Rhoda Grant

24 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (b) the UK Government regarding continuing to operate services between Wick John O'Groats and (i) Aberdeen and (ii) Edinburgh Airport.

17 Jun 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government who decides what categories of people are shielded from COVID-19 and what level of support they are entitled to.

25 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to supporting the use of battery and hydrogen technology-powered trains on the Far North Line.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to publishing the rail services decarbonisation action plan for Scotland’s railways, this will include its assessment on the use of battery and hydrogen technology powered trains as well as electrification to meet the 2035…

25 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether improvements to double tracking of railway lines north of Perth and serving the Highlands will be undertaken before electrification of lines.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to publishing the rail services decarbonisation action plan for Scotland’s railways, this will include its assessment on the use of battery and hydrogen technology powered trains as well as electrification to meet the 2035…

25 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what actions have been taken since 14 May 2019 to improve capacity for (a) passengers and (b) freight on railways.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Since May 2019, Transport Scotland has worked with the rail industry to increase passenger and freight capacity on Scotland’s railway. These increases have been underpinned by several service enhancements and infrastructure improvements providing passenger b…

25 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the ScotRail franchise operators, Abellio, since 1 January 2020 regarding improvements to the Far North Line.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Network Rail is currently developing a Business Case to support the recommendations of the Far North Line review group. Abellio ScotRail has also been involved in discussions to assess the deliverability and affordability of the options for potential implemen…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to ensure that care homes are resourced properly with both care and cleaning staff.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The national clinical and practice guidance for adult care homes which was first published on 13 March and updated on 26 March and 15 May, recognises the need for additional staffing within care homes to manage the impact of COVID-19. The guidance suggests th…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to allow greater freedoms to older people who have been advised to self-isolate.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: There are people more at risk clinically from Coronavirus, but not such high risk that we ask them to undertake the very difficult job of shielding. This group includes people over 70, women who are pregnant and people who receive the flu jab for medical reas…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what additional staffing will be required in care homes to ensure that residents can access exercise and time away from their rooms while also social distancing.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: My answer to S5W-29119 on 17 June 2020 outlines how national guidance recognises the need for additional staffing within care homes to manage the impacts of COVID-19 and support residents. The guidance also recognises that reduced activity among residents dec…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the policy of only allowing family members from the same household to carry out an end of life visit in situations where there is adequate PPE to protect all close relatives regardless of whether they live together.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Visiting guidance in health and social care settings recognises that visits to those nearing the end of life are deemed essential and as such we would expect those working in clinical settings to accommodate such visits where it is safe to do so. It is import…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its advice on PPE for care homes to offer greater protection to staff and residents.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Guidance on PPE for health and social care workers was last updated on 2 April 2020, having been agreed by the four UK Chief Medical Officers and Chief Nursing Officers following a review of the existing guidance against the latest evidence and World Health O…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has given to care homes on the care of people with dementia who are unable to understand the current lockdown rules.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government recognises that current lockdown measures can have a particular adverse impact on residents with dementia in care homes, for example in the areas of restricted professional and family visiting and social distancing within care homes, a…

11 May 2020 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will follow the STUC’s suggested red lines when easing lockdown restrictions to ensure the safety of workers.

23 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the correspondence that it has received from manufacturers to deliver (a) ventilators, (b) personal protective equipment (PPE) and (c) other items to assist in the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and how many of these offers have been (i) accepted an…

Answer · Ivan McKee: To support NHS National Procurement during the Covid pandemic, a working group has been established under direct Ministerial control. The priority focus of the group is to identify quickly those offers that can supply the largest volumes at the correct qualit…

6 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what protocols it has put in place for care homes in response to the COVID-19 outbreak; what action it is taking to ensure that the homes (a) are providing appropriate palliative care and (b) have sufficient protective equipment, oxygen and other essential supplies, and how it is support…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: There is considerable work underway way nationally and locally to ensure Scotland’s care homes are fully supported to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Scottish Government has set out set out a series of steps to provide direct clinical leadership, repor…

27 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on its legislative programme, when it now expects to introduce the Continuity (Scotland) Bill, and what impact any delay will have on whether the necessary EU exit preparations relating to environmental principles and governance will be co…

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government’s priority is responding to the current global and national crisis. We expect our response to the coronavirus outbreak will be sustained over an extended period. For that reason, careful consideration of a date for introduction of the …

26 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a similar lending facility for larger enterprises to that introduced by the Bank of England, which seeks to help support liquidity among larger firms by bridging COVID-19 disruption to their cash flows through loans.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Covid Corporate Finance Facility (CCFF) was introduced by the UK Government to provide financial assistance to support large businesses experiencing disruption as a result of Covid-19. This scheme is delivered by the Bank of England on behalf of the UK Go…

26 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to measure the uptake of business support schemes offered during the COVID-19 outbreak; whether it will publish this information, and, if so, how often.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government is working closely with COSLA and all local authorities to deliver the business grant schemes. This includes the development of monitoring arrangements to record the numbers of applications received and payments made. We will ensure th…

26 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to encourage companies to apply for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to ensure that Scotland does not see an increase in unnecessary redundancies.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Our Enterprise Agencies are engaging with businesses to ensure they have information about, and understand how to access, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the wider package of support announced from both the Scottish and UK Governments to help employe…

23 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27450 by Michael Matheson on 5 March 2020, how it calculated the 10-minute figure.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Our aspiration is for an average 10 minute journey time improvement on the Highland Mainline delivered through a combination of track enhancement, operational improvements and the delivery and introduction into service of all 26 refurbished High Speed Trains …

18 Mar 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what training it is putting in place to enable additional staff to support the social care sector during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Staff coming into the sector to provide frontline care will get immediate job-based training from employers, in line with the responsibility employers have to ensure staff have the skills and knowledge they need for the role they are being asked to do. The Sc…

17 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of the new aluminium factory in Fort William, including how much financial assistance (a) it and (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise has contributed to the project to date.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: In 2016 the Scottish Government supported the GFG Alliance with their acquisition of the Lochaber aluminium smelter. We underwrote this transaction as part of a clear commitment to Scotland’s industrial infrastructure and rural economy and to inclusive and su…

3 Mar 2020 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the proposed privatisation of the new merged college on Shetland.

26 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the impact on communities of any reduced levels of council services.

24 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its conclusions on the Scottish Natural Heritage and Joint Nature Conservation Committee report, Final advice and recommendations on a network of proposed marine Special Protection Areas, which was published on 6 December 2018.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Following publication of the final advice and recommendations on a network of proposed marine Special Protection Areas by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) the Scottish Government undertook further public consultat…

14 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent flooding of the railway between Kingussie and Aviemore from heavy rain, which affects the operation of LNER and ScotRail services.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has recently invested £57 million in the Highland Mainline to improve services and performance along the length of the route. This includes improvements works at and around Aviemore station. Network Rail Scotland is also working close…

14 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in the Highland mainline in each of the last five years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has invested £57 million on major projects on the Highland Mainline over the last 5 years.  This investment will contribute to our aspiration of a ten minute average journey time reduction between Inverness and the Central Belt. The S…

14 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what studies it has undertaken into the resilience of the Highland mainline.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Network Rail’s performance requirements and funding for its day to day activities are set by the Office of Rail and Road. This is done on a five year cycle called a Control Period, and is based on performance requirements for rail services set by the Scottish…

14 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail regarding the impact of flooding on the Highland mainline.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Office of Rail and Road is responsible for ensuring that Network Rail meets its performance requirements, including resilience. Transport Scotland meets regularly with the Office of Rail and Road and Network Rail to monitor performance and resilience acr…

8 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26535 by Roseanna Cunningham on 9 December 2019, what the estimated expenditure is to complete (a) the Amlaird and Corsehouse strategic mains project from the September 2019 date referred to and (b) phase three of the wider Ayrshire Resilience Schem…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The estimated expenditure to complete the Amlaird and Corsehouse strategic mains project from September 2019 is £0.7m. The estimated expenditure to complete phase three of the wider Ayrshire Resilience Scheme is £69m-£83m.