Jackie Baillie

20 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who is paying £200,000 for KPMG to report on the completion of vessels 801 and 802 at Ferguson Marine.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: KPMG are not being paid to report on the completion of vessels 801 and 802 at Ferguson Marine.  

20 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason papers published on its website under FOI, which were given to the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints, had to be removed; whether this was because further information required to be redacted, and what confidence people can have in the i…

Answer · John Swinney: The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has corresponded with the Convener of the Harassment Committee on this matter on 17 and 24 July 2020. That correspondence has been published by the Committee and is available at: https://www.parliament.scot/…

20 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers were aware of the release of papers under FOI that were given to the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints, and if so, which ministers were consulted and who approved the release.

Answer · John Swinney: I was aware, and approved the release under FoI, of papers that were given to the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints, consistent with legal obligations.  

17 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its target is for paying all bills, and what its performance is against this target in each of the last five years.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government’s target for paying all bills is 10 working days from date of receipt. Please find the requested information in the following table.   Financial Year Percentage of undisputed invoices paid within 10 days 2015-16 98.4% 2016-17 9…

17 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has advised GPs not to issue letters to people who are exempt from the requirement to wear face masks in shops, public transport and spaces were social distancing is impossible as proof of their exemption and, if so, for what reason.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has written to all GPs in Scotland to advise them that they are not required to issue people who are exempt from the requirement to wear face coverings in shops, public transport and spaces where physical distancing is impossible with …

16 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards have plans in place to restart musculoskeletal conditions services.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30767 on 11 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…

16 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to NHS boards to restart musculoskeletal condition services and all surgeries.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Throughout our response to the pandemic, where an urgent clinical need has existed Essential Musculoskeletal services, which includes first contact practitioners, have continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic using telephone, Near me and in person if requir…

16 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor, report on and ensure that NHS board remobilisation plans, including services used by people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, are restarted in a timely and safe manner.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30767 on 11 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…

16 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the recommendations in its 2018 report, Coming Home: A Report on Out-of-Area Placements and Delayed Discharge for People with Learning Disabilities and Complex Needs, and, in particular, what action it has taken on the establishment of a short-life working …

Answer · Clare Haughey: In June 2020 the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and the CoSLA Spokesperson for Health and Social Care established a short life working group (SLWG) to address the issue of long term delayed discharge for people with complex care needs as a result of t…

16 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement by the UK Department for Health and Social Care on 16 July 2020 that it will invest £62 million in a programme to support people with learning disabilities and autism to get out of institutional care and into the community of their choice to live independentl…

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government has made it clear that people with learning disabilities and autism must be able to live independent in the community of their choosing. It is inappropriate for anyone with a learning disability and/or autism to remain in hospital when…

16 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people who have a learning disability have been issued with a Do Not Resucitate (DNR) order since 1 March 2020, also broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not centrally collect information or data relating to the use of Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) forms. As with all other clinical treatments, decisions about CPR should be based on the individual clinical c…

16 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the recommendation in its 2018 report, Coming Home: A Report on Out-of-Area Placements and Delayed Discharge for People with Learning Disabilities and Complex Needs, with respect to supporting people to move out of institutional settings and into the commun…

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers and continues to work closely with Dr Anne MacDonald on taking forward the recommendations of her Report Coming Home: A Report on Out-o…

14 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29442 by Jeane Freeman on 10 July 2020, when it expects the SPIM and SAGE groups' findings to be published in relation to the R number.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The R number is calculated for Scotland as a whole, and it is not possible to calculate this number for specific settings such as care homes. The SPI-M best estimate for the R number in Scotland is released in their consensus statements, which are available h…

14 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29039 by Jeane Freeman on 2 July 2020, when it expects Public Health Scotland to publish this data.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Public Health Scotland advise that this data is not available retrospectively as requested. Public Health Scotland has started development work to link the delayed discharge and testing datasets, which will provide this information from March 2020 onwards, fo…

13 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to replicate the Green Homes Grant scheme.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government already has a long-standing and comprehensive programme of support for the heat and energy efficiency of buildings. Since 2009, the Scottish Government has provided over £1bn in funding for a comprehensive programme to improve the ene…

8 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether non-medical hospital staff, including porters, cleaners and receptionists, are included in the regular COVID-19 testing of NHS workers.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: On 23 June, the Health Secretary announced that we are broadening testing of health care workers and now, all staff connected to a nosocomial outbreak will be tested regardless of if they have symptoms. In addition, from 08 July, we will also test, on a week…

8 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether non-nursing care home staff, including cooks, cleaners and receptionists, are included in the regular COVID-19 testing of social care workers.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As announced by the Cabinet Secretary on 18th May, from 25th May all care home staff, including non-nursing staff, have been offered weekly testing regardless of whether the care home in which they work has a COVID-19 case.

7 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many nurses working in the NHS are employed by agencies; how many of these have been tested for COVID-19, and how regularly these tests are carried out.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold information centrally on the number of nurses working in the NHS who are employed by agencies. I announced on 23 June that health care workers will now be routinely tested where the evidence tells us that it is appropria…

7 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many agency care workers are employed in the care sector; how many of these have been tested for COVID-19, and how regularly these tests are carried out.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Scottish Government does not hold information on how many agency workers are employed in the care sector, which as the member knows is delivered by a mix of private, independent and local authority providers. Guidance has been developed to ensure that all st…

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects outdoor contact sports, including football, to be able to resume for people aged 18 and over.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government and sport scotland are committed to working with stakeholders, including the Scottish FA, to undertake the necessary planning and risk assessments so football – and other sports – can resume for people aged 18 and over in a healthy and…

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it is providing to local authorities, community groups and commercial operators about the resumption of outdoor contact sports.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government and sportscotland have been working with stakeholders, including Scottish Sporting Governing Bodies, local authorities and leisure trusts, to develop appropriate sectoral guidance for the resumption of organised outdoor contact sport. …

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any physical distancing and additional hygiene measures being introduced to allow the safe resumption of recreational football for adults.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government and sport scotland are committed to working with stakeholders, including the Scottish FA, to undertake the necessary planning and risk assessments so football - and other sports – can return for all ages in a healthy and safe way and i…

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30032 by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 July 2020, what the key meetings referred to are and whose minutes have been published.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30032 on 2 July 2020. Key papers and minutes are available on the Commission’s website at https://www.watercommission.co.uk/view_Publications_Main.aspx . All answers to written parliamentary questions are a…

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30018 by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 July 2020, and notwithstanding that it is not required to formally or informally indicate a view on whether or not it was content with the publication of the decision paper, whether it did so nonetheless.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government was sent a copy of the decision paper prior to publication and noted its contents.

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30026 by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 July 2020 , whether ministerial objectives for the current period of investment were intended to provide for meeting the economic costs of providing the service during this period.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Ministerial Objectives set the strategic priorities for the regulatory period and require Scottish Water to maintain, and where possible improve, levels of service to customers. Scottish Water identifies the level of expenditure and investment required to ach…

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any independent appraisal of the processes of the Strategic Review of Charges 2021 to 2027, conducted by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, is being undertaken.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In 2018 the Scottish Government participated in the OECD pilot project to identify best practice for each of the OECD Water Governance Principles, and to develop water governance indicators to assess progress. The results of this project were published in “Im…

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30017 by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 July 2020, how much of the £730 million was to be financed by government borrowing.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: As set out in the Scottish Budget for 2020-21, the Scottish Government has made provision to lend £215 million in this financial year.

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29241 by Jeane Freeman on 2 July 2020, how many adults who have learning disabilities and live in residential care have been tested for COVID-19, also broken down by local authority.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The information is not centrally held. Testing for COVID-19 in Scotland is available through the NHS in Scotland to all Health and Social care staff delivering NHS services and providing social care to protect and care for the most vulnerable. Further inform…

3 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what emotional and wellbeing support is being offered to family carers who have had additional caring responsibilities and no respite opportunities throughout lockdown.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government understands that many carers are under additional pressure at present. Together with COSLA, I wrote to local authorities and Integration Joint Boards in April encouraging them to prioritise additional carer support in their local plans…

3 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how children with additional support needs will be supported to return to face-to-face education in August 2020, and how lost learning will be recovered for these children in the recovery period.

Answer · John Swinney: One of our key priorities is to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs, continue to be fully supported with their learning as we begin to transition back to a greater level of face-to-face education. The needs of individual child…