Parliamentary questions
Alison Johnstone
905 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure equality of access to home learning across the country.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is investing £25m to support digital inclusion amongst disadvantaged children and young people across Scotland so that they can stay connected to their learning, their teachers and their peers if they are unable to physically attend sc…
28 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to provide internet access to pupils who need to learn from home due to COVID-19 but who do not have a home broadband connection.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is investing £25m to support digital inclusion amongst school-aged learners across Scotland. This includes the provision of internet connectivity solutions, which are primarily being delivered through mobile broadband MiFi Units and as…
28 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to expand home learning provision for pupils who cannot attend school due to COVID-19.
Answer · John Swinney: Responsibility for arranging learning for children who have to self-isolate or quarantine rests with the child’s school and the relevant local authority. To enhance the options available to schools, Scottish Government and Education Scotland are working with…
28 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to provide online learning resources for schools and teachers to support pupils who need to learn from home due to COVID-19.
Answer · John Swinney: As indicated in the answer to question S5W-32879 on 9 November 2020, responsibility for arranging learning for children who have to self-isolate or quarantine rests with the child’s school and the relevant local authority. To enhance the options available to…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has condemned the reported attacks on LGBT+ people and LGBT+ activists in Poland.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is strongly committed to advancing equality for LGBTI people and we are deeply concerned about reports of attacks on LGBTI people or activists in Poland. We condemn any such attacks in the strongest terms and we are particularly concer…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met a representative of the Polish Government, and whether the reported poor treatment of LGBT+ people and LGBT+ activists in Poland was raised.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The last bilateral engagement with a representative of the Polish Government was on 4 February 2020. Fiona Hyslop, then Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, met with Arkady Rzegocki, Polish Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The meeting…
22 Oct 2020 · First Minister's Question
Question to be taken in Chamber.
13 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether financial help to support bus travel will be provided for as long as the public is advised not to travel unless necessary and to work from home where possible.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Since 22 June the Scottish Government has committed up to £162.3 million in additional funding to support bus operators increase and maintain bus services. This funding fills the gap between additional costs of operating services due to COVID-19 and severely …
13 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial help it is providing to support bus travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is maintaining concessionary travel reimbursement and Bus Service Operator Grant payments at pre COVID-19 levels where we would normally spend over £260 million. Since 22 June we have also provided additional financial support for bus…
13 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to respond to demand for child and adolescent mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) continue to support children and young people in need of specialist mental health support, although there have been adjustments in how that is delivered to accommodate coronavirus restrictions. Throughout th…
13 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Youthlink Scotland’s finding that one in two youth workers believe that young people’s mental health will be detrimentally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are aware mental health is a particular concern right now and it will be more so as we come out of this crisis. Our recently published Transition and Recovery Plan, ‘Mental Health - Scotland's Transition and Recovery’, sets out a number of actions to progr…
13 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support national voluntary youth work organisations in Scotland, in light of a reported income loss of at least £20.5 million in 2020.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government recognise all sectors will be finding this a challenging time, particularly third sector organisations and charities. We are engaging with CLD providers in colleges, local authorities and third sector organisations who are supporting v…
13 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the youth work sector to respond to an increased demand for youth work services.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government recognises the adaptability, agility and innovation the youth work sector has shown by continuing to meet the needs of young people in these challenging times. Throughout the pandemic, Community Learning and Development services and or…
13 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how may staff in each cancer centre have been tested for COVID-19.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Health Boards been routinely testing healthcare workers in key areas (oncology, long stay elderly care and mental health wards where the length of stay is over three months) since 8th July. This includes staff working on Specialist Cancer Wards and Treatment …
13 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of staff in each cancer centre are tested weekly for COVID-19, and when this testing began.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Health Boards been routinely testing healthcare workers in key areas (oncology, long stay elderly care and mental health wards where the length of stay is over three months) since 8th July. This includes staff working on Specialist Cancer Wards and Treatment …
9 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role it considers COVID-19 testing can play in the resumption of care home visiting.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the recently published clinical testing paper.This can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/progress-report/2020/10/coronavirus-covid-19-review-of-testing-strategy-october-2020/documents…
1 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure there is consistency in the community support available to people recovering from COVID-19 across Scotland.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32231 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/parliamentarybusin…
1 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether funding will be made available to NHS boards to provide consistent levels of support to people recovering from COVID-19.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has confirmed additional funding of £1.1 billion to support the health and social care sector in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows our detailed review of financial implications for each NHS Board and Integration Autho…
1 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what community support is available to people recovering from COVID-19 within each NHS board.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold information on community support available to people recovering from COVID-19 within each NHS board. The Scottish Government recognises the importance of a consistent approach being taken forward in the community to supp…
24 Sep 2020 · First Minister's Question
Question to be taken in Chamber.
23 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that its COVID-19 information is made available and accessible to (a) BAME people and (b) non-native English speakers.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has been working with public and third sector partners understand language and accessibility requirements, and have worked collaboratively to create and disseminate this information. Given the fast-moving nature of coronavirus-related …
22 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in which languages it publishes its COVID-19 information, other than in English.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: As part of our activity we have worked with public and third sector partners to understand language and accessibility requirements, and have worked collaboratively to translate and distribute key coronavirus information. This has included the following inform…
16 Sep 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Common Weal’s paper, Warning Lights: Ten Actions for Covid Elimination.
11 Sep 2020 · First Minister's Question
Question to be taken in Chamber.
7 Sep 2020 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases to a level not seen since May 2020.
3 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) mental health and (b) practical support will be provided to patients who are experiencing delays to treatment as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and whether it has considered establishing a centralised resource where people can access information about waiting times.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government is providing additional support to patients as a result of increased delays due to the COVID19 pandemic. This includes providing funding to increase the capacity of NHS24’s telephone and online mental health support services, which in…
3 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that mental and physical health services are given equal consideration during the process of triaging treatments based on clinical need, as part of the remobilisation of NHS services.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design: The Framework for NHS Scotland, sets out how Health Boards will follow national and local clinical advice to safely and gradually prioritise the resumption of paused services. The Framework states that "Working across the whol…
27 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication, Social Security Scotland client diversity and equalities analysis to December 2019, which states that BME devolved benefit applicants have a lower level of approved applications, at 73%, compared with white applicants, at 82%, what the reasons are for this d…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland collects equality information so that we can better understand how different groups are engaging with our benefits. This will help inform evaluation of both policy and delivery to help us continually improve. Between December 2018 an…
27 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has called on the UK Government to exempt the NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme from the capital rules for reserved social security benefit entitlement.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31452 on 8 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…
27 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact of the NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme on reserved social security benefit entitlement.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is clear that the £60,000 lump sum made available through the NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020, should not be taxed or treated as capital for the purpose of determining reserved benefit entitlement. This is precisely…