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-31126

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to publicise the legal requirement to install interlinked fire alarms in all homes by February 2021.

An announcement was made on 28 March 2018 of our intention to strengthen the current standards we have in place for fire alarms. This announcement was widely reported in press, television and social media as well as housing and electrical related publications. An informative fact sheet was also made available on our website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/fire-and-smoke-alarms-in-scottish-homes/

A joint awareness raising campaign will be taken forward, coordinated across Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to ensure consistency in approach in all local authority areas prior to the standard coming into force on 1 February 2021.

Question reference: S5O-04506

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has disengaged from discussions with the UK Government regarding the forthcoming internal market legislation.

Question reference: S5W-30817

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons acupuncture cannot take place at present, and when such services can restart.

Following a clinical assessment, personal retail services, including Complementary and Alternative Medicine services (CAMs) and massage therapy, were advised that they could resume services as of 22 July 2020, where the service is carried out in a therapist’s own premises (i.e. not a mobile therapist, who provides treatment in a patient’s home), and the close contact retail guidance has been updated to reflect this.

The Scottish Government are undertaking further clinical assessment of the risk of transmission of COVID-19 for mobile massage and CAM services, and are considering whether further guidance is required for these.

Question reference: S5W-30928

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30120 by Aileen Campbell on 17 July 2020, what consideration was given to including church halls in the scheme, and whether the potential for discrimination was reviewed as part of any decision.

In addition to the £350m Communities Fund, including the Third Sector Resilience Fund, the Scottish Government has provided over £2.3 billion of support to businesses through grants and reliefs. The Small Business Support Grant was available for church halls which met the eligibility criteria.

The criteria for the Coronavirus Business Support Grant Scheme was linked to the non-domestic rates system. Church halls were listed as a qualifying purpose and to be eligible, the premises had to be in receipt of the Small Business Bonus Scheme, or eligible for Small Business Bonus Scheme but in receipt of a range of other reliefs, including Charitable Rate Relief.

Question reference: S5W-30816

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 6 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish guidance on the reopening of adult day services.

I and the Minister for Children and Young People wrote to Health and Social Care Partnerships, Chief Social Work Officers providers and others on 3 August 2020 advising that this comprehensive guidance on adult day centre services will issue as soon as possible, expected late August. We also advised that in the interim, such services can reopen, subject to being adapted and risk assessed in line with certain existing guidance; and agreement to the approach by the local Health Protection teams and the Care Inspectorate.

The letter is published on the Scottish Government website at:
‎ www.gov.scot/policies/social-care/latest

Question reference: S5W-30567

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 5 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason wholesale businesses that supply the retail and hospitality sector are not included in the £25,000 retail, hospitality and leisure business support grant.

Question reference: S5W-30603

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether funding will remain in place for childcare providers that are already providing 1,140 hours of childcare.

Local authorities continue to be funded in full to deliver the 1140 hours early learning and childcare expansion programme.

As co-chairs of the ELC Joint Delivery Board, Councillor Stephen McCabe and I wrote jointly to all local authorities on 8 July 2020 asking that authorities continue to work in partnership with funded providers to reach agreement on sustainable local funding models. Local authorities should continue to ensure that funding paid to providers for delivery of funded ELC entitlement remains sustainable and reflects the current costs of delivery.

We know work on the ELC expansion is already well advanced, and that many providers and local authorities will be able to deliver more than the minimum requirement of 600 hours funded ELC to families. Local authorities will work with providers to confirm local plans, ensuring quality of care and improving outcomes for children remains central to delivery of the funded entitlement.

Question reference: S5W-30818

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 31 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons auction houses cannot open at present, and when they will be allowed to do so.

Question reference: S5W-30580

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what specific advice it has published regarding car sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government’s guidance on how to travel safely during COVID-19 was updated as the country entered Phase 3 of the routemap to include advice on car sharing and confirms:-

“ You should only travel with members of your own, or extended, household. We recognise that there may be occasions when there is no alternative but to travel with people out with your household. On such occasions, you should:

share the transport with the same people each time
keep to small groups of people at any one time
maintain good ventilation by keeping the car windows open if possible
ask everyone to wear face-coverings
clean your hands before and after your journey
if the vehicle is your responsibility, clean the door handles and other areas that people touch”.

Question reference: S5W-30521

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is no WiFi service at Lockerbie rail station.