Beatrice Wishart

23 Dec 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that marine life is protected in the development of offshore wind farms.

21 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to offering the COVID-19 vaccine to unpaid carers within the same timescale as that for care home and home care workers.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We greatly value the work of all of Scotland’s carers, particularly during this pandemic. To save lives it’s essential that vaccination be given to the first priority groups as set by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), and unpaid care…

17 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration it has given to COVID-19 restrictions on beauty salons that offer facials, and when the guidance will be next reviewed.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We continue to keep all guidance under regular review to ensure that it follows the latest public health advice. We encourage all businesses regardless of sector, to follow this guidance, and make use of all financial support available to them from both the S…

7 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on work to develop a new benchmark standard for new public buildings to ensure that heating systems are renewable or zero carbon, and from which date this benchmark will be set.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We are committed to introducing a Net Zero Carbon Public Sector Buildings Standard in 2021, as set out in the recently published Climate Change Plan update. The Scottish Government has been working with a wide range of public sector bodies to develop the Stan…

7 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, of the projects delivered through Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme, how many are (a) energy efficient and (b) net-zero.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scotland’s Schools for the Future (SSF) Programme set building performance targets to ensure that each project was designed and constructed sustainably. This was both in terms of energy efficiency and also wider more holistic sustainability measures. The …

7 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, under which schemes it provides interest-free loans to improve the energy efficiency of public sector buildings, and how many of these loans have been (a) approved and (b) rejected for projects in (i) schools and (ii) nurseries in the financial year (A) 2019-20 and (B) 2020-21.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government provides financial support to the public sector for energy efficiency improvements through the Scottish Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme (SEELS), with over £50 million invested in over 770 projects since 2008 on a revolving basis. These p…

7 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authority school buildings meet the target for schools replaced or upgraded through the Learning Estate Investment Programme.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate. A guiding principle of the £1 billion Learning Estate Investm…

4 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32307 by Richard Lochhead on 19 October 2020, whether it can now confirm whether this information will be shared with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Answer · Richard Lochhead: This information will be placed shortly with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under Bib No. 62045.  

4 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32308 by Richard Lochhead on 20 October 2020, whether it will confirm when the 2019-20 data will be published.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The vast majority of universities and colleges have now provided full year audited returns data to Student Awards Agency Scotland on their 2019-20 Higher Education Discretionary Funds spending. SAAS officials are collating the data. This would normally be pu…

4 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to encourage people with asthma and other respiratory conditions to take up the offer of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We have planned a communications campaign to inform audiences in Scotland about the COVID-19 vaccine and encourage uptake. This comprises a mass media campaign supported by online information, a phoneline, a door drop to all households in Scotland and partner…

4 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received offers of public health messaging support from third sector organisations encouraging at-risk groups to take up the COVID-19 vaccine.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We have received offers of public health messaging support from a wide range of third sector organisations willing to help encourage at-risk groups to take up the COVID-19 vaccine, including BEMIS, Disabled People's Organisations and National Carers organisat…

4 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with respiratory disease there are in each of the COVID-19 priority categories set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We do not have this data readily available. However, a number of individuals with respiratory diseases may fall into the priority groups set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and have either received, or are eligible to receive…

2 Dec 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it has supported Shetland's internal ferry services.

25 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will be able to confirm whether its commitment for all schools to have access to counselling services by the end of October 2020 was met.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government received, on 3 December, the final set of returns from local authorities on their implementation of providing access to a counsellor in every secondary school. The returns require to be analysed and may require clarification and engage…

25 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32993 by John Swinney on 19 November 2020, which local authorities have still to submit returns and what the reason is for this, and whether it will place a copy of the responses that it has received from all local authorities in SPICe.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government received the final return from local authorities on 3 December and are now analysing the responses. The analysis may involve further follow up with local authorities to clarify some of the information provided and we will publish a sum…

17 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26737 by John Swinney on 10 January 2020, whether it will provide an update on the review of the home education guidance.

Answer · John Swinney: As set out in my letter to the Public Petitions Committee on 18 September 2020, my officials have been actively engaging with a range of stakeholders with a view to consulting on new draft guidance. This is a continuation of the work started in 2019, now taki…

16 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to permitting faith groups to sing indoors while wearing face coverings, particularly those based in areas living under level 1 of the COVID-19 restrictions.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: I recognise how difficult it has been for Scotland’s faith communities to be unable to come together and sing within their places of worship and understand the important role that singing has in congregational worship and supporting spiritual wellbeing. We do…

12 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26338 by Paul Wheelhouse on 27 November 2019, whether it will provide an update on progress to provide funding to replace the ferry, Good Shepherd IV, and associated infrastructure upgrades, which connects Fair Isle to mainland Shetland.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We remain committed to supporting the sustainability of our island communities, which depend on a range of factors alongside transport connectivity. I am acutely aware of the impacts that Covid-19 and the tragic loss of the Bird Observatory in March 2019 have…

9 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it met its commitment for every secondary school to have counselling services by the end of October 2020.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32993 on 19 November 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusine…

4 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many contracts to enable cashless payments in schools (a) have been and (b) will be procured.

Answer · John Swinney: The information you have requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Procurement of contracts to introduce cashless payments systems in schools is a matter for local authorities, however the Scottish Government does provide a range of tools an…

4 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to enable cashless payments in schools; which local authorities are involved with this, and what the timetable is.

Answer · John Swinney: The introduction of cashless payment systems in schools is a matter for local authorities, and the schools under their management, to decide upon. The Scottish Government does not promote any particular approaches to making payments for services in schools a…

2 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by Children in Scotland that "given the health benefits associated with school milk, we view this as an example of where the Scottish Government should commit to continued financial support after the [EU] transition period ends"; whether it plans to ma…

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people and milk continues to be an integral part of the school food and drink regulations given its benefits as part of a balanced and nutritious diet. The…

2 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to receive in Barnett consequentials arising from the plan by the UK Government to match the EU milk subsidy for school pupils in England in 2020-21, and what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding this plan.

Answer · John Swinney: Following confirmation that the UK government intended to provide domestic funding to allow English school milk schemes to continue following the loss of access to the EU school milk scheme due to Brexit, the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, Europe and Ext…

27 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding in the recent PISA report, Are Students Ready to Thrive in an Interconnected World?, that students in Scotland are among the “smallest proportion” observed who speak several languages.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring all young people in Scotland are equipped with the skills they need for life and work in an increasingly globalised world. We have been pursuing an ambitious ‘1+2 languages’ policy to improve language learning…

27 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings in the recent PISA report, Are Students Ready to Thrive in an Interconnected World?, what action it is taking to increase students’ uptake of foreign languages, and whether it (a) previously had, (b) currently has or (c) plans to have a target for increasing the…

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government fully recognises and values the importance of our children and young people learning another language. We have been pursuing an ambitious ‘1+2 languages’ policy to improve language learning in schools, which aims to provide all pupils …

23 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 18 January 2017, Early years workforce expansion, how many of the proposed 435 equity and excellence leads for early learning and childcare settings in deprived communities are currently in place.

Answer · Maree Todd: Since August 2018, we have funded an additional 435 graduate level posts across all 32 local authorities to provide targeted with support to settings in our communities facing the most disadvantage. These posts are recruited and managed locally. 31 Local Aut…

16 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether so-called long COVID will be a condition added to the respiratory care action plan.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We are committed to taking action to support those experiencing the longer physical and mental health impacts of COVID-19, including those that have developed long-term respiratory problems as a result of contracting the virus. Work to develop the final Resp…

16 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which third sector organisations it has worked with to understand the symptoms and risks associated with so-called long COVID.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We are committed to improving our understanding of the longer term effects of COVID-19 on physical and mental health and wellbeing in Scotland. The current definitions of which are set out by SIGN/ NICE within the recently published scope to develop a clinica…

16 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been added to the shielding list due to respiratory conditions, broken down by condition.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The respiratory group is the one with the greatest number of people placed on the COVID-19 shielding list. A full breakdown of the shielding cohort by shielding group is as follows. The following table provides the number of individuals on the shielding list…

15 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) BSL and (b) other language interpreters operate in NHS psychology services.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The provision of interpreter support is a matter for local health boards. In addition, at a Scotland level, NHS Scotland provides a Scottish Mental Health Service for Deaf People ( https://services.nhslothian.scot/mhdeafservice/Pages/default.aspx) which is …