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: S6W-00270

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a Test and Release programme, similar to that introduced by the UK Government, for people with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

No, in summer 2021 our current vaccination status letters will be replaced by fully digital Covid Status Certificates to be used for outbound international travel. There are no plans at this stage to also use these certificates to introduce Test and Release for inbound international travellers from amber list countries. We are working across the 4 nations to consider the role of Covid Status Certificates for inbound travel .

Question reference: S6W-00291

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any research regarding the benefits of using Ivermectin as a prophylactic measure in the treatment of COVID-19.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is aware that Ivermectin, administered orally, is being studied for safety and efficacy in numerous clinical trials worldwide. This includes an exploratory study being conducted within the UK: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04632706 . Potential new therapeutic approaches to COVID-19 are being tested through the UK-wide platform trials, including RECOVERY, PRINCIPLE and REMAP CAP. These trials are active in Scotland and the Scottish Government is closely monitoring the outcomes of these to ensure medicines with the greatest impact in treating COVID-19 are available for patients in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-00295

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that medication is being (a) correctly and (b) timeously administered in care homes.

The Care Inspectorate is the regulatory body for care services in Scotland, which supports improvement. The Care Inspectorate carry out regular comprehensive inspections of all care homes in Scotland, and are accountable to Scottish Ministers. By law all care providers in Scotland must be registered with the Care Inspectorate. The Care Inspectorate looks at the quality of care in care services, including care homes to ensure it meets high standards. Where improvement is needed, it supports services to make positive changes.

In addition, as part of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s strategy for pharmaceutical care in Scotland ‘Achieving Excellence in Pharmaceutical Care’ the Scottish Government committed to improving the pharmaceutical care of residents in care homes. A Scottish Pharmacy Clinical Leadership Fellow has been appointed and is focussing on key improvement areas such as: developing a national pharmacy care home specialist interest group, reducing medicines waste, undertaking a national audit to determine the pharmacy resource to care homes, developing a pharmacy care home training resource with NES, reviewing how care home residents access medicines and investigating the benefits of using information technology in care homes (for example using electronic medicine administration records (eMAR) and medicines, care and review (MCR).

Question reference: S6W-00287

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many independently verified livestock predation incidents have been recorded by independent veterinary post-mortem testing in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government and its agencies do not collate or hold information on independently verified livestock predation incidents.

However, as I stated in my answer to S6W-00189 on 11 June 2021, NatureScot has published a report on the predation of lambs by sea eagles which included some analysis of post-mortem results.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-00721

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-00405

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government (a) whether and (b) when it plans to introduce a digital certificate with QR authentication for vaccine record information, in light of this being required by people working and travelling abroad where it is expected in the receiving country.

Yes, in summer 2021 our current vaccination status letters will be replaced by fully digital Covid Status Certificates to be used for outbound international travel. The World Health Organisation is currently developing international standards for this, and it is expected this will include either a QR code or 2D barcode. We are working across the Common Travel Area and our four nations to put in place our fully interoperable digital solution that aligns with these international standards being developed. This digital solution will also have an accessible option for those that need it, such as those who do not have a smart phone.

Question reference: S6W-00397

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when the additional funds for business support, as announced on social media by the leader of Glasgow City Council on 28 May 2021, will be paid to businesses in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-00418

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many projects Community Broadband Scotland has supported in each of the last five years.

Following an extensive review of how best to deliver support to community networks, it was concluded that – despite helping to deliver a number of successful community projects – Community Broadband Scotland (CBS) was no longer the most viable model. As such, CBS was officially closed down in January 2018, with communities given the option of continuing with their own project with public sector support or being included in the Reaching 100% (R100) programme, with all 15 remaining pipeline communities opting for the latter option.

In total, 18 community projects received grant funding, totalling £2.1 million, through CBS – delivering a total of 1,490 connections. In financial year 2016-17, CBS grants totalled around £313,000. In financial year 2017-18, they totalled around £19,000.

Question reference: S6W-00365

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a statement on the state of the two vessels currently under construction at the Ferguson Marine yard; the projected dates of completion, and the projected costs involved.

Question reference: S6W-00372

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 15 June 2021

The money we provide to NHS boards is provided to fund drug and alcohol services.

In 2018-2019 Ayrshire and Arran received £3,538,392 baseline funding to support the delivery of alcohol and drug services.

In addition, in 2018-2019 Ayrshire and Arran received £1,259,555 from Programme for Government allocation.

In 2019-2020 Ayrshire and Arran received £3,538,392 baseline funding to support the delivery of alcohol and drug services.

In addition, in 2019-2020 Ayrshire and Arran received £1,259,555 from Programme for Government allocation.

In 2020-2021 Ayrshire and Arran received £3,538,392 in baseline funding to support the delivery of alcohol and drug services.

In addition, in 2020-2021 Ayrshire and Arran received –

1. £1,878,903 from Programme for Government Allocation.

2. £ 260,970 from additional funding of £3 million made available to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to support work to reduce drug deaths in Scotland.

3. £ 216,641 in funding through the Drugs Death Task Force,

We have declared that a national mission is required to tackle drug-related death and have committed additional funding of £50 million per year over the next session of parliament. This is in addition to baseline funding.

Details of funding to NHS Boards can be found here - Alcohol and Drug Partnerships: funding allocations - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Details of additional funding through Local Improvement Fund can be found here –

Local Improvement Fund: allocations - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Details of Additional funding for ADPs in 2020/2021 can be found here - Alcohol and drug partnerships: additional funding 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)