Patrick Harvie

22 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support older and vulnerable people in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland who are required to travel to receive their flu vaccination, in order to minimise the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Responsibility for delivering the Seasonal Flu Vaccine in 2020/21 rests with Health Boards and Integration Authorities. NHS Scotland Boards will use the delivery model which is most suitable for their local circumstances, whilst maintaining a COVID-19 safe en…

22 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports by trade union representatives and hospital staff in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area that (a) surgical Type 2 face masks and (b) Type 11R masks have been issued, despite evidence having been published, which is understood to indicate that these do n…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In Scotland, we use Fluid Resistant Surgical Masks (FRSM), also known as Type IIR masks, which are different from Type II masks in that they are fluid resistant and therefore provide protection for the staff member as well as 98% source control. Their use is …

22 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the existing support provided to night-time entertainment venues is likely to be sufficient in preventing (a) venue closures and (b) job losses, given that, unlike other hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs, they will be unable to re-open…

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We have developed a specific package of funding which provides grants of up to £50,000 for nightclubs. Nightclubs will also be eligible for funding through the business support arrangements that we have introduced to accompany restrictions introduced under th…

22 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that teachers and school staff in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland who have been eligible for a flu vaccination via their school in previous years will receive a flu vaccination this year, given the announcement by Glasgow City Council’s HR department that, due to COVI…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Teachers and school staff have received the flu vaccine in previous years as a result of arrangements with local authorities. This is a decision for local authorities to make. This year the Scottish Government has expanded the eligibility of the seasonal flu…

22 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support night-time entertainment venues that are unlikely to be able to operate for a considerable amount of time owing to COVID-19 restrictions.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Recognising the difficult situation that many nightclubs have faced in being closed since March, we announced on 27 October that we had allocated a portion of the £11 million Contingency Fund specifically to supporting businesses in this sector. Grants of up …

22 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support workers employed in night-time industries, given reports by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) that 83% expect to make redundancies following the end of the Job Retention Scheme.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We have continually made calls to the UK Government to extend the Job Retention Scheme and welcome its most recent extension to the end of March. This will be invaluable, particularly as some sectors, such as the tourism sector, work on a seasonal basis and a…

22 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support musicians in Scotland who will be required by the EU to pay for a visa to travel to EU countries after the UK leaves the EU.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has consistently opposed the ending of free movement. We support free movement not only for economic reasons but also for the cultural and creative enrichment that it brings. Freedom of movement has allowed musicians to take their work…

7 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether physical distancing is possible in all schools that are operating at full capacity.

Answer · John Swinney: Implementation of the agreed school reopening guidance is the responsibility of local authorities and schools, working closely with their school communities. As a precautionary approach, our guidance recommends that distancing is maintained where possible be…

7 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether teachers have adequate time to provide pupils who are self-isolating with consistent support and materials as well as fulfilling their obligations to other pupils who are in school.

Answer · John Swinney: Schools are responsible for providing learning for children who have to self-isolate at home due to COVID-19 symptoms. This is set out in the Scottish Government’s guidance for schools. This is the best approach as practitioners know their learners best, and …

7 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the guidance for schools that currently states that teachers who were previously shielding should attend work in the classroom.

Answer · John Swinney: The guidance which was prepared to support the return to school, includes advice for those who are considered to be clinically vulnerable and extremely clinically vulnerable (shielding). In line with the position on shielding, the guidance indicates that thos…

7 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether teachers who were previously shielding should be working in classrooms in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland, in light of Glasgow City Council's Executive Director of Education writing to schools to highlight an “extraordinary number of cases where teachers have…

Answer · John Swinney: The guidance which was prepared to support the return to school, includes advice for those who are considered to be clinically vulnerable and extremely clinically vulnerable (shielding). In line with the position on shielding, the guidance indicates that thos…

7 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason some teachers and school staff who were previously shielding are reportedly being permitted to work outside of a classroom environment in some local authorities while in others they are being required to work in the classroom.

Answer · John Swinney: The guidance which was prepared to support the return to school, includes advice for those who are considered to be clinically vulnerable and extremely clinically vulnerable (shielding). In line with the position on shielding, the guidance indicates that thos…

1 Oct 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

21 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the provisions in the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act 2020, whether students who are seeking to cancel their student accommodation contracts prematurely are required to provide their accommodation provider with documentation that proves that their course has fully moved onli…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Coronavirus (Scotland)(No.2) Act 2020 introduced notice to leave periods for students residing in halls of residence and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). The Act states that a tenant may, for a reason relating to coronavirus, bring to an end a …

17 Sep 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

7 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is no scope for applicants to the Advance Payments Scheme, for people who experienced abuse in care in Scotland before December 2004, to appeal their eligibility based on personal circumstances if they are under 68 years old or do not have a terminal illness.

Answer · John Swinney: The purpose of the Advance Payment scheme is to provide acknowledgment and redress for those who may not live long enough to apply to the statutory redress scheme. For this reason the eligibility criteria is limited to those who are 68 or over or who have a t…

7 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the cut-off age for the Advanced Payments Scheme for people who experienced abuse in care in Scotland before December 2004 is set at 68 and does not instead follow the age of state pension entitlement.

Answer · John Swinney: A review of the Advance Payments Scheme was published in December 2019 and concluded that the age threshold for eligibility to the Scheme should be reduced from age 70 and over to age 68 and over. This reduction was considered consistent with the purpose of t…

7 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on discussions with the licensed trade sector regarding the development of more nuanced guidance for music in restaurants and hospitality settings.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: As announced by the First Minister on 14 August the current position of no background sound, including music, in hospitality is being kept under review. This work is currently being taken forward by an expert group comprising government, industry experts and …

3 Sep 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

27 Aug 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

17 Aug 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

6 Aug 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

11 Jun 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

28 May 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

19 May 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the concerns of the Equality and Human Rights Commission that the SQA’s proposals for grading this year’s qualifications may not be compliant with the Equality Act.

14 May 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

4 May 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

20 Apr 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

12 Mar 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

4 Mar 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with small brewers and specialist retailers regarding its plans for a deposit return scheme.