Jackie Baillie

30 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities have been instructed to carry out risk assessments on the requirement to wear face coverings at school gates.

Answer · John Swinney: As part of our precautionary approach, our COVID-19 guidance on reducing the risks in schools advises that parents/carers should wear face coverings during school drop off/pick up. This was a recommendation from the COVID-19 Advisory Sub-Group on Education an…

30 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether research is being carried out that is specific to the effects that gyms have on the spread of COVID-19.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We recognise the positive physical and mental impacts that exercise brings and that is why gyms are permitted to open in Tiers 0-3. We continue to work with partners to gather the latest scientific research. Decisions on what sectors and activities to re-ope…

30 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the reopening of gyms in Level 4 areas.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Decisions on what sectors and activities to re-open on our route out of lockdown are guided by the principles set out in our Framework for Decision Making. Proposals are technically assessed using the best available evidence and analysis of their potential be…

30 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an outline timetable for taking forward the replacement of the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has committed to identifying a preferred corridor by Spring 2021. A full timetable can only be established once a preferred corridor is known and the nature of the infrastructure works can be more clearly defined.

30 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce daily testing at care homes over the Christmas period to protect residents, staff and visitors from an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I set out, on 25 November, priorities for expanding testing in social care, including the introduction of testing for designated care home visitors and we will start to roll this out to 14 ‘early adopter’ care homes from 7 December and issue lateral flow test…

30 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish responses to the consultation on options for the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful, and, if so, when.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33622 on 10 December 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/p…

30 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the outcome of the consultation on options for the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful will be announced.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Transport Scotland is in the process of analysing around 650 responses received from the public consultation. It is expected the consultation findings, including responses to occurring themes where relevant, will be published on the Transport Scotland website…

26 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to the Strategic Framework Business Fund.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S5O-04819 on 3 December 2020 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/ormain.aspx '

26 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there have been any changes to the eligibility criteria for businesses applying to the COVID-19 Strategic Framework Business Fund compared with those for the COVID-19 Restrictions Fund.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Strategic Framework Business Fund is a different fund from the COVID-19 Restrictions Fund for businesses impacted by the temporary restrictions between 9 October and 2 November and the eligibility criteria are not directly comparable. The Strategic Framew…

26 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding was available through the Hotel Recovery Programme, and how many grant applications were (a) received and (b) successful, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The funding made available to support the Hotel Support Programme is £14m. Enterprise Agencies, VisitScotland and SDS are also drawing in their wider support products and services to assist companies on the Programme. The number of Expressions of Interest rec…

26 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £48 million allocated in part to the COVID-19 (a) Restrictions Fund and (b) Business Hardship Fund has been spent, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government worked closely with COSLA and all local authorities to deliver the Restrictions Fund which closed on 3 November, including monitoring arrangements. Information about the breakdown of spend by local authority for the restrictions and bu…

26 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications were made to the COVID-19 Restrictions Fund, and how many were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government worked closely with COSLA and all local authorities to deliver the Restrictions Fund which closed on 3 November, including monitoring arrangements to record the numbers of successful and unsuccessful applications. Information about the…

25 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS staff working with COVID-19-positive patients at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow are reportedly not being routinely tested.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Since July, healthcare staff in specialist oncology wards, long term care of the elderly wards and long stay old age psychiatry and learning disability wards have been offered weekly PCR tests. Testing of asymptomatic healthcare staff in an area where there i…

25 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS (a) doctors and (b) nursing staff have been tested for COVID-19 in each week since weekly testing was introduced, also broken down by (i) hospital and (ii) NHS board.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Health boards have been routinely testing healthcare workers in key areas (oncology, long stay elderly care and mental health wards where the length of stay is over three months) since 8 July. The Scottish Government has been working closely with Health Boar…

25 Nov 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to food banks.

23 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether patients who received two rounds of IVF treatment prior to the change in cycle recommendations, which were implemented on 1 April 2017, will be allowed to have a third cycle of treatment, in line with the service that is now being offered on the NHS.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The increase in NHS IVF provision which allows couples to have a maximum of three cycles of IVF treatment, is only applicable to patients referred from Primary and Secondary Care after 1 April 2017. A third cycle is not available retrospectively to those pat…

19 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what time on 11 December 2020 non-essential shops and other closed businesses in areas subject to Level 4 COVID-19 restrictions will be permitted to reopen.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Non-essential retail and other businesses currently closed following the implementation of the level 4 restrictions can reopen at 6pm on Friday 11 December. Businesses that reopen must do so in line with the mitigations for the level that their Local Authorit…

17 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are applied when determining whether to move areas from level 3 under the COVID-19 restrictions to level 4.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Under our Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scotland’s Strategic Framework ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-scotlands-strategic-framework/ ) an area is considered for Level 4 when it broadly meets one of the following conditions: 1. More than 300 cases o…

17 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding what proportion of annual retail sales are received during the November to December shopping period.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Estimates based on data from the ONS Monthly Business Survey – Retail Sales Index indicate that 20.6% of annual retail sales usually take place in the months of November and December. This is based on turnover estimates for the Retail sector (Standard Industr…

17 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason non-essential retail is to close under the level 4 restrictions, in light of reports that the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has assessed that the impact on transmission of the closure of non-essential retail was "low’" and has "very minimal impact on R …

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Strategic Framework sets out a "whole system approach" to supressing the virus while seeking to minimise its broader harms. Level four measures are close to full lockdown to provide a short and sharp suppression of the virus. It is the overall package of …

17 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a time limit for the level 4 restrictions to be in place for non-retail businesses to allow for effective planning.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Level 4 restrictions currently in place in the eleven Local Authorities will remain in force until 18:00 on 11 December 2020. This information has also been made available on the Scottish Government’s website.

17 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the grants awarded to non-essential retail businesses required to close under the level 4 restrictions will reflect the loss of income that might have been generated as a result of sales in the run up to Christmas.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Over £2.3 billion of business support has been made available so far to help businesses counter the impact of COVID-19. We will continue to do everything we can to support businesses in these unprecedented and challenging circumstances. This includes through …

11 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32683 by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 November 2020, on what date it received Scottish Water's 2019-20 annual accounts.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I expect to receive Scottish Water's annual accounts imminently.

9 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32560 by Kevin Stewart on 27 October 2020, for what reason no Equalities Impact Assessment, Business Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Appraisal have been undertaken for the proposals set out in its technical consultation on amendments t…

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The consultation paper indicated that the Scottish Government’s view at the beginning of the consultation process was that fuller assessments were not required given the procedural and technical nature of the proposals set out in the paper. However, we specif…

9 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available for tenement properties that require urgent repair.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Owners of tenements are responsible for the cost of work to repair their own homes. Where owners own a flat in a tenement they share responsibility for work required to common parts of the building. Local authorities have broad discretionary powers to provid…

9 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to each local authority for improvement and repair grants in each year since 2007.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government allocated a private sector housing grant to local authorities up to 2009-10. Details of the amounts allocated to each local authority between 2007-08 and 2009-10 are provided in the written response to Parliamentary Question reference …

9 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will progress with the devolution of VAT powers, and for how long it will leave the VAT assignation power with the UK Government.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government has agreed with HM Treasury to postpone the implementation of VAT assignment and commit to review it as part of the Fiscal Framework Review. Postponement is necessary in light of the extraordinary economic circumstances now facing Scot…

9 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list all the devolved powers that it has asked to remain with the UK Government, and when it will assume day-to-day responsibility for each of these powers.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has not asked for any devolved powers to remain with the UK Government. The Scottish Government has worked with the UK Government and others to transfer additional powers devolved by the 2012 and 2016 Acts in an orderly way to ensure …

6 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the eligibility criteria are for (a) mandatory and (b) discretionary grants to pay for home aids and adaptions in the (i) Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 and (ii) Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Scheme of Assistance) Regulations 2008.

Answer · Kevin Stewart:: The Scheme of Assistance is a grant for homeowners and private tenants who require significant changes to the structure of their home, such as an accessible bathroom, wider doors to accommodate a wheelchair and lowering kitchen work surfaces. The Scottish Gov…

6 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31664 by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 September 2020, whether a date has been agreed for the reopening of NHS pain clinic services to allow people to resume treatment.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: On 24 September the Scottish Government published a Recovery Framework for Pain Management which set out clearly that pain management services should be considered essential in NHS Health Board remobilisation planning. The Scottish Government has consistently…