5O-04999

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the financial impact will be on the lowest income groups of its proposal to freeze council tax.

Question reference: S5W-34626

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate for care home owners not to advise residents' families how many deaths there have been in the care home that their relative is in.

It is essential that care home staff regularly update family and friends about the care and wellbeing of their loved one.

Any care home provider must be cognisant of the impact of the death of a resident on other residents in their care. Providers must also take forward their obligations under data protection legislation.

A considerable amount of information on COVID deaths in care homes is already published. National Records of Scotland publish official data on deaths involving Covid-19 in care homes on a weekly basis. This data is broken down by Board and Local Authority area.

Question reference: S5W-34394

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been wasted and had to be disposed of.