Parliamentary questions
Neil Findlay
2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what equalities impact assessment was carried out regarding the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Public Health Scotland (PHS) carried out extensive engagement with community and equalities groups to develop a health inequalities assessment. This analysis is guiding the vaccinations programme communications and adaptations to delivery models. An equality …
4 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some West Lothian residents are having to travel to a different local authority area to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, and what action it can take to make the vaccines more locally accessible.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The locations for vaccinations are chosen to maximise the number we can vaccinate while making it as accessible and easy as possible for people to come to their appointment. As we contact each priority group we aim to ensure that everyone is able to make app…
4 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been carried out of the travel and access arrangements required for older West Lothian residents who are asked to travel to a different local authority area to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The locations for vaccinations are chosen to maximise the number we can vaccinate while making it as accessible and easy as possible for people to come to their appointment. We intend that as we contact each priority group we ensure that everyone is able to …
3 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many people have been blocked from the First Minister’s (a) Twitter account and (b) Facebook page.
Answer · Kate Forbes: There are currently no accounts blocked by the Scottish Government’s official Twitter account for the First Minister. There is no official Facebook Page for the First Minster.
3 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional financial support has been made available to foster carers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government has made funding available to local authorities to support those most affected by the pandemic in their local areas. The £100 m Winter Plan Package announced on 30 November made £23.5 m available to services for vulnerable children and…
3 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will offer a one-off payment to foster carers to recognise their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government recognises the extra efforts that foster carers and others are making to ensure vulnerable children and young people receive the care and support they need during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although we have no plans to offer a one-off pay…
3 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider offering all staff in fostering agencies the £500 payment to social care workers, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: We are hugely grateful to the efforts over recent months of the many key workers in different sectors across Scotland as they have risen to the challenge of responding to the pandemic. The payment is for NHS staff, adult social care and residential childcare …
3 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider offering family support workers and social work assistants the £500 payment to social care workers, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Staff who are employed to work as a registered social worker, social work assistant or paraprofessional, including those working with children and families, are eligible for the £500 payment. Full guidance and the online form for third, voluntary, charitable …
3 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider offering all foster carers the £500 payment to social care workers, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34950 on 25 February 2021. 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…
2 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent reported attempts by Sri Lanka's police to try to stop the Tamil journalist, Punniamurthy Sasiharan, of Mamangam, Batticaloa, from covering a protest raises any concerns for it in relation to Police Scotland's provision of community training for Sri Lankan police offic…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The current training programme provided by Police Scotland in Sri Lanka focuses on improving community policing and gender equality. All training is underpinned by the aim of upholding and improving human rights and all Police Scotland’s activities with the S…
2 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the vetting procedures for Police Scotland's work with Sri Lanka, in light of the recent recommendation from the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights for all member states to "apply stringent vetting procedures to Sri Lankan police and military personne…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The issuing of visas to foreign nationals coming to the UK to study is a matter for the UK Government.
1 Feb 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the financial impact will be on the lowest income groups of its proposal to freeze council tax.
1 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the £500 bonus payment to NHS staff has minimal impact on any (a) universal credit and (b) other benefit claims.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: We are disappointed that NHS staff and Social Care workers receiving our £500 ‘thank you’ payment may see their benefits impacted as a result of the UK Government’s response and we have written to the UK Government, in conjunction with the other devolved admi…
28 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether people should wear face coverings at all times when they leave their home in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Face coverings bring a benefit in reducing transmission of the virus but they are not a substitute for good hand hygiene and physical distancing.We do not mean surgical or other medical masks, but a covering of the mouth, nose and chin that is made of cloth o…
26 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice was sought from the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) at the design stage of the Queensferry Crossing about diverting traffic to the Forth Road Bridge when the Crossing is closed to traffic.
Answer · Michael Matheson: During the design stage of the Queensferry Crossing, no advice was sought from the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) about diverting traffic to the Forth Road Bridge when the Queensferry Crossing is closed to traffic. During the design st…
26 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-34236 by Jeane Freeman on 26 January 2021, whether any application of DNACPR (do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation) notices on people’s care plans against their wishes or without their consent is a breach of their human rights.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: As outlined in S5W-34236 on 26 January 2021, and in our CPR Guidance, it is important to acknowledge that CPR may not be an appropriate treatment for everyone. If a patient disagrees with the medical advice offered regarding the viability of CPR as a treatmen…
26 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the option of diverting traffic to the Forth Road Bridge when the Queensferry Crossing is closed to traffic was considered at the design stage of the Crossing, and what the reasons were for its position on this matter.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Forth Road Bridge was considered as a traffic diversion option during the design stage of the Queensferry Crossing and it was determined that the most appropriate use would be for it to become a dedicated public transport corridor. In that scenario, any o…
26 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what current plans there are to divert traffic from the Queensferry Crossing to the Forth Road Bridge when the Crossing is closed, and what the (a) timetable and (b) cost is of implementing those plans.
Answer · Michael Matheson: In emergency situations, the Forth Road Bridge is available to provide additional resilience as a diversion route, should the Queensferry Crossing have to close. The first full live traffic trial for use of the Forth Road Bridge as a diversion route was succ…
26 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how long the operator of the Queensferry Crossing takes to divert traffic to the Forth Road Bridge when the Crossing is closed to traffic.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Diversion of traffic from the Queensferry Crossing to the Forth Road Bridge takes approximately five hours, dependent on weather conditions.
20 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with representatives of Charlotte Street Partners, and whether it will continue to engage with them following the firm's membership of the Association for Scottish Public Affairs being withdrawn.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Information on ministerial engagements is routinely published on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.gov.scot/About/People/14944/Events-Engagements . On 3 December 2020 a representative of Charlotte Street Partners attended a ministerial meeting…
19 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the evidence given by Dr Veronikis to the Public Petitions Committee in 2020.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32758 on? 3 December 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…
18 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate for care home owners not to advise residents' families how many deaths there have been in the care home that their relative is in.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: It is essential that care home staff regularly update family and friends about the care and wellbeing of their loved one. Any care home provider must be cognisant of the impact of the death of a resident on other residents in their care. Providers must also …
14 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33974 by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021, whether it will provide the information in the format requested regarding how many care homes have had (a) zero to 10, (b) 11 to 20, (c) 21 to 30, (d) 31 to 40 and (e) over 40 of their residents die where C…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. The official source of statistics about deaths related to Covid-19 in Scotland is the National Records of Scotland (NRS). NRS Publish official statistics on Covid-19 deaths in Scotland, includi…
14 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the alleged involvement of Sri Lankan police (a) at an incident at a Tamil war memorial at the University of Jaffna on 8 January 2021 and (b) in the reported mistreatment of six Tamil farmers from Batticaloa on 11 January 2021 raises any concerns for it in terms of Police Scotlan…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The current training programme, provided by Police Scotland in Sri Lanka, is aimed at improving community policing and gender equality, with all training underpinned by equality and human rights. It is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to ag…
13 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33926 by Mairi Gougeon on 11 January 2021, whether it plans to gather the information that was requested regarding how many hospital patients have been discharged to hospices (a) untested and (b) after testing positive for COVID-19, and what the rea…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Following the publication of the Public Health Scotland report Discharges from NHSScotland hospitals to care homes ( https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/discharges-from-nhsscotland-hospitals-to-care-homes/ ) th…
11 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will prioritise teachers and education staff in the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine, and to what extent any additional risks for staff in the provision of education for younger aged children and children with additional support needs have been factored into its vaccination pr…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: To save lives it is essential that vaccination be given to the first priority groups as set by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), these being residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, people over the age of 80, and f…
11 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that all school pupils have access to online learning.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Government has invested £25m to support digital inclusion for school-aged learners across Scotland. At end-December 2020, almost 59,000 devices and over 10,000 connectivity packages had been distributed to learners and more will have been distributed…
11 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of (a) access to and (b) the take-up of online learning for school pupils.
Answer · John Swinney: With regard to online services, the Glow platform is freely available to all learners and teachers in Scotland who have access to an internet connection and a device with a modern browser. During the period in 2020 when schools were closed (Mar-Jun 2020) over…
11 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many school pupils do not have access to online learning, and for what reasons.
Answer · John Swinney: We do not hold this information centrally. Local authorities and schools are best placed to identify learners who do not have access to online learning. We have worked, and will continue to work, with Local Authorities to address these issues.
8 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the decision to change the period within which the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is administered from 4 weeks to 12 weeks breaches any agreement made between patient and the NHS when the first vaccine was administered.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The change in relation to the timing of the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, in line with Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice and supported by all four UK Chief Medical Officers, does not affect the consent for treatment when the fir…