Parliamentary questions

Lewis Macdonald

2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

26 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether directly-provided primary care services are of equal value to contractor practices, or whether its guidance is that such services should be provided by independent contractors whenever possible

Answer · Jeane Freeman: While the majority of general practice is intended to be delivered through the independent contractor model, the Scottish Government recognises there is an important, continuing role for non-contractor GPs in a wide range of circumstances. Directly run GP pr…

26 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific financial support it provides to integration authorities that provide direct services in primary care.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not provide specific financial support to Integration Authorities which provide direct services in primary care such as GP practices run under 2C arrangements. Directly run GP practices attract the same share of funding from gene…

19 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) representatives of the oil and gas industry and (b) the UK Government regarding the recovery of energy industry employment in North East Scotland after the COVID-19 crisis.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government has regular engagement with the energy sector, Oil and Gas UK, the Oil and Gas Authority and UK (BEIS) Ministers and officials on the industry’s challenge in response to COVID-19 and the longer term issues facing the sector and its sup…

19 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to address a reported sharp rise in job losses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, which recorded 6,400 and 1,800 Partnership Action for Continuing Employment redundancy notifications respectively between March and September 2020.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The figures quoted represent individuals who have received information from their employers on support available through our Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, PACE initiative. We have set-up PACE and other business support schemes such as Business…

19 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the November 2020 report by the Aberdeen Economic Policy Panel, which found that Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire accounted for 45% of all Partnership Action for Continuing Employment redundancy notifications in Scotland between March and September 2020.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: These figures do not represent actual redundancies. The figures instead represent individuals who have received information from their employers on support available through our Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, PACE initiative. From 1 April 2020…

18 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to allocate the Barnett consequentials arising from the £270 million Green Heat Networks Fund towards renewable heat networks.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I understand that the Scottish Government will receive a consequential budget allocation arising from the UK Government's announcement of the Green Heat Network Fund. This funding will administered by the Scottish Government to support heat networks in Scotla…

11 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what conditions have been given to local authorities regarding the minimum length of time Spaces for People temporary measures must be kept in place before being evaluated or removed.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government introduced the Spaces for People programme with the key aim to protect public health during the Covid-19 emergency. Local schemes are the responsibility of individual local authorities. It is therefore for local authorities to determi…

9 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring and evaluation there will be of Spaces for People measures in each local authority that has received funding from the programme.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government introduced the Spaces for People programme with the key aim to protect public health during the Covid-19 emergency. Local schemes are the responsibility of individual local authorities. Sustrans Scotland, who administer the Spaces for…

5 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity in the Transport Scotland news release of 30 October 2020, A96 design work update, that "In addition to the junction design changes, we have also carried out further work, which has confirmed …

Answer · Michael Matheson: Following extensive feedback received during engagement with local communities, a supplementary study investigating varying standards of online dualling through Inverurie has been undertaken to determine relative impacts and performance against the scheme obj…

28 Oct 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to raise public awareness of its plans to introduce new fire and smoke alarm standards.

23 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the decision by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) to delay the publication of the full Notice of Decision in relation to decisions to impose a sanction on a worker’s registration was consistent with the requirements of the SSSC Fitness to Practic…

Answer · Maree Todd: SSSC have continued to publish information about the Registrant’s name, part of the Register, sanction outcome, and date when the order comes into effect. In doing so, they have continued to comply with their legal requirement to provide access to the Registe…

23 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was consulted by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) prior to its decision by the Council to delay publication of the full Notice of Decision in relation to decisions to impose a sanction on a worker’s registration, and whether it was consulted prior to SSSC’s decision…

Answer · Maree Todd: This is an operational matter. The SSSC as an independent professional regulator is responsible for any decisions on changes to operational delivery. The Scottish Government was informed by SSSC in March of the decision to delay publication of the full Notic…

20 Oct 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives have been brought forward by industry bodies in support of offshore energy training and skills.

20 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a plan outlining how it aims to achieve a gradual return of spectators to football matches.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32689 on 16 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…

20 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) staffing and (b) budget resources it has allocated to evaluating and taking forward pilot events allowing the gradual return of spectators to football matches.

20 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its decision not to authorise a pilot event allowing spectators to attend the football match at Aberdeen FC on 25 October 2020 was based on its evaluation of the previous fixtures on 12 September 2020 and, if not, on what basis the request from Aberdeen FC to allow supporters to …

20 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its evaluation of the pilot events allowing spectators to attend the football matches at Aberdeen and Ross County on 12 September 2020.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Detailed evaluations of the pilot football matches were produced by both clubs which were shared with the Scottish Government. We are continuing to working in partnership with the football authorities, clubs and other key partners to learn from those pilots …

14 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it uses track and trace technology to identify how many people are moving from areas with greater COVID-19 restrictions to those with fewer and, if not, whether it is considering doing so.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The NHS Protect Scotland App has not been designed to track the user’s location and/or who they have been with. Backwards contact tracing is regularly undertaken by Test and Protect’s contact tracers, which asks people who have tested positive where they may …

5 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to re-evaluate Transport Scotland’s route design proposals for a new dual carriageway to replace the existing A96 between Huntly and Kintore, in light of the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland's recommendation that it should develop “an investment hierarchy for Scotl…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The draft Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 sets out our long term vision of infrastructure supporting an inclusive, net zero carbon economy in Scotland. The Plan responds to the Infrastructure Commission’s Phase One recomm…

5 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessments it has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned on the impact of care home deaths in Scotland, and whether it will publish each of these.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government published an evidence paper to accompany the Adult Social Care Winter Preparedness Plan 2020-21 on 3 November 2020 which included analysis of outbreaks and deaths associated with Covid-19 in Scottish care homes. This brings together ke…

5 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths of care homes residents where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate have been recorded for each (a) local authority area and (b) care home provider.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The National Records of Scotland (NRS) publishes monthly statistics on deaths registered in Scotland where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate. NRS has published these statistics broken down by local authority and location on 16 September 2020. Th…

17 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many COVID-19 cases have been identified as part of a cluster related to licensed premises in Aberdeen in August 2020 and Lothian in September; what action it took to deal with the impact of each cluster; whether it considers that this action was proportionate and, if so, what the re…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Aberdeen: 263 cases were associated with the Aberdeen City Cluster between 26 th July and 1 st September. This figure relates to cases with links to hospitality venues in Aberdeen City and not just licensed venues. The action taken to respond to these cluste…

11 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that people with phones that are incompatible with the Test and Protect app will be able to access the technology.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31769 on 21 September 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…

9 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of businesses in Aberdeen that (a) were forced to close as a result of targeted local restrictions in August 2020 and (b) have been able to benefit from the support funding previously announced, and what it plans to do to support the businesses t…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: On 19 August 2020 we announced funding of £1 million to provide grants of £1,000 and £1,500 to businesses that were required to close as a result of targeted local restrictions in Aberdeen. This included £100,000 of discretionary support for sectors not requi…

9 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement that the UK Government will provide grants of £1,500 to larger businesses, and £1,000 to other businesses, in England for each three-week period that they are forced to close as a result of local lockdowns or targeted restrictions, whether it will match this…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government provided £1m of funding through Aberdeen City Council to provide grants of £1,000 and £1,500 to businesses required to close as a result of the local restrictions in Aberdeen over the period 5 August to 26 August 2020. We will consider…

7 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30555 by Joe FitzPatrick on 30 July 2020, when it now expects to publish the Draft Framework for Recovery and Rehabilitation for people recovering from COVID-19 and to build resilience in the population against future pandemics.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We published the Framework for supporting people through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic on 13 August 2020 and it is available to read on the Scottish Government’s website. https://www.gov.scot/publications/framework-suppor…

7 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of COVID-19 on people living with blood cancers being able to make informed choices regarding their long-term care and treatment.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Teams of clinicians all across Scotland provided clinical input to the Scottish Government’s response to COVID-19. Haematologists have been advising the Scottish Government continuously throughout the response to COVID-19. We have been very cautious in issui…

7 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that haematologists are adequately represented in the assessment of new medicines.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The licensing of new medicines is reserved to the UK Government, and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Decisions around which medicines are made routinely available on the NHS in Scotland are made independently…

7 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what capital projects for cancer services are being developed, broken down by expected completion date.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Grampian : The ANCHOR Centre - brings all Haematology, Oncology and Radiotherapy Day and Outpatient services under one roof. There will also be a dedicated lounge for teenage and young adult patients, an Aseptic Pharmacy for the production of chemotherapy…

7 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been diagnosed with blood cancers in each month since March 2020, and how this compares with the same period in 2019.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: A monthly breakdown of cancers diagnosed in Scotland are not held by The Scottish Government. This data is collected by The Scottish Cancer Registry and published annually by Public Health Scotland. Latest cancer incidence rates were published on 28 April 20…