Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,393 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is being provided to schools on social distancing during transfers between classrooms in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19.
Answer · John Swinney: The published Guidance on preparing for the start of the new school term in August 2020 contains a section on minimising contact between individuals and groups (paragraphs 40 to 60). This section notes that within specific school settings, risk assessments sh…
19 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure continued uptake of school milk, in light of its reported plan to leave the UK Nursery Milk Scheme.
Answer · John Swinney: Schools are not eligible to claim under the UK Nursery Milk Scheme and therefore should Scotland withdraw from this scheme there will be no effect on uptake of school milk.
19 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish information regarding the milk and healthy snack scheme that is planned to coincide with the expansion of funded early learning and childcare.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Scottish Ministers have postponed the introduction of the new milk and healthy snack scheme. Discussions with key stakeholders paused as public sector resource has been focussed on the Covid-19 response. Discussions with CoS…
19 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on 19 August 2020 (Official Report, c. 10), how many (a) face-to-face and (b) virtual GP appointments have been conducted in each month since March 2020, broken down by NHS board; what action is being taken to restor…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Information on face-to-face appointments is not held centrally by the Scottish Government as GP practices are responsible for their own patient appointment and consultation arrangements. Detailed information on Near Me consultations in GP practices by board …
18 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ever waived legal privilege to release legal advice given to ministers regarding (a) past court proceedings against them, (b) policy or administrative matters and (c) the making of potential decisions.
Answer · John Swinney: By virtue of the right to legal professional privilege which attaches to all clients including Governments, the content of any legal advice received by the Scottish Government is confidential. Successive Scottish and Westminster Governments have not disclose…
16 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all of its current special advisers, broken down by (a) job title, (b) role and (c) salary scale.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-26805 on 19 December 2019. In addition Mairi McAllan, Special Adviser, Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, was employed with effect from 6 January 2020, initially to provide maternity cover. Stewart Ma…
16 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any of its special advisers have had a pay increase in the last three years outwith the normal annual pay increase applied to the Civil Service and, if so, (a) who and (b) by how much their pay increased.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Prior to 2020, Special advisers had not had access to pay progression within their pay range. In order to put Special Advisers pay arrangements on a consistent footing with other SG civil servants, a pay structure review and job evaluation exercise was undert…
14 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place for its agencies to seek approval for their staffing structures and the (a) number of promoted posts and (b) pay grades attached to such posts, and what routine periodic inspections of the staff and grading structures of its agencies takes place.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The continuing authority to determine the most appropriate staffing structures rests with the Accountable Officer within each Agency which is in line with the delegation of civil service terms and conditions of service by the Minister for the Civil Service un…
14 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-3085, S5W-30852 and S5W-30853 by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020, what steps the Scottish Government takes to monitor the policies of its agencies to ensure they are consistent with the published guidance on air travel to help meet the objective of…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Under section 46 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, around 180 public bodies listed in The Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2015 must report annually to the Scottish Ministers on compliance with the cli…
14 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-3085, S5W-30852 and S5W-30853 by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020, when it last asked the Water Industry Commission for Scotland to review its air travel policy for the conduct of its business, and what action it took to ensure that this policy was c…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31231 on 26 August 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/parliamentarybusiness…
14 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-3085, S5W-30852 and S5W-30853 by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020, whether it considers the Water Industry Commission for Scotland's policy on the (a) use of economy, business and first class air travel and (b) air travel loyalty schemes is consisten…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31231 on 26 August 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/parliamentarybusiness…
14 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30851 by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020, what its response is to concerns that the Water Industry Commission for Scotland has reportedly been routinely breaching the guidance on air travel to London, and whether it is aware of any other similar breac…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It is the responsibility for agencies, such as WICS, to determine their own travel policies. The Scottish Government has accepted that the Commission’s current policies are consistent with the business needs of the organisation and expects the Commission to k…
14 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30851 by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020, what action it has taken to ensure that the Water Industry Commission for Scotland observes the guidance regarding air travel to London.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31231 on 26 August 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/parliamentarybusiness…
10 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30898 by Jeane Freeman on 6 August 2020, whether the distance noted from Dumbarton to Port Glasgow is actually 16 miles by road and not 5.5 miles as indicated, which appears to be the distance measured in a straight line.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The distance measured of 5.5 was in error, this should have read 15.5 miles between Port Glasgow and Dumbarton. I offer the member my apologies for that error and gratitude to her for the opportunity to provide a correction.
10 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29778 by Jeane Freeman on 3 August 2020, for what reason it has not provided resources to local authorities to ensure that all care home staff are tested.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has agreed with COSLA to meet additional costs incurred through Covid-19. We continue to work closely with Integration Authorities and care homes and will provide further funding so that care homes have the resources needed throughout …
10 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29778 by Jeane Freeman on 3 August 2020, for what reason there was a three-week delay between announcing routine testing for all care home staff and guidance on this being issued.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: This guidance was as a result of changes to the nurse director and public health director role set out in a cabinet secretary letter published on 17 May and this is additional guidance to that already issued to care homes by HPS and Scottish Government and al…
3 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the required standard of PPE has been to protect staff of public bodies in Scotland during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities. Responsibility for purchasing PPE to protect their staff sits with each public body, but they must comply with all relevant legislation and guidance. Therefore, ques…
3 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which companies have supplied PPE to public bodies in Scotland during the COVID-19 outbreak, broken down by the (a) volume, (b) value and (c) origin of the items.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities and are responsible for running their own tendering exercises and for the decisions they take as part of those exercises. Therefore, questions about the volume, value…
3 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what checks it makes of the standard of PPE supplied to public bodies, and whether all PPE provided during the COVID-19 outbreak has been to the required standard.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities and are therefore responsible for running their own tendering exercises and for the decisions they take as part of those exercises. It is their responsibility to ensu…
3 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any PPE supplied to public bodies in Scotland during the COVID-19 outbreak has not met the required standard and, if so, what was done with it.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities, and the responsibility for purchasing PPE and making sure it is fit for purpose lies with each public body. Therefore, questions about the standard of PPE acquired b…
3 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what planning it has done to support businesses and employees to minimise any economic impact in the event of a second wave of COVID-19.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The COVID-19 pandemic has created an economic challenge on an unprecedented scale. The Scottish Government continues to take a holistic and inclusive approach to the mitigation of COVID-19’s economic impacts. We established an independent Advisory Group on E…
31 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has reportedly decided not to replace the role of lead infection control nurse at the Gartnavel campus in Glasgow.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is not normally involved in the direct recruitment of frontline staff within NHS Scotland Boards, however NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are currently escalated to Level 4 meaning that Scottish Government has in place advanced monitorin…
31 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist infection control nurses are currently employed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, broken down by hospital, and how this figure compares with each of the last five years.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold current or past employment information on the number of specialist infection control nurses within individual NHS Boards. The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) website includes information on the Infection Preventio…
28 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30407 by Jeane Freeman on 28 July 2020, how many of the 2,000 staff who might be called on at short notice are (a) have been hired from outwith the NHS and (b) are former NHS employees.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30295 on 26 August 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/parliamentarybusiness…
28 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many COVID-19 contact tracers are employed by each NHS board, also broken down by how many (a) have been hired from outwith the NHS and (b) are former NHS employees.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Prior to the formal launch of the Test and Protect system, we asked all NHS Scotland boards to collectively make available up to 2,000 staff to participate in contact tracing activity. As acknowledged at the time, the resource was provided substantially from …
27 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it is providing to local authorities to ensure that schools take account of the needs of pupils with visual impairment when implementing measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including those related to social distancing.
Answer · John Swinney: I recognise that children and young people with additional support needs, including those with complex needs such as a visual impairment, will require support to return to school. Schools and local authorities are best placed to identify how to meet the indiv…
24 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will issue guidance on the appropriate use and hygiene requirements of face masks.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has released guidance on the appropriate use and hygiene requirements of face covering. You can find a copy of the face coverings guidance on the Scottish Government website here .
24 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not issued advice in response to reports that COVID-19 can infect through the eyes.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: There is some evidence that Covid-19 may cause conjunctivitis. Although this appears to be rare, eye health care professionals have been made aware that this can occur. There may be an increased risk of direct transmission through touching the eyes or tears d…
24 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the population has reported conjunctivitis as a symptom of COVID-19.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Upper respiratory tract infections may result in viral conjunctivitis and this is also the case with COVID-19. A meta-analysis published in April found the overall rate of conjunctivitis in COVID-19 reported cases was 1.1% ranging from 3% in severe cases to 0…
23 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide COVID-19 testing facilities in Dumbarton and Helensburgh; by what date these will be introduced, and what form they will take.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Mobile Testing Units have been made available in Helensburgh on 27 & 28 July and Port Glasgow ( 5.5 miles away from Dumbarton) – 27 July to 2 August. Alternatively, Home test kits are available through the UK Expanded Testing Programme and can be booked via t…