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-33253

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 November 2020
Current Status: Holding Answer by Joe FitzPatrick on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide routine COVID-19 testing for NHS (a) dentists and (b) frontline dental practice staff.

Question reference: S5W-33264

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether in-school health services and therapy support will be continued through home visits for children who are advised to shield or are affected by school closures.

The Scottish Government guidance on Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools is clear that support for continued learning should be in place for those who are unable to attend school due to shielding or other covid related absence.

The strategic framework and the guidance on reducing the risks in schools set out that at Protection Levels 3 and 4 there are additional considerations for pupils who may be at highest clinical risk. At protection level 4 a pupil will have been advised via a letter from the Chief Medical Officer if shielding is appropriate. The schools guidance is clear that a pupil who has been asked to shield may attend school if an individualised risk assessment is completed, including consultation with the child’s secondary care (hospital) clinical team, which has enabled appropriate arrangements to be put in place for them to do so. In the circumstances where a child or young person is unable to attend school due to shielding or school closure, as a result of Covid-19, school health services and therapeutic support will be continued where appropriate mitigations can be made to ensure the safety of pupils, staff and families. This will be reflected in the guidance for schools in due course.

Question reference: S5W-33263

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what advice is available to parents and carers regarding their child's education should they not be able to attend school in person due to shielding or other COVID-19-related absence.

Schools and local authorities retain the main responsibility for arranging remote learning for those who need to shield, self-isolate or quarantine. In order to broaden the options available to schools the national e-learning offer provides access to live lessons, recorded lessons and online learning and teaching materials across the Broad General Education and the Senior Phase. https://education.gov.scot/improvement/national-e-learning-offer/

Similarly, schools and authorities are responsible for providing direct advice and support to parents and carers on how to support their child’s learning. In order to complement and support the advice from schools and authorities, the Scottish Government’s Parent Club website provides advice on working from home whilst caring for children, advice on helping children with remote and blended learning as well as links to additional learning resources from third sector organisations which can help to complement the learning activities and advice provided by schools. https://www.parentclub.scot/topics/coronavirus/learning-at-home?age=0. Parent Club also includes tailored advice to parents who are supporting children and young people with additional support needs

https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/supporting-children-and-young-people-with-additional-support-needs

Education Scotland’s Scotland Learns website also provides learning resources and advice and support to parents and carers via online newsletters.

https://education.gov.scot/improvement/scotland-learns/ In addition, the National Parent Forum of Scotland have developed “Nutshell” advice pamphlets on “Learning at Home During Lockdown” and Online Safety. https://www.npfs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/edd/2020/05/NPFS_learning-at-home_E.pdf and

https://www.npfs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/edd/2020/05/NPFS_online_safety_E.pdf

Question reference: S5W-33350

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the advice to pupils who are shielding not to attend school in person in areas under Level 4 restrictions in its COVID-19 Strategic Framework also applies to siblings in the same household.

The Scottish Government Guidance on Coronavirus (COVID-19): shielding advice and support and Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools are clear on the arrangements for the attendance at school for those shielding at protection level 4. This includes that following an individualised risk assessment, taking account of clinical advice, those on the shielding list may be able to attend school if appropriate arrangements can be made. The guidance does not make any requirements of the siblings of shielding pupils in relation to their attendance at school.

The strategic framework is clear that it is for individuals to make informed decisions about the risks and how to balance the benefits of protection with quality of life. There is no requirement to distance from family members, or for family members not to attend school.

Question reference: S5W-33349

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether teachers and school staff who were previously shielding should attend school in person in areas under Level 4 restrictions in its COVID-19 Strategic Framework.

The Chief Medical Officer wrote to those on the shielding list and live within a level 4 area, and those who live work or attend school in a level 4 area. The letter sets out the considerations needed to ensure that appropriate arrangements can be made to ensure that school staff can attend work, and the arrangements that should be made if that is not the case.

The Scottish Government (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools sets out the position for teachers and school staff on the arrangements which will apply when protection level 4 is applied.

Question reference: S5O-04808

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with local authorities in the Central Scotland region, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-33139

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage people to take up invitations for cancer screening, in light of screening programmes having resumed.

A communications strategy to support the resumption of the screening programmes has been developed with Public Health Scotland, and information has been made available on NHS Inform in a wide range of languages and formats about the restart of each of the adult national screening programmes. This includes information about the additional measures that have been put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.

A leaflet is also being sent with each appointment prompt or reminder explaining the changes that screening participants can expect when attending a screening appointment during the pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-32727

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport first became aware of plans by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and any other NHS boards to prioritise flu vaccinations for over-65s by youngest to oldest.

The Scottish Immunisation & Recall System (SIRS) is an IT programme designed for arranging childhood vaccinations, and quite properly calls the youngest first.

SIRS was employed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to arrange appointments for this year’s seasonal flu vaccine, which initially led to over-65s being invited for immunisation from youngest to oldest. This approach is not appropriate for seasonal flu where we need to prioritise the oldest and most-at-risk patients first.

The Cabinet Secretary was made aware of the issues with the SIRS system used by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on 13 October. Following an intervention from the Cabinet Secretary, the Scottish Government now has received assurances that changes have been made to the way the SIRS system is operating. It can now be used to call the oldest first and that the issue has been resolved.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has formally apologised for any distress that may have been caused by the issues with SIRS, and has confirmed that, as of the 30th of October, all vaccination invitation letters to the over-65s for the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area have been posted.

Question reference: S5W-33109

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement in May 2020 of £150,000 being allocated for "an enhanced offer of residential rehab to people leaving prison during the pandemic to support their recovery", how many people have been admitted for this purpose.

Question reference: S5W-33148

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £329,000 deal between National Services Scotland and Labcold for the storage and transportation of refrigeration equipment.