Parliamentary questions
Neil Findlay
2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress there has been in bringing Dr Veronikis to Scotland to assist mesh-injured women.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: In February the Chief Medical Officer invited Dr Veronikis to make an initial, observational visit to Scotland, and later that month confirmed that NHS Scotland would be able to offer a contract subject to detailed discussions during that visit and agreement …
15 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital patients have been subject to a DNAR (Do Not Attempt Resuscitation) order in each of the last 12 months, and how this compares with the same month in the previous three years.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29910 on 31 July 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/parliamentarybusiness/…
15 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the restrictions on visitors to hospitals, how DNAR (Do Not Attempt Resuscitation) orders are arranged with patients who do not have the capacity to make their own decisions.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The principles of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 should be given effect to in any intervention in the affairs of an adult lacking capacity. One of these principles is that the views of interested parties should be taken account of when determi…
15 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether calls via video platforms such as Zoom, MS Teams and FaceTime are covered by the terms of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016.
Answer · Graeme Dey: It is for the Parliament rather than the Government to determine what activities require to be registered under the terms of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016. Any such enquiries should be directed to the Lobbying Register Team in the Parliament.
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the recruitment of skilled (a) teachers and (b) lecturers, and what its position is on their importance in supporting an economic recovery post-COVID-19.
Answer · John Swinney: Teachers will play a vital role in the economic recovery in Scotland as we emerge from Covid-19. We are currently working with local authorities and the General Teaching Council for Scotland to support the recruitment of skilled teachers for the education re…
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it will make available for colleges in order to support Scotland's levels of employment post-COVID-19.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is actively working with the college sector and its agencies to respond to the skills needs of those affected by Covid-19 and is pursuing all routes to secure additional funding and flexibility for the college sector. This includes th…
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29557 by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020, what the information governance issues being faced by Public Health Scotland are.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Public Health Scotland have been working with the Scottish Government to agree the Information Governance Framework to support the transfer of data into PHS. This is now achieved and the data arrived on 12 June 2020. Once analysis has been completed a publica…
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29478 by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding how many people in care homes have died from COVID-19 or had COVID-19 mentioned on their death certificate, and for what reason it did not p…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The information requested is publicly available from National Records of Scotland in their weekly statistics publication which includes figures for the number of deaths associated with COVID-19 that occurred in a care home. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/covi…
10 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made with introducing the additional equipment required to facilitate virtual visits from family and friends for prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: Work on the provision of ‘virtual visits’ across the entire Scottish prison estate has been underway since 24 April 2020 and s…
10 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29044 by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020, whether it will provided the information requested regarding for what reason it did not support the testing of asymptomatic NHS, care home and home care staff, given that this policy was adopted prior to the e…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Decisions undertaken on how best to respond to COVID-19 are continually assessed against the evidence and as this evolves, so too does our response. The Scottish Government has and will continue to receive expert scientific advice, including on testing from …
10 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people who attended the Scotland v France rugby match on 8 March 2020 were contact traced for COVID-19, and what information it has on how many of these have since died of COVID-19.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29837 on 24 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/2…
10 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it considered that the Scotland v France rugby match on 8 March 2020 should go ahead, in light of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and on whose advice the match was sanctioned.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government had no role in deciding the game should go ahead. This was an operational matter for the organisers of the Six Nations Championships and Scottish Rugby who ensured that relevant Public Health measures were adhered to. The Scottish Gov…
9 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28179 by Clare Haughey on 8 June 2020, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding the number of ventilators ordered.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government ordered 904 ventilators from a wide range of manufacturers in March. This number was reduced in May as a result of suppliers de-committing and to bring in line with our maximum ICU surge capacity of over 700 beds, plus additional capac…
9 Jun 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to encourage employers and unions across major economic sectors to engage in national collective bargaining.
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28949 by Jeane Freeman on 8 June 2020, what scientific advice it was given prior to 1 February 2020 specifically regarding testing for COVID-19, and for what reason it did not provide this specific information in its answer.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government received expert scientific advice, including on testing for COVID-19 from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) which met twice in January. Minutes from SAGE meetings were made publicly available on 29th May 2020: https…
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns with safety in contact/call centre facilities because of the COVID-19 outbreak, whether it will consider organising an emergency conference to discuss the issues being faced by staff in these and, if so, whether it will invite the STUC, staff unions, employ…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We are setting up a working group with representation from trades unions, employers, regulators and workforce representatives to develop workplace guidance for contact/call centres. In developing guidance for this sector, as we have done for other sectors who…
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns with safety in such facilities because of the COVID-19 outbreak, whether it will ensure that the sectoral guidance being developed by it, staff unions and employers for every contact/call centre workplace is consistent with the STUC principles for relaxing …
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the STUC to prepare detailed safety guidance for different sectors. The guidance will take account of our long-established commitment to fair work, which was set in the context of the current crisis i…
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns with safety in such facilities because of the COVID-19 outbreak, what its position is on carrying out an immediate audit of contact/call centres to compare the health of the staff working in these places with their colleagues who are working from home or wh…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29722 on 17 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/…
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns with safety in such facilities because of the COVID-19 outbreak, what action it is taking to ensure that risk assessments are carried out by contact/call centre employers, trade unions and staff health and safety representatives, and what support it can pro…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and the economy is the priority of the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government has produced Business and Physical Distancing Guidance to help businesses and their employees to follow health protection …
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns with safety in such facilities because of the COVID-19 outbreak, what steps it is taking to encourage contact/call centre employers to facilitate homeworking or furloughing as speedily as possible.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government has produced Business and Physical Distancing Guidance, which is clear that employers should take every possible step to facilitate their employees working from home, including providing suitable IT and equipment to enable remote worki…
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, what steps it has taken to advise employers and employees of Section 44 of the Employment Relations Act (1996), which provides employees with the means to contest the adequacy or appropriateness of safety arrangements, without fear of recrimination or …
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29648 on 12 June 2020 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/ormain.aspx
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the assertion in the STUC principles for relaxing lockdown that "if work cannot be undertaken safely, it should not be undertaken at all".
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and the economy is the priority of the Scottish Government. All employers in Scotland should follow the existing Scottish guidance, support workers to follow health protection advice and have a statutory du…
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns with safety in such facilities because of the COVID-19 outbreak, what action it will take to ensure that all contact/call centre staff are tested for the virus and that any people found positive are isolated, treated and subject to contact-tracing, in line …
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and the economy is the priority of the Scottish Government. All employers in Scotland should follow the existing Scottish guidance, support workers to follow health protection advice and have a statutory du…
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns with safety in such facilities because of the COVID-19 outbreak, what its position is on whether the risk from the virus that is faced directly by staff working in contact/call centres, and that the danger that they might pass on the infection to others, sh…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We have been clear that the risk from the virus is both a public health and health & safety issue and we are addressing that by being consistently clear that it is vital that all businesses act responsibly and align fully with the physical distancing measures…
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will announce at its daily COVID-19 news conferences details of the number of deaths related to poverty, and what action is being taken to prevent further such deaths.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: NRS published additional analysis on COVID-19 deaths by deprivation on 13 May and updated their analysis on 17 June. Their reports are available here . Public Health Scotland also include some deprivation analysis as part of their weekly publication on CO…
5 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) its other agencies have paid in each of the last five years to companies that make, supply or provide components for the (i) armed forces and (ii) police and security forces of other countries, broken down by country.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Information regarding funding to companies provided by our enterprise agencies is an operational matter for those agencies and is not held by the Scottish Government. I have asked the relevant Chief Executives to respond to you directly.
5 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that its senior managers have been awarded pay rises of up to 12%, and whether these were negotiated with the respective staff trade unions.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the Member to the answer to his previous question S5W-29552 on 15 June 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/parliamen…
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29035 by Jeane Freeman on 4 June 2020, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding how many (a) hotel (i)) staff and (ii) residents who were not attendees at the conference and (b) shop workers, bar workers, taxi drivers and…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: As stated in the answer to question S5W-29035, risk of deductive disclosure leading to a breach of patient confidentiality means that data about the number of people at the hotel or nearby who tested at that time will not be released. However, any case that t…
3 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish an action plan on health, social and economic inequalities experienced by black and minority ethnic (BAME) people, which have been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: On 20 March 2020 we published the Year 2 progress update on our Race Equality Action Plan. A final year report of this Plan will be published in 2021, which will include consideration of activity across all relevant portfolios, including particular attention …
3 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will record, analyse and publish disaggregated data on the number of deaths of black and minority ethnic (BAME) people as a consequence of COVID-19.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government will continue to monitor the information available on the number of deaths of black and minority ethnic (BAME) people as a consequence of COVID-19. On 4 May, National Records of Scotland released a technical note describing the ethnic…