Jackie Baillie

27 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the Water Industry Commission's ethical business principles referred to in the paper, COVID-19 Response and Decision on Measures in Support of Non-household Customers and to protect Household Customers.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Water Industry Commission for Scotland and I have asked them to respond directly.  

27 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether licensed providers are required by the Water Industry Commission as part of their license to abide by its ethical business principles and, if so, whether imposing such a requirement is of itself consistent with these principles in securing the confidence and trust of stakeholders.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Water Industry Commission for Scotland and I have asked them to respond directly.  

26 May 2020 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government will commence its review of care homes.

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a timescale target for local authorities between receiving a Small Business Grant application and providing the business with the grant, if it is approved.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Business Support Grant Scheme is administered by local authorities, and they aim to make payment within 10 working days from receipt of a fully completed application and once all information and evidence in support of an application has been verified. App…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many self-catering units have (a) applied for and (b) received a Small Business Grant, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29285 on 3 June 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…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the growth in unemployment because of the COVID-19 outbreak has had on devolved benefits, and whether it will publish the modelling it is using to reach its position.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The number of applications received, decisions made, payments and expenditure for Best Start Grant and Funeral Support Payment since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak have remained fairly consistent. However as the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the lab…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the data and methodology that it used to underpin the Silver Swan pandemic planning exercise.

Answer · John Swinney: The data used for the exercise was a scenario involving a strain of influenza which affected under 25’s and the modelling was provided by Health Protection Scotland colleagues. The methodology took the form of two table top exercises – one featuring the Heal…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is a reported time delay in obtaining results for COVID-19 tests.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In Scotland, testing is carried out both by NHS Scotland and as part of the UK Government’s drive-through and mobile testing facilities. Through NHS laboratories, our expectation is that test results should normally be communicated back within 24 hours, thou…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will use mobile COVID-19 testing units in every local authority area to help increase the volume of testing.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We have moved to a more proactive method of deployment, so that mobile testing units support testing in priority areas, in particular in care homes and where there is an outbreak situation. Priority will be given to those areas with the greatest need in the f…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Scotland reportedly has the poorest COVID-19 testing rate in the UK.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Data on testing is published on a daily basis by both the Scottish and UK Governments. The only like for like comparison available across the four nations is the Pillar 1 NHS/Public Health England (PHE) lab data. As at 2 June, 1,731,901 tests had been carrie…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, what discussions it has had with (a) STUC and (b) CBI Scotland regarding short-hour working schemes.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We are engaging regularly with the STUC, and business organisations including the CBI to help manage the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on workers and in workplaces. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture wrote to the Chancellor on 26 May h…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase the capacity of the local authority environmental health services to help enforce the regulations following the COVID-19 lockdown period.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29348 on 4 June 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/2…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which universities it has contacted to request help with testing capacity for COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28355 on 25 June 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/2…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the COVID-19 outbreak has had on apprenticeships, including how many have been cancelled.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government is working with Skills Development Scotland and other stakeholders to address the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19. This includes support for Apprentices, Training Providers and Employers affected. Skills Development Scotland have publ…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered following the approach in Wuhan, China, which is to test the entire population for COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government's testing strategy has from the outset been informed by the best available evidence for Scotland as advised by senior clinicians and public health experts. The First Minister announced on 18 May 2020 that the eligibility for testing wa…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether contact tracing formed any part of previous pandemic planning reports and, if so, which.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The use of contact tracing in a pandemic situation is addressed in the UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213717/dh_131040.pdf

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many older people in sheltered housing have died from COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not held centrally. It may be available on request from local authorities.  

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what regional economic impact assessment it has made of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: COVID-19 is the biggest challenge we have faced in our lifetime and the measures we are taking to deal with it reflect its magnitude. This is first and foremost a public health crisis and that is our primary focus. However, the health responses required and …

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government where COVID-19 testing is being carried out.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: There are 6 drive-through testing centres in Scotland as part of the UK Government’s Expanded Testing Programme. These are located at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen airports, the Highlands and Islands University campus’ in Inverness and Perth, and Prestwick…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will enforce the regulations regarding returning to work following the COVID-19 lockdown period.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Enforcement of the Health Protection (Coronavirus)(Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (“the Coronavirus Regulations”) is the responsibility of local authorities and Police Scotland. We are working closely with them and the Health and Safety Executive (…

26 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which laboratories are being used to analyse COVID-19 test results.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Board Laboratories - We have NHS labs operating in all 14 health board areas: Together, these have a maximum normal lab capacity for more than 10,000 tests a day. Supporting Laboratories - Our testing capacity is supported the Scottish National Blood Tra…

25 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people who were confirmed as having COVID-19 attended the Rangers versus Leverkusen football match on 12 March 2020.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We do not hold information as to which individuals attended the match.  

21 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications it has received in respect of the Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Business Grant Scheme, broken down by industry sector, and also by first and subsequent properties.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Property-level data on applications for the business support grants, as well as applications by phase or sector, is not held centrally. The Scottish Government collects aggregate data on a weekly basis. The number of applications received, as well as the num…

21 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grant Scheme have been rejected, broken down by industry sector.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Property-level data on rejections of applications for the business support grants, as well as rejections of applications by phase or sector, is not held centrally. Available data is published weekly at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-…

21 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties are eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grant Scheme, broken down by industry sector.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: To be eligible for the Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure business support grants, properties need to have a rateable value greater than £18,000, and up to and including £51,000, and belong to one of the qualifying property types on the Scottish Assessors’ Valu…

20 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times “written authority” has been sought by accountable officers in the Scottish Government since 2007, as set out in section 6.7 of the Scottish Ministerial Code, and what the reason for each instruction was.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Principal Accountable Officer for the Scottish Administration (the Permanent Secretary) and Accountable Officers designated by them for parts of the Scottish Administration are under a statutory duty to obtain written authority from the relevant Minister …

20 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with learning disabilities or other support needs have died from COVID-19-related conditions in care homes, and how many of these are for groups other than older people or people with dementia.

Answer · Clare Haughey: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28973 on 19 May 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…

20 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many care homes for groups other than older people or people with dementia have had notifiable outbreaks of COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: All care homes in Scotland are registered with the Care Inspectorate and these providers are required to notify the Care Inspectorate of a suspected or known outbreak of infection. This includes each individual case of COVID-19. The Care Inspectorate shares d…

20 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many tests for COVID-19 have been carried out on people with (a) learning disabilities and (b) other support needs who are resident in care homes.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The COVID-19 data and trend charts for Scotland are published daily and provide a range of information, including the number of care homes notifying cases of COVID-19 and the number of suspected cases of COVID-19 in care homes. The data also includes the dail…

20 May 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide testing facilities in the areas with the highest incidence of COVID-19.