Parliamentary questions
Pauline McNeill
2,364 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what public information action it plans to provide to ensure that people understand the benefits of vaccination and to avoid confusion and false information, in light of any changes to the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: We continue to develop our COVID-19 vaccination communication strategy and marketing campaign. To date the following groups have been targeted, in order, through communications:those aged over 80 – through targeted letterscare home staff and residents and he…
17 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the gap between the availability of mental health services and the demand for them.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has not conducted a national gap analysis across all mental health services. However, within our programme of enhanced improvement support to seven Boards, we have undertaken demand and capacity modelling to inform local improvement pl…
17 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support parents and carers to avoid using their car to travel to and from school.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government is committed to a long term vision for active travel that encourages walking, cycling, public transport and car sharing in preference to single occupancy car use for movement of people, and encourages efficient and sustainable freight.…
17 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to reduce air pollution.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government's new air quality strategy 'Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 - Towards a Better Place for Everyone' will be published later in 2021. The strategy will set out a series of actions to deliver further air pollution reductions over the next five…
16 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding introducing COVID-19 vaccines other than those that are currently in use, and with whom.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government stays up-to-date on all national and international developments regarding COVID-19, and are continuing discussions on a 4 Nations basis regarding development and possible use of new COVID-19 vaccines. The approval of medicines is a re…
16 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what public information it has published regarding how to take an accurate COVID-19 lateral flow test, and whether it has any concerns that some people are not following the correct procedure.
Answer · Maree Todd: Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests are approved for use by the MHRA, the UK's regulator of medicines and medical devices, responsible for ensuring their safety, quality and effectiveness. LFDs are all packaged with Instructions for Use, which are required by the…
16 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding whether the NHS document that serves as proof of a person's COVID-19 vaccination status will be accepted internationally.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6T-00019 on 26 May 2021. The answer is available on the Parliament's website at: Official Report - Parliamentary Business : Scottish Parliament
16 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the efficacy is of each of the COVID-19 vaccines that are in use in Scotland, broken down by (a) first and (b) second dose.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Due to the presence of new and emerging COVID-19 variants of concern, vaccine efficacy is continuously monitored and assessed. Public Health England (PHE) monitors the efficacy of COVID 19 vaccinations currently approved for use in the UK. On 14 June PHE pub…
15 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the support that businesses will need in the next 6 to 12 months, should physical interactions move towards pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Answer · Kate Forbes: As we continue to move out of lockdown, with the safety of Scotland’s workforce a priority, we are also focused on supporting the recovery of Scotland’s businesses. We are in close and regular dialogue with business leaders on a range of priority issues, inc…
15 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role (a) testing, and (b) vaccine status is going to play in the ongoing response to COVID-19, following the completed roll-out of the vaccination programme.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Test and Protect will change as the population becomes more protected by vaccination, but will still play a role in mitigating clusters and outbreaks where they arise, slowing infection spread and protecting populations at risk. Contact tracing and testing o…
15 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove all COVID-19 restrictions following the completed roll-out of the vaccination programme, or whether it will pursue a "COVID-Zero" policy.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Reflecting on the success of the vaccination programme, our revised strategic intent is to work “to suppress the virus to a level consistent with alleviating its harms while we recover and rebuild for a better future.” Deciding when to remove COVID-19 restric…
7 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it chose not to follow the procedures used in the rest of the UK for recent large test events when planning for similar events, such as those that will take place during Euro 2020.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Scotland is not part of the UK Government’s Events Research Programme and our events therefore do not fall within its remit or procedures. We have, however, engaged with the UK Government throughout the Programme and we await the final report of Phase 1 and w…
7 Jun 2021 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to increase Police Scotland's capacity to tackle online crime, in light of reports of a 6% year-on-year increase in online child sex abuse crimes.
4 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has held regarding the possible introduction of the insecticide, imidacloprid, on fish farms, and what less toxic treatments have been considered as an alternative.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Government, along with the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), met with Benchmark in 2019 and 2020 to describe the regulatory requirements for any proposal which may come forward to use or release im…
2 Jun 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve Glasgow’s public transport connectivity.
27 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what charges will be removed from dental services, and when they will be removed.
Answer · Maree Todd: The removal of all dental charges for NHS dental treatment is a Scottish Government manifesto commitment and will take place in the lifetime of this parliament. As part of the 100 Days Commitment the Scottish Government, young people with care experience are…
27 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on potentially losing NHS dentists to the private sector.
Answer · Maree Todd: There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) under this Government. As at March 2021 the number of GDPs in Scotland was 3,039 compared to 2,186 in 2007, an increase of 39%. This means that there are 55.7 dentis…
27 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it costs to train a student in dentistry.
Answer · Maree Todd: The cost for training a student in dentistry is comprised of a number of components, including costs for university training, clinical outreach, and vocational training. The university costs for Scottish-domiciled undergraduates are approximately £32,641 for …
27 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out regarding whether NHS dentistry patients have been placed at a disadvantage compared with those receiving private treatment because of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government has worked closely with NHS Boards and dental practices to ensure that patients receive the best possible NHS care subject to the constraints placed upon the sector during the period of the Covid pandemic. At the start of the pandemic…
27 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS dental practices have a limit of 10 appointments each day.
Answer · Maree Todd: Dental practices are allowed to see as many patients as they safely can whilst ensuring that they adhere to current Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidance. The number of patients that a dental practice will see each day is based upon a risk assessmen…
27 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact repeating a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had on dentistry students.
Answer · Maree Todd: The need for enhanced infection prevention and control measures to reduce the transmission of coronavirus in a dental setting has had a serious impact on the level of clinical training that students have been able to undertake during the 2020-21 academic year…
26 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove all remaining exemptions to Unsuitable Accommodation Orders at the end of June 2021.
Answer · Shona Robison: Legislation was laid on 27 May 2021 to extend the temporary exceptions of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order for a further three months until 30 September 2021. Our priority is to keep people safe so we are extending these measures while the path of the pand…
25 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what is done with vaccine supplies that are unused due to non-attendance at appointments.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The current wastage of vaccines remains very low in Scotland, across Health Boards. Health Boards currently over appoint to buffer any DNA’s (Did Not Attends) and they also administer opportunistic and drops-in vaccinations depending on their local circumsta…
25 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people did not attend their vaccine appointment in the last 10 weeks, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) age group.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Public Health Scotland plans to publish these data by the end of June 2021, in relation to people who did not attend appointments. The data will be available from Public Health Scotland on the above date.
25 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date the second round of the Cultural Organisations and Venue Recovery Fund (COVRF 2), which was announced in March 2021, will be open for applications; when the £40 million allocated to it will be distributed, and what support it will offer to companies and venues that have expe…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is continuing to work with Creative Scotland to ensure that further rounds of the Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund and the Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund can launch as soon as possible and that awards are made swiftly…
25 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of evidence from the Events Research Programme, which suggests that there is a relatively low risk of COVID-19 infection from outdoor events, including live music events, what plans it has to bring to an end physical distancing in live music settings, creating parity with Engla…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government has engaged with the UK Government throughout the Events Research Programme. We await the final report of Phase 1 of the Programme and will consider the evidence contained in it to help inform our route ahead, including for live music …
25 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the ventilation in night-clubs in response to the risk of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and to what extent the findings of this assessment supports the reported comment by the National Clinical Director that these venues are "dingy, poorly-ventil…
Answer · Ivan McKee: We have considered the transmission risk associated with close contact and the mixing of individuals in such environments, including engagement between clinicians and nightclub owners and a visit to see the sector in operation. We do not underestimate the se…
25 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the impact that (a) social-distancing and (b) COVID-19 lockdowns have had on jobs in the (i) night-time economy and (ii) (A) pub and (B) restaurant sectors.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government published all its data online. The most recent impact assessment was published at the end of April and can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/193/resources . We also work closely with business organisations to ga…
25 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with business leaders operating in the (a) night-time economy and (b) (i) pub and (ii) restaurant sectors regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Over the past year the Scottish Government has worked closely with businesses and sectoral organisations such as the Scottish Tourism Alliance, UK Hospitality, Scottish Licensed Trade Association, Scottish Beer & Pub Association, Night Time Industries Associa…
25 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the format of funding that might be provided to support any extra costs of touring that Scotland-based musicians might face because of Brexit.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with UK Government departments, including the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), regarding support for touring musicians and others working in the sector, who are based in Scotland and…