Parliamentary questions

Neil Findlay

2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all documents relating to discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding testing for COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has no plans to publish this information.

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the scientific evidence on which it based its decision to not roll out community testing for COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government have sought to be as open and transparent as possible. All of the minutes from meetings of the Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group are routinely published and can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/groups/scottish-government-co…

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many COVID-19 testing kits the NHS has had in stock on each day since 1 February 2020.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Sample collection kits at the start of the outbreak were stocked at a Health Board Level and National Services Scotland do not have a daily total of these going back to 1 February 2020. Since 1 February 2020, there have been no reported shortages with Health …

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in terms of the number of tests for COVID-19 that can be carried out and assessed each day, how this capacity has changed each month since January 2020.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Monthly capacity figures for the NHS testing service in Scotland are available from 10 February until 16 June, as follows: Feb 10 -28 (inclusive): 7000 March 38918 April 82311 May 180272

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on community testing and isolating every suspected case of COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Coronavirus (COVID-19): test, trace, isolate, support strategy was published on 4 May 2020 and sets out plans to help disrupt community transmission of the virus. The strategy is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-test…

16 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on the sector of the outbreak of COVID-19, whether it will carry out an immediate independent review of social care.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has made additional funding available to local authorities to increase the capacity of social care support and ensure fair working conditions for our key workers. A range of actions have been taken to focus our collective response to t…

13 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessment has been undertaken regarding the withdrawal of sharps boxes for diabetics.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-27927 on 25 March 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…

13 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason some NHS boards have reportedly stopped giving sharps boxes to diabetics.

13 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is given to diabetics who are no longer being given NHS sharps boxes to dispose of needles.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: It is the responsibility of NHS Boards and healthcare contractors to ensure that used needles are disposed in a safe manner as set out in the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 . NHS Boards have the authority to decide how…

12 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to strengthen (a) diplomatic, (b) cultural and (c) trade relations between Scotland and Colombia; what analysis it has carried out of how the current political situation in that country might impact on this and, in light of the comment in its international develop…

Answer · Michael Russell: At this time of global crisis, Scotland is all the more committed to acting as a good global citizen, including reinforcing the resilience of vulnerable countries to tackle Covid-19. Scottish Universities are working with international scientists in efforts t…

11 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Union Canal is closed at Linlithgow, and when it will reopen, in light of the potential impact on tourism, especially during the forthcoming Easter period.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This is an operational matter for Scottish Canals and we have asked that the CEO of Scottish Canals responds.

10 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which employers covered by its Public Sector Pay Policy have not paid the minimum underpin contribution on a non-consolidated basis, and what proportion of employers covered by the policy this represents.

Answer · Kate Forbes: In 2019-20 the 35 public bodies listed below fully consolidated the £750 underpin for those earning £25,000 or less, representing 78% of all bodies directly subject to the public sector pay policy. Architecture and Design Scotland Bord na Gaidhlig Cairn…

6 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it is giving to care home owners on the coronavirus, COVID-19; what advice care home owners are providing to staff and residents, and whether owners are being asked to display advice signs throughout their premises.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has developed specific guidance for social or community care and residential settings on COVID-19 to support those working in the social care sector. It is based on the National Infection Prevention & Control Manual and in…

2 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many interpreters are employed or contracted to help deliver public services for people who do not have English as their first language.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government has a framework agreement for the provision of Interpreting, Translation and Transcription Services which is used by Central Government bodies only. The number of interpreters employed by the Contractor to deliver the services under th…

2 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the employment conditions of interpreters who help deliver public services.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government has a framework agreement for the provision of Interpreting, Translation and Transcription Services used by Central Government bodies only and does not contract directly with individual interpreters. Conditions of employment are a matt…

2 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether interpreters who help deliver public services should be covered by the living wage legislation.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government encourages all suppliers to pay the real Living Wage. The Scottish Government has a framework agreement for the provision of Interpreting, Translation and Transcription Services used by Central Government bodies only and does not contr…

2 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether interpreters who help deliver public services should be paid for travel (a) time and (b) expenses.

27 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is flexibility in its Public Sector Pay Guidance application in 2020-21 to award extra pay increases to address the 2019-20 non-consolidated payments.

Answer · Kate Forbes: There is no direct provision in the 2020-21 public sector pay policy to allow extra pay increases to address 2019-20 non-consolidated payments. However, the guaranteed £750 underpin is a key element of the 2020-21 pay policy and must be applied as a consolida…

27 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of employers covered by its Public Sector Pay Guidance has been allowed to pay the minimum underpin contribution on a non-consolidated basis.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Three public bodies have paid the top-up to £750 as a non-consolidated amount in 2019-20. This equates to seven per cent of the 45 public bodies that are directly subject to the public sector pay policy.

27 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been saved in the heritage sector by allowing public sector bodies to pay the minimum underpin contribution on a non-consolidated basis.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: While the Public Sector Pay Policy 2019-20 encouraged public bodies in Scotland to implement the minimum underpin for those employees earning less than £25,000, the Pay Policy stressed that ultimately it was for those individual employers to decide on the mos…

27 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much was saved on the 2019-20 pay bill as a result of the National Library of Scotland’s decision to not consolidate the £750 minimum payment for lower paid staff.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The National Library of Scotland has confirmed that there were no savings on their 2019-20 pay bill. The Library has paid the £750 underpin to all relevant staff in the 2019-20 financial year. However, to help balance future budgets, the Library decided to c…

17 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when Dr Veronikis will come to Scotland to carry out full mesh removal procedures.

3 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27067 by Jeane Freeman on 3 February 2020, how much has been spent on staffing costs for the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh since August 2019 to date, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answ…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Between August 2019 and January 2020, staff costs for the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh were £350,000. I remain committed to providing as up to date information as possible, however as cost data needs to be reviewed, checked a…

29 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all investors in Scottish infrastructure projects organised through (a) the Scottish Futures Trust and (b) hubCos.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) led hub programme is comprised of five hubCos that have delivered 41 revenue funded projects since they were established. Details relating to both the public and private sector investors in the hubCos and the revenue funded pr…

24 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its Non-Profit Distributing (NPD) programme has ceased, and, if so, (a) what programme has replaced it, and (b) how much money was returned to it through the capping of NPD profits.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government revenue funded NPD/hub programme continues to completion with all projects now contracted. Forty six contracts are in their operational phase and five contracts are currently in their construction phase. As a result of changes to the E…

23 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that women affected by mesh implants do not miss out on cervical screening.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Any woman who is eligible for cervical screening and who has a mesh implant will be invited on the same basis as any other eligible woman. Guidelines indicate that, during the consultation, those undertaking the smear test are encouraged to ask if there is a…

23 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on social media advertising in each of the last five years, broken down by platform.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Social media advertising is a cost effective way to reach key audiences with relevant messaging. All Scottish Government spend is aligned to key government priorities, supporting social change, conveying public information and raising the profile of Scotland …

21 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on staff salaries at the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh since it was handed over to NHS Lothian.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Handover was late February 2019; staff costs for six months, March to August 2019 is a total of £834,000. Area Expenditure:Domestics - £298,000Catering - £114,000Logistics - £421,000 NHS Lothian have confirmed while the new building remains closed many of t…

21 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to assess alternatives to public private partnerships to finance its future infrastructure projects.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the Scottish Futures Trust’s published ‘Options Appraisal’, which can be found at www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk

21 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to assess the debt incurred by local authorities from public private partnerships.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government together with the Scottish Futures Trust have been encouraging procuring authorities to assess whether they can realise savings from existing public private partnership contracts. This includes re-scoping services and optimising risk t…