Parliamentary questions
Pauline McNeill
2,364 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified as having been as a result of transmission in a retail setting.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33020 on 20 November 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/parliamentarybusine…
4 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified as having been as a result of transmission in (a) pubs and (b) restaurants.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33020 on 20 November 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/parliamentarybusine…
4 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified as having been as a result of transmission on public transport.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Contacts are traced from information collected and made available to Test and Protect by Incident Management Teams. This allows Test and Protect to contact those who may have been exposed to the virus in a particular setting, and request them to take appropri…
4 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified among students in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33020 on 20 November 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/parliamentarybusine…
4 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on where transmission of COVID-19 is taking place.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33020 on ? 20 November 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/parliamentarybusi…
4 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified among students in (a) universities and (b) colleges.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33020 on 20 November 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/parliamentarybusine…
4 Nov 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it is taking to protect the eggs of the critically endangered flapper skate, which have recently been found off the northwest coast of Scotland.
2 Nov 2020 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take to prevent a dental health crisis for people living in poverty in the coming months and years.
22 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the £11 million Coronavirus (COVID-19) Restrictions Fund will become available for applications.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: On 27 October, we announced that a portion of the Contingency Fund would be used specifically to support nightclubs and soft play centres in recognition of the financial challenges they are experiencing having been closed since March. Nightclubs and soft play…
12 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether, under the current COVID-19 restrictions, brides and grooms must wear face coverings during wedding ceremonies.
Answer · Ash Denham: The First Minister announced on 15 October that the Scottish Ministers would change the regulations on face coverings to exempt the couple getting married for the duration of their wedding ceremony. This is provided that the couple maintain physical distancin…
7 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the First Minister on 7 October 2020 (Official Report, c. 21), when the £40 million for the hospitality sector will be made available; whether deadlines will be set for businesses to access this, and which types of company will be able to access it.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The First Minister announced on the 21 October an extension to the restrictions imposed on the 9 October, and further additional financial support for the businesses affected by the restrictions. As such, more than £40 million will now be distributed though t…
7 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it will give to extending the smoking ban to include doorways and entrances in (a) public and (b) residential areas.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: It is already an offence to smoke in enclosed entrances and doorways. The Scottish Government is progressing planned legislation on introducing a mandatory smoke-free perimeter around hospital buildings to prevent people from smoking around doorways and ent…
6 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on double-testing patients to allow routine dentistry to resume.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: There is currently no SG policy on testing for patients prior to attending elective outpatient appointments, including dental appointments.
6 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when routine dental care appointments will be able to resume.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32144 on? 23 October 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/parliamentarybusine…
6 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the impact on child dental health of the delay in restarting non-private routine check-ups and procedures.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The resumption of routine dental care for both adult and child patients, including check-ups and preventive care, forms part of the wider programme for the remobilisation of dental services which is itself a component of the wider Route Map devised by the Sco…
5 Oct 2020 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government plans to meet its interim child poverty targets, given that the JRF report published this week says that it is not on course to meet them.
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reach vulnerable people to highlight the support that is available to them in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: In terms of the health portfolio, we have been working with a number organisations to understand the impact of Covid-19 on those at greatest risk of disadvantage, addressing issues as they have emerged and developing and promoting solutions wherever possible.…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the COVID-19 (a) pandemic and (b) restrictions on mental health.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish COVID-19 (SCOVID) Mental Health Tracker Study will provide insight into the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on the mental health of the Scottish population. This is a longitudinal study running from May 2020 to May 2021…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing in response to the reported increased numbers of people reporting mental health problems because of the COVID-19 (a) pandemic and (b) restrictions.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government recognises the additional pressure that the pandemic and restrictions place upon individuals and families and is committed to providing clear, comprehensive and accessible support for mental health. As part of this commitment we have …
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the housing market.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government regularly publishes information on house prices, housing market activity, cost and availability of finance and repossessions. The most recent Scottish Housing Market Review, published on 30 September 2020, includes information about t…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for social housing.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has carried out no formal assessment of the potential impact of Covid-19 on the demand for social housing. The Social Housing Resilience Group a broad membership group, including Scottish Government, has been set up to respond to the C…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the end of the "no evictions" policy.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 provides further protection to people living in the rented sector, during the pandemic, by extending the notice to leave periods that a landlord must provide, for up to six months. You will be aware that this protection was…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to (a) young people and (b) adults who require access to blended learning, and what discussions it has had with the university and college sectors regarding guidance on what constitutes such learning.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are providing significant levels of financial support for young people and adults throughout this unprecedented time. We have provided £5 million across FE and HE student support and early access to £11.4 million of HE Discretionary Funds. The Scottish Fun…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the college sector to deliver relevant, good quality and effective training to people who are retraining to allow them to re-enter the workforce.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: It is essential that every part of Scotland’s employment, education and skills system supports our economic recovery and Scotland’s colleges have a critical role in this. Of the £100 million funding announced to support employment and skills development, £10…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of adult learners who will need to retrain after losing their job because of COVID-19.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: COVID-19 remains a huge challenge to Scotland’s economy and labour market. The latest Scottish Government State of the Economy report for September 2020 published by the Chief Economist estimates that unemployment in Scotland could peak at around 8.2% towards…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it carried out a risk assessment of the potential outcome of permitting universities and colleges to allow students to return to (a) campuses and (b) shared accommodation.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We carefully considered the risks and benefits associated with the start of the new academic year. Our sectoral guidance for colleges, universities and student accommodation providers is clear that institutions and providers should use risk and equality ass…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the hospitality sector regarding the potential number of (a) job losses and (b) failing businesses because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Regular engagement with the industry is ongoing on a number of issues affecting the sector, including the risk of job losses and business failures, which the Scottish Government are doing everything possible to avoid through targeted business support, includi…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the hospitality sector to develop sustainable COVID-19 regulations that will be effective for the duration of the pandemic.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Regular engagement with the industry is ongoing on a number of issues affecting the sector, including additional mitigating measures covered in regulations and ongoing development of guidance to ensure compliance.
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out on the support needed to protect the hospitality industry and the jobs that this supports.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is regularly monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all sectors of the economy, including the hospitality sector, to understand needs for support to maintain viability and how to protect jobs. The Scottish Government’s anal…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the hospitality industry regarding the COVID-19 policy on not allowing music to be played.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Regular engagement with the industry is ongoing on a number of issues affecting the sector at present, including that of the safe management of background sound.